PETA Offers a Solution to Universities Following Trump Administration’s Landmark Decision to Curb Institutional Excess

For Immediate Release:
February 9, 2025

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

Following the Trump administration’s bold step to overhaul a system that has long rewarded cruelty over credible science, PETA is offering a solution for universities concerned about potential budget cuts: Eliminate wasteful experiments on animals and shift toward efficient, non-animal research methods that drive real scientific breakthroughs.

By capping indirect costs at 15% for all institutions receiving National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants, the administration is forcing universities to scrutinize their overhead spending. These indirect costs often fund large animal facilities and costly equipment, such as cage washers—the very machines in which animals have tragically been scalded to death. These bloated funding streams—sometimes more than 60% per grant—have driven universities to defend archaic, barbaric animal experiments, not for their scientific value, but for the windfall of taxpayer dollars they brought in.

Please see the following statement from neuroscientist and PETA Director of Scientific Advancement and Outreach Dr. Emily Trunnell:

“This is a pivotal moment for change. The new policy eliminates the financial incentives that have driven institutions to perpetuate ineffective and expensive experiments on animals. Universities now have the opportunity to redirect their focus to more efficient and effective non-animal science.”

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to experiment on”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow the group on X, Facebook, or Instagram.