Trump promised scientific breakthroughs. Researchers say he's breaking science.
In his presidential campaign last year, Donald Trump vowed to supercharge U.S. scientific research efforts, pledging to “unleash the power of American innovation” to combat cancer, Alzheimer’s and other diseases.
But Trump has instead unleashed cuts and chaos that are paralyzing ongoing research, prompting layoffs and threatening America’s perch as a global scientific leader, researchers and scientists warn.
The brunt of the pain stems from changes at the National Institutes of Health, which provides the bulk of biomedical research funding in the United States and supports more than 300,000 researchers across the country. Since Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20, NIH funding has dropped by more than $3 billion compared with grants issued during the same period last year, according to a review of publicly available grant data. The slowdown represents a nearly 60 percent decline in NIH funding, touching all corners of the American science establishment - and going far beyond areas that the White House has targeted for cuts, such as transgender health.
In interviews, more than a dozen scientists in fields ranging from cancer research to mental health described canceling planned studies, furloughing staff and rescinding job offers. All said that the U.S. research community has been hit with a bigger shock than the Great Recession in 2008 or the coronavirus pandemic that began in 2020, and that the resulting damage could linger for years.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-promised-scientific-breakthroughs-researchers-141033858.html
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What a disgrace.
I have a casual acquaintance who works and invests in the pharmaceutical/biotech industry. We've spoken many times over the last few years. He used to tell me how he was a "compassionate conservative" and of course pro-science and research. When we last spoke, just after the election last November, I told him what a disaster Krasnov's second term was going to be. I also asked him whether he understood what Project 2025 was about. He seemed unconcerned; I'm sure he voted straight-ticket R and assumed the second term would be no worse than the first.
Since then, no phone calls from him; no conversations. I'm sure he is appalled and realizes how screwed the US will be as Krasnov dismantles acedemia and research except in service of Fascist Amerikkka. We are going to speak at some point and I fully intend to unload on him about the consequences of naively supporting Rs when the handwriting on the wall was clear to anyone who paid attention. I'm sure it will be our last contact. It will be worth it to no longer have to deal with this guy, no matter how sorry he is now.
