This article in The New York Times, published on March 15, 2025, focuses on a policy proposed by the Trump administration to cut funding for scientific research. The authors conclude that these cuts are short-sighted, risk public safety, and will harm not only research but also American businesses and maintaining US leadership in the field of science and technology. The 10-year roadmap of the White House Office of Management and Budget to eliminate or significantly scale back targeted programs will reduce the number of basic scientific research grants from federal agencies, causing small businesses to suffer and potentially lose their competitive advantage. The authors suggest that the administration is ignoring the fact that government-funded basic research provides unintended good returns in the long term, as seen in previous examples like the development of the transistor, the internet, and GPS. They emphasize that chosen ones, particularly in the private sector, have often benefitted from federal funding, but cutting scientific budgets will prevent other innovations from emerging.
Leave a Reply