Nonprofit founded in 2022, never raised nor spent a dime
The National Institutes of Health will look into an $89 billion, 25-year grant awarded to the Alliance for Advancing Biomedical Research in the last days of President Joe Biden’s administration.
The nonprofit “operate[s] exclusively for the benefit of” the University of California system, according to its tax filings. However, the nonprofit, formed in 2022, has never raised a dime nor spent a dime.
Furthermore, the California-based nonprofit would operate the lab at Maryland’s Fort Detrick, taking the contract away from Leidos Biomedical Research. As reported by The Washington Free Beacon, Leidos “held that role for about 30 years.”
The Washington Free Beacon reported the “seemingly dormant” Alliance for Advancing Biomedical Research now faces an investigation, after Iowa Republican Senator Chuck Grassley raised questions about the massive grant.
“It’s outrageous Biden’s NIH shoved a nearly $90 billion contract out the door just days before President Trump returned to office,” Grassley told the news outlet.
“Even worse, the money would have flowed to an organization that can’t clearly protect itself from adversaries like China,” Sen. Grassley said. “I’m very glad HHS heeded my calls to reverse course and is now re-evaluating its initial proposal. I urge the department to ensure efficient use of taxpayer dollars as it works to defeat cancer and save lives.”
The Free Beacon reported further:
Grassley also said he was concerned about the University of California’s well-documented failure to protect its labs from security breaches by China’s government.
“It has been reported that between 1987 and 2021, at least 162 scientists who had worked at Los Alamos [National Laboratory] returned to China to support a variety of domestic research and development programs, including at least 59 who were involved with China’s talent programs,” Grassley wrote [in a letter to the NIH]. “It appears that the University of California’s inability to keep China out of U.S. R&D is an issue that spans nearly four decades.”
Leidos previously expressed its disappointment in January, when it lost the contract.
“While we are disappointed that we may not continue this particular work and partnership, we expect to receive more information on our proposal in the coming days, which will help us better understand the evaluation process and next steps,” the Frederick News-Post reported on Jan. 23.
Since taking office, President Donald Trump and his administration have sought to root out waste and abuse, with a particular emphasis placed on the National Institutes of Health and its billions of dollars in research funding.
MORE: University rejects Georgetown divestment measure
IMAGE CAPTION AND CREDIT: Former President Joe Biden; Gints Ivuskans/Shutterstock
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