Dark Day in Science

Imagine one day whilst you are managing your household on a tight budget, but your household plays a part in helping the community. They help the neighbours, maybe provide some tools or parts for trade, create new inventions or take part in helping your household and the community. But one day, your spouse tells you that they are cutting down on amount of money you can get from them unless you do only specific chores that they want.

Maybe from $500, you will get $50. With lesser money to support the household and lesser money that can be used for healthcare or leisure or saved for a rainy day. Your loved ones suffering as they don’t have the proper necessities for their daily functions and they are just left their stagnant. Unfair? Horrible? What kind of person will do that?

Well, that’s what happening to the United States of America, and the de-funding of science funding agencies.

With the recent news of US government Trump Administration funding freezes and cuts, targeting especially on those that are focused on diseases, cancer treatment, climate change and even those that are deemed “woke”. Grant Review Panels in National Science Foundation (scientists whom decide which research projects gets funding), had to pause in review which projects supported “banned” activities such as: environmental technology, diversity and international collaborations with other scientists.

Worse, other health related organisations like National Institutes of health & CDC had their support cut and data systems removed due to having data that goes against the administration’s policies. Additionally, employee were let go with nearly 10% of employees under CDC were terminated.

There are many other agencies being affected such as NOAA, Department of Agriculture, Department of Energy (National Nuclear Safety Administration) and many others were heavily affected by these changes.

Simply put it:

CDC: Reduced funding of $9.2 Billion to $5.2 Billion, 44% cut

National Aeronautics and Space Administration science directorate: Reduced funding from $7.5 billion to $3.9 billion, a 52% cut

National Institutes of Health: Reduce funding from $47 billion to $27 billion, a 40% cut. And eliminate National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities and the National Institute of Nursing Research.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration: reduce funding from $6.1 billion to $4.5 billion, a 26% cut. Eliminate the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research.

National Science Foundation: reduce funding from $9 billion to $4 billion, a 55% cut

Recently, there were even mass deletions of open-access datasets, papers and study protocols from across the federal government. Awards terminated, clinical trails cancelled and many others terminated.

What are their reasons for these termination? As Logan Beyer, an M.D./Ph.D candidate at Harvard Medical School and the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health was given this response by NIH when his funding was terminated:

“Research programs based primarily on artificial and non-scientific categories, including amorphous equity objectives, are antithetical to the scientific inquiry, do nothing to expand our knowledge of living systems, provide low returns on investment, and ultimately do not enhance health, lengthen life, or reduce illness. Worse, so-called diversity, equity, and inclusion (“DEI”) studies are often used to support unlawful discrimination on the basis of race and other protected characteristics, which harms the health of Americans.”

Though, I’m not an American citizen, but I’m a believer in science and that science plays a part in the community. Every science made, discovered, studied and failed, they help play a part in our community and provide us new answers or even failed results. But each research and each answer do provide a step forward for humanity in the infinite learning of science. We still have so much issues that we are still currently facing, and to cut the funding that is required by the scientists that toll and work in finding these answers for the greater good? For the people that need an answer to problem, a treatment for their disease? For planet Earth that needs us to find new ways to protect her and save our ecosystem?

Maybe, there is more than meets the eye. But to cut out the backbone to what makes us human, is to be slowly killing humanity. One support less at a time.