Thousands of scientists fired, programs stopped, & threats to the mission of NIH and CDC continue - what comes next, framed as research into root causes, is even worse.
Why does the federal government need to pay for all these things? Are there no other sources of funding for important medical research? Are the companies in the industry so capital-poor that they can't share some of the funding burden?
The above are sort of snarky questions, but they're also honest - how did we get here, where everyone depends on the federal government, which is by its nature fickle and subject to radical change from time to time, for funding?
We have had 80+ years of federal support for science and the endless frontier... starting with Vannevar Bush's vision in 1945. Yes, there have been changes in support and priorities, but there was a consistency for the enterprise of American innovation. Hardly sounds fickle. Seems like the kind of role for government: to make long-term bets that don't necessarily immediately pay off and also tend to be the things that industry doesn't support directly (until they are more certain which of the investments are going to yield payoffs - and there are many ways for federal funds to support joint translational efforts).
Instead, we now face the dismantling of US science leadership by a CEO with countless conflicts of interest and supported with the backing of the White House. That not only seems fickle but counter-productive & dangerous.
The "trickle down" effects are already happening. Pre-med students are telling me that they are getting emails following their applications to the NIH Summer Internship Program that say the program is being halted. The NIH SIP website says " Summer Internship Program: The NIH Intramural Program has paused the recruitment of IRTAs, CRTAs, and Visiting Fellows in all training programs pending guidance from Health and Human Services. Check back daily for updates."
If students can't get research experience, they will have a more difficult time getting into and succeeding in medical school. This will have major impacts on the US supply of doctors which will impact everyone's health.
The impact on students/trainees is key & it's an important issue to highlight locally. I wrote about this earlier in the week. Parents and students across the US who are spending $$$ for college are going to see options severely limited as programs are reduced. There is nothing 'methodical' about what's happening and it has ripple effects precisely because Trump/DOGE is destroying a thriving (albeit imperfect) research ecosystem. But they are not trying to make it better, they want to dismantle it.
Why does the federal government need to pay for all these things? Are there no other sources of funding for important medical research? Are the companies in the industry so capital-poor that they can't share some of the funding burden?
The above are sort of snarky questions, but they're also honest - how did we get here, where everyone depends on the federal government, which is by its nature fickle and subject to radical change from time to time, for funding?
We have had 80+ years of federal support for science and the endless frontier... starting with Vannevar Bush's vision in 1945. Yes, there have been changes in support and priorities, but there was a consistency for the enterprise of American innovation. Hardly sounds fickle. Seems like the kind of role for government: to make long-term bets that don't necessarily immediately pay off and also tend to be the things that industry doesn't support directly (until they are more certain which of the investments are going to yield payoffs - and there are many ways for federal funds to support joint translational efforts).
Instead, we now face the dismantling of US science leadership by a CEO with countless conflicts of interest and supported with the backing of the White House. That not only seems fickle but counter-productive & dangerous.
The "trickle down" effects are already happening. Pre-med students are telling me that they are getting emails following their applications to the NIH Summer Internship Program that say the program is being halted. The NIH SIP website says " Summer Internship Program: The NIH Intramural Program has paused the recruitment of IRTAs, CRTAs, and Visiting Fellows in all training programs pending guidance from Health and Human Services. Check back daily for updates."
If students can't get research experience, they will have a more difficult time getting into and succeeding in medical school. This will have major impacts on the US supply of doctors which will impact everyone's health.
The impact on students/trainees is key & it's an important issue to highlight locally. I wrote about this earlier in the week. Parents and students across the US who are spending $$$ for college are going to see options severely limited as programs are reduced. There is nothing 'methodical' about what's happening and it has ripple effects precisely because Trump/DOGE is destroying a thriving (albeit imperfect) research ecosystem. But they are not trying to make it better, they want to dismantle it.
https://joshuasweitz.substack.com/p/welcome-to-the-incoming-freshman