Possible Closure May Be 'a Sign of the Times'

The Boston Biomedical Research Institute may be facing closure, the Nature News Blog reports. The nonprofit research institute, founded in 1968, is home to a range of biomedical research projects that are funded through federal and private grants.

The Boston Globe adds that the vote on Thursday by BBRI's corporation on whether or not to close is "a sign of the times, as competition for federal funding has intensified and more budget cuts loom in January, threatening scientific research programs at many institutions."

Harvard Medical School's Louis Kunkel, who co-directs a center with BBRI's director, tells the Globe that "In today's age, you need to have some size; you also need financial backing. You can't just rely on the NIH and private foundations for your support. … You need an endowment that's large enough to tide you through hard times."