Cuts to American science will upend the economy it helped create
Scientists are deeply unsettled by decisions made during the first month of the new Trump administration. Proposed cuts to the federal agencies that fund scientific research could have disastrous effects on the economy and America’s global competitiveness.
Since the Second World War, advances in science and technology have driven 85 percent of American economic growth. Science and innovation are the engines of prosperity.
All the growth in investment in research since 1990 has come from the corporate sector, for applied research, while federal investment in basic research has stagnated. Federal funding for science agencies is at a 25-year low. Worldwide, basic research pays for itself and has more impact on economic growth than applied research.
American science and research facilities are still the envy of the world, and by some metrics, the country seems preeminent. Americans have won three times more Nobel Prizes in science than people from any other country. American research universities are magnets for scientific talent. The U.S. still spends more on research and development than any other country.
However, this high status rests increasingly on foreign talent. Since 2000, 40 percent of science Nobel prizes have been won by people who did their research in America but were born in another country. Also, foreign-born workers account for 43 percent of scientists and engineers with doctorate degrees.
And the rest of the world is gaining fast. American research and development as a fraction of GDP has dropped from a high of 1.9 percent in 1964 to 0.7 percent. The U.S. ranks 12th in the world, behind South Korea and European countries. In the number of science researchers as a fraction of the labor force, the U.S. ranks 10th.
Metrics of research quality tell the same story. Five years ago, China overtook the U.S. in its share of the top 1 percent of cited papers. China also leads the world in patents and will soon be outspending the U.S. on research. Three-quarters of American educators and workers in technical fields think the U.S. has already lost its position of global leadership.
Against this backdrop, threats to science funding are particularly ominous.
Executive orders have sewn chaos at science agencies as they struggle to interpret the directives. The initial target was any program relating to diversity, equity and inclusion. At the National Science Foundation, routine reviews and grant approvals were put on hold, bringing billions of dollars of research to a grinding halt.
Researchers are still reeling from a decision to cut overhead rates down to 15 percent at the National Institutes of Health, the world’s largest funder of biomedical research. These indirect costs do not represent waste or inefficiency, they support the operation of lab facilities, so are essential to doing the research.
There may be deeper cuts to come. The NSF has been told to prepare for the loss of half of its staff and two-thirds of its funding. That would severely impact its ability to support graduate students and young researchers. The agency funds a quarter of all fundamental research at universities and colleges, annually supporting over 300,000 researchers.
Similar cuts may come to the NIH, which supports more than 300,000 researchers and more than 410,000 jobs. The NIH contributed research for 99 percent of the drugs approved between 2010 and 2019, and every dollar of funding they receive generates $2.46 in economic activity.
When the president’s budget reaches Congress, it will test the traditionally bipartisan support science has enjoyed. Agencies that fund science represent just 1 percent of federal spending. But if the cuts are substantial, they will seriously impact job creation and the economy.
More than that, they will cause potentially irreparable harm to a system based on merit, competition and excellence that has delivered tangible results to the American people for a century.
Chris Impey is a professor of Astronomy at the University of Arizona who has written books on cosmology, astrobiology and the future of space travel, and articles about science policy.
-
UN envoy says creating an inclusive Syrian government could help lift sanctions
U.N. special envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen has said that formation of a “new inclusive government” in Damascus by March 1 could pave the way for lifting sanctions imposed by western countriesABC News - 16h -
Nvidia helps launch AI platform for teaching American Sign Language
Nvidia has unveiled a new AI platform for teaching people how to use American Sign Language to help bridge communication gaps. The Signs platform is creating a validated dataset for sign language ...VentureBeat - 19h -
Inside the week that upended U.S.-Ukraine relations
Tensions between the Trump administration and the Ukrainian government had been escalating behind the scenes for the past week.NBC News - 20h -
How Trump's NIH layoffs upended one probationary staffer's life
Before she had even unpacked her Washington, D.C., apartment after making the move from Alabama, Katie Sandlin became one of thousands of federal probationary workers to be fired.CBS News - 7h -
Moscow loathed the U.S. for years as its economy paid a high price for war — now, it’s doing a U-turn
Moscow has denigrated the United States' leadership, economy and culture — but now things are changing amid a "revival" of Russia-U.S. relations.CNBC - 23h -
Germany’s election will usher in new leadership — but might not turn tides for the country's struggling economy
Friedrich Merz has criticized Olaf Scholz on the economy, but experts question if a government led by the Christian Democratic Union would fare much better.CNBC - 3h -
Taiwan holds its breath as Trump turns on Ukraine and upends US foreign policy
The mood in Taipei is one of wariness as the new US president takes a blowtorch to diplomatic norms and assurances. It’s a bustling morning at the Dongmen wet market, in inner-city Taipei. Mr Yu is ...The Guardian - 7h -
Senate HELP Committee advances Trump's Education pick
Politico - 18h -
What is nerve flossing and does it help with nerve pain?
It can help relieve pain and tension, especially for patients recovering from injury or nerve compression conditions. As a fairly diligent stretcher who tries to get at least five minutes of ...The Guardian - 16h -
Need a New Roof Fast? This Company Can Help
Two industry outsiders say they’re the first to bring the roof-buying process online.Inc. - 46m
More from The Hill
-
Live updates: Musk takes the stage at CPAC; Senate vote-a-rama stretches into the night
Tech billionaire Elon Musk took the stage at this year's Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) with a late-scheduled appearance that saw him wield a chainsaw and discuss a range of ...The Hill - 5h -
China supports 'recent consensus' between US and Russia on Ukraine war, foreign minister says
China supports “the recent consensus” between the U.S. and Russia on the war in Ukraine, said Wang Yi, the country’s foreign minister, amid ongoing discussions about bringing an end to the nearly ...The Hill - 5h -
Former 'Squad' members launching 'Bowman and Bush' YouTube show
Former Reps. Cori Bush (D-Mo.) and Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.) are launching a YouTube show, according to a Thursday post from Bush on her Instagram. “I’m beyond excited to announce the launch of our ...The Hill - 7h -
Trump vows to add Black icons to proposed National Garden of American Heroes
President Trump shared plans to feature more than 10 Black historical figures in his proposed National Garden of American Heroes during a Thursday White House reception for Black History Month. ...The Hill - 7h -
Trump vents frustration with Boeing over Air Force One delays
President Trump is airing grievances with Boeing over delays in delivering new Air Force One jets, telling Republican governors on Thursday he was “getting a little tired” of the hold up. “I bought ...The Hill - 7h
More in Politics
-
Live updates: Musk takes the stage at CPAC; Senate vote-a-rama stretches into the night
Tech billionaire Elon Musk took the stage at this year's Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) with a late-scheduled appearance that saw him wield a chainsaw and discuss a range of ...The Hill - 5h -
Georgia Republican faces crowd angered by DOGE layoffs
Rep. Rich McCormick faced a crowd at a town hall in Roswell, Georgia, that expressed anger about the layoffs and cuts implemented by Elon Musk's DOGE team.NBC News - 5h -
China supports 'recent consensus' between US and Russia on Ukraine war, foreign minister says
China supports “the recent consensus” between the U.S. and Russia on the war in Ukraine, said Wang Yi, the country’s foreign minister, amid ongoing discussions about bringing an end to the nearly ...The Hill - 5h -
Senate trudges through vote-a-rama to ready a backup budget
Democrats showed few signs of relenting in their attempts to force Republicans to take politically uncomfortable votes.Politico - 6h -
Fired Army veteran speaks out about federal layoffs
Army Veteran Nelson Feliz, Sr., who spent more than a decade working for the Department of Veterans Affairs, is speaking out about his experience as one of the many federal workers who was let go ...NBC News - 6h