On April 7, Interim Dean Seth Ablordeppey announced that the National Institutes of Health had canceled a significant research grant awarded to Florida A&M University. The $16.3 million grant supported the university’s long-standing Research Centers in Minority Institutions program, which has been in place since 1985. Although the grant was renewed in 2024 and was expected to fund enhanced research and full-time faculty hires through March 2029, its sudden termination on March 21 has left the College of Pharmacy facing serious uncertainty.
Principal Investigator of the RCMI program, Dr. Karam Soliman, shared the gravity of this loss. “We have a lot of people involved, a lot of [them] get salaries and [work] full-time, you know,” Soliman said. “There’s a lot of impact; this is really terrible.”
In the wake of the news, students expressed their reactions and concerns about the future of the college. “When I first heard about the grant cut, I was very upset and angry because now the research area of COPPS is losing funding for research that could possibly make an impact in today’s health care,” Jahshaun Hickson, a first doctor of pharmacy candidate, said.
Hickson and other students are grappling with how this lack of funding could impact their degree programs. “I believe that it wouldn’t impact my ability to graduate on time due to the budget cut didn’t affect the Doctor of Pharmacy program just the research area for the PhD.” Hickson said. “I am concerned about the research area and their future for the next school year.”
Kamille Buck, a sophomore pre-pharmacy student, had similar concerns about the research department but posed an important question. “I don’t understand how we as an American society are supposed to progress to find different treatments and cures for diseases by conducting research and doing different labs and trials,” Buck said. “How are we supposed to find answers to these questions, and we no longer have the money to perform or conduct that research?”
Amid all these concerns, Soliman shared that the university has worked diligently to support the College of Pharmacy, including appealing the decision to cut this federal funding. He remains hopeful but attentive as the college continues to overcome this challenge.
“We are doing our best to get our students through this difficult period,” Soliman said. “I am really appreciative of all the help we’ve received.”