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Delayed research means delayed care — especially for women.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has long been a cornerstone of medical breakthroughs, particularly in the field of women’s health research. Yet recent funding cuts threaten to slow the momentum built over years of dedicated study and investment.
Researchers worry that reduced resources may hinder investigations into critical areas such as breast cancer, reproductive health, and chronic conditions that disproportionately affect women. So what does it mean for women now?
Why NIH funding for medical research matters
The National Institutes of Health is the largest public funder of medical research in the world. It’s part of the U.S. government and includes 27 institutes focused on everything from cancer to mental health to women’s health.
The NIH awards grants to researchers at universities, hospitals, and research centers across the country. In fact, 80% of its $48 billion annual budget goes to these institutions. According to United for Medical Research, every $1 invested returns $2.56 to the economy.
Without this funding, much of the research that leads to new drugs and medical devices simply wouldn’t happen.
What researchers do with NIH grant funding
NIH grants help researchers explore how diseases work — like how hormones affect PCOS or why endometriosis causes pain. This is called basic or early-stage research, and it lays the foundation for treatments later.
When early findings show promise, researchers may need more funding for lab work or even early human testing (called First-in-Human or Phase I trials, which can cost millions). At this point, researchers often apply for more grants, partner with biotech, or form startups. Many say this is the hardest phase to fund — especially in women’s health.
What pharmaceutical companies do (and don’t do)
Pharmaceutical companies typically step in later, after research shows clear potential. Their role is to:
- Run expensive clinical trials (often hundreds of millions of dollars
- Submit data to the FDA for approval
- Manufacture and market the drug
But pharma is a business. To invest, they need to believe the drug has a strong chance of success and commercial value. Drug development takes 10–15 years and over $2 billion, and 90% of trials fail.
Even researchers at academic medical centers agree: pharma simply can’t replace NIH. Without public funding to fuel early discoveries, many treatments will never make it to the pharma pipeline.
How NIH funding cuts hurt women
Cuts to NIH funding affect all stages of research — but the impact is especially severe in women’s health, which has long been underfunded.
Women weren’t required in clinical trials until 1993. As a result, most drugs used today were primarily tested on men. That legacy still affects:
- Diseases that impact women alone (e.g., ovarian cancer)
- Diseases that impact women differently (e.g., cardiovascular disease)
- Diseases that impact women disproportionately (e.g., autoimmune disease, Alzheimer’s disease)
Take endometriosis:
- Affects 1 in 10 women
- Takes 7–10 years on average to diagnose
- NIH funding in 2019: ~$6 million
- Diabetes funding that year: nearly $1 billion
And yet, endometriosis has a larger economic burden relative to the research funding it receives:
- Diabetes: $330 in funding per $1 of economic impact
- Endometriosis: just $1 per $13,000 of economic impact
This includes missed work, missed school, ER visits, and years of misdiagnosis.
Why this delay matters
When funding is cut — or never prioritized — women pay the price:
- Breakthroughs are delayed or abandoned
- Diseases remain misunderstood or dismissed
- Women live with pain, fatigue, infertility, and misdiagnosis for years
We’re already playing catch-up. As an example, after the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) study was misinterpreted in 2002, hormone therapy used to support midlife women dropped, and menopause research stalled. Only now are we starting to rebuild that knowledge — decades later.
What needs to change to advance women’s health innovation
To truly improve drug development and diagnostics for women, we must:
- Protect and increase NIH funding for research focused on women’s health conditions.
- Improve incentives for pharma and investors to fund women’s health innovation.
- Update clinical trial standards to require sex-specific analysis and adequate female representation.
- Support policies and public pressure that call out the gaps in women’s health and demand change.
Bottom line: Without the NIH, the system breaks down — and women are left behind.
Georgie Kovacs is the founder of Fempower Health, a top-ranked podcast and newsletter focused on helping women make sense of their health journeys. Drawing from her personal experience with infertility and a complex diagnosis process, Georgie is on a mission to bridge the gap between what women need and what the healthcare system delivers. She interviews leading experts, breaks down medical jargon, and uncovers the systemic barriers that leave too many women struggling for answers. To connect with Georgie and explore her work, follow @fempowerhealth on social media and subscribe to the weekly newsletter.