More information on the proposed Fiscal Year 2007 US Budget that is in the Senate right now, and the proposed FY 2008 Budget. It appears that the NIH may get hit hard with this.
I have a mixed feeling about this. On one hand, I hate to see science budgets being cut, not just for selfish reason, but I know what happens to projects when something like that occurs. Many science research projects take time to develop and mature, and when there is a funding cut, decisions have to be made on what to let go and what to keep. Inevitably, things that just got started and yet to really produce are the ones that tend to go first.
But on the other hand, I've watched with utter envy how, especially during the Clinton Administration, the NIH budget simply bloomed before our very eyes while funding for the physical sciences were barely surviving above water. The NIH at least doubled their funding during that time, while the DOE and NSF's basic science research barely moved. During this time, I know of several physicists who pointed out that many of the abilities and facilities that NIH-type research are able to do were directly benefiting the work done in basic physics research. Facilities like synchrotron centers, SEM technology, etc.. etc.. all came out of basic physics research. There is a trickle down effect here in which things that were part of physics and became well-known from physics are later used in biology, biophysics, biochemistry, and medicine. So to neglect the "source" of all these innovations was simply insane.
So now it appears that the shoe is on the other foot. The NIH budget may, if the President gets his way, suffer a cutback while DOE and NSF's funding on physical science may double in 10 years.
Zz.
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