PIXABAYThe Trump administration released its FY 2018 federal budget proposal today (March 16), outlining possible funding cuts at federal research agencies, including the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and others. While Congress has yet to weigh in on the plan, science advocacy organizations are sounding the alarm.
“This budget proposal would cripple American innovation and economic growth,” Association of American Universities President Mary Sue Coleman said in a statement. “The President’s FY18 budget proposes deep cuts to vital scientific research.”
In particular, the NIH stands to receive a $5.8 billion (almost 19 percent) cut to its current annual budget. “We think it’s outrageous,” Howard Garrison, director of public affairs at the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, told The Scientist. “It’s unconscionable.”
Jamie Vernon, director of science communications and publications at Sigma Xi, expressed apprehension. “This budget, at this point—which I think is early—puts certain critical programs at risk,” he told The Scientist. “One of the specific cuts that we’re seeing that’s concerning is those that are affecting the NIH and ...
