Oregon Primate Research Center Faces Funding Risk as Animal Rights Groups Push for Shutdown
At the end of last year, Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) submitted a response to budget concerns about the Oregon National Primate Research Center (ONPRC) if federal funds decline by 25%.
OHSU Primate Research Center Budget Proposals
Responding to the budget note passed by the Oregon Legislature during the 2025 session, OHSU stressed that the budget note does not direct OHSU to close the primate center, but requires the university to study and review the “current and future financial viability” of the center should funds from the National Institutes of Health, or NIH, fall by 25%.
Huron Consulting Group, a national expert in the operations of national primate research centers retained to respond to the budget note, reviewed primate center operations, payroll, and grant financial data, and also interviewed ONPRC and OHSU leaders. They looked at :
- Funding sources between 2023 and 2027.
- The projected impact of federal funding reductions.
- Confirmation that no state general funds are used for program operations.
- Scenarios for closure and their respective costs, in the event of 25% funding cuts.
Here is the cost range OHSU laid out for four paths forward.
| Scenario | Estimated cost / 8 years | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Immediate closure | ~$241 million | Sunset operations fast / transition animals to other sites |
| Sustain current grants only / then close | ~$118 million | Finish existing studies / then transition to full closure |
| Convert to sanctuary | ~$220 to $291 million | Keep colony and site management / end research (costs continue beyond 8 years) |
| Continue operations (smaller footprint) | ~$50 to $70 million | Reduce colony size to stay viable as NIH funded NPRC |
The analysis showed that both continuing to operate the primate center and closing it are expensive, but closing it would be more expensive. Approximately 80% of the operating costs are animal care and administration. Still, if funding were to end abruptly, those costs would remain unfunded- with no revenue to support them.
Source: OHSU Board of Directors public materials / Budget note response executive summary (Jan 2026)
Dailytidings.com
The Chair of the OHSU Board of Directors confirmed that OHSU will support our people, ensure the welfare of the animals, and advance lifesaving science at OHSU. He will call a special public meeting this month for OHSU management to review the report with the Board.
Animal Rights Groups’ Campaign Against Oregon National Primate Research Center Intensifies
As OSHU explores funding options, animal rights groups like PETA and the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), a nonprofit organization, have intensified campaigns against ONPRC, citing alleged welfare violations and failed experiments.
The groups are pushing for closure of the facility as NIH priorities shift away from primate research toward non-animal methods.
The Physicians Committee began a media blitz in March 2025, urging OHSU to close the center after exposing ONPRC Animal Welfare Act violations. The nonprofit filed an official complaint with the NIH and the federal Department of Agriculture.
Last year, the NIH announced it would no longer develop new funding opportunities focused exclusively on animal models of human disease. The agency indicated that they are also prioritizing human-based technologies and models to meet NIH’s long-term goal of “reducing, refining, and replacing the use of laboratory animals.”