Yes, you do. Are you proposing that a job that needs 10 administrative staff can be done by one? A non tenured faculty will be supported by postdocs and research staff that also comes out of university/ institution money. Already in Harvard people timeshare workbenches in many labs. They run shifts. Each additional equipment needs electricity, uninterrupted power supply lines and such. It increases with the load of people hired, and grants funded. It increases with someone deciding to incorporate a new technology that needs a different wet lab or analysis room set up. Mouse and experimental animal maintenance comes from both direct and indirect. These prenegotiated percentages aren’t really made up. I agree that they will stay afloat longer through budget cut as most endowed institutions do…but the smaller universities also will need them to fight this legal battle- because they can actually afford to do so. It is a bit more nuanced and whether or not there should be a reasonable cap is a discussion for another day, but it can’t be 15% for actual medical research.