The Shimadzu Core Laboratory lost its COVID-19-funded grant at the end of March, which has resulted in cutbacks and layoffs.
The lab is directed by Biological Sciences Professor Dr. Schuyler Pike who had received COVID-19 funding to test wastewater for the virus and influenza. The lab had been receiving funding since 2020, and the last funding they had received was set to last until Sept. 30, according to Pike.
The grant had initially included treatments for sites in Big Rapids, Cadillac, Grayling and Reed City, before adding Lake City and Ludington. Eventually, Reed City and Ludington dropped testing, while the testing continued in the other areas.
The funds had been canceled under the Trump administration, which set to terminate all funding that included COVID-19 in the name according to Chemistry and Engineering News. Labs were supposed to receive notice of their funds being cut.
Pike however did not receive notification before the funding was set to be cut.
“But the Trump administration cut all COVID-19 related monies and took them back,” Pike said. “And they notified the state sometime that they had done that, and then the state the funding for that was cut as of March 31 so any expenses incurred March 31 or before would be paid for. Any expenses after that would not be paid for we were not the letter was sent out by the Michigan [Department of Health and Human Services] to the different universities and labs in the Michigan in the network across Michigan does this testing on April 1, so the day app that was sent out to those labs on April 1. I did not get that letter untilApril 2.”
According to Pike, this resulted in 11 students being let go as well as Ferris having to pay the remaining cost of expenses that had taken place before the lab was notified of the cutbacks. Pike was able to rehire three students, who had no other jobs using different funds to finish the project. Due to the funding cuts, he was unable to hire them all back.
The impact of the cuts has also affected how the lab will be able to work in the future.
“We’re not going to be doing the testing, the wastewater testing,” Pike said. “There was money that was, we were thought we had, remember how much extra it was, but there were hundreds of 1000s of dollars more that we thought we would be getting, that we won’t be getting it. And this will effect the university, and then of course, I won’t have the money to hire students in the future.”
The lab plans to finish out the year with the current staff.
None of the students impacted were available for an interview at the time of this article.