Cutting research funds a short-sighted mistake
The supply of federal research funds in the U.S. has never kept up with demand. But the administration's effort to apply the brakes to the budget of the NIH is being handled in a particularly clumsy fashion. As we've reported at FierceBioResearcher, the funding dilemma threatens not just future programs, but existing trials. And research institutions around the country have been making it clear (see below) that there's a lot at stake here.
It's lamentable that officials in Washington feel that they have to halt ongoing research in order to achieve some sort of fiscal rectitude. There are other ways to strive for a better budget than this. Many of these research programs offer real hope for many suffering people, and that shouldn't be summarily snatched away because politicians don't have any better ideas for moving toward a more balanced federal budget. - John Carroll
P.S. We'll be doing an hour-long webinar tomorrow at 2 EST covering biodefense and infectious disease research in Maryland. The webinar also covers some of the incentives the state has on offer. Be sure to register and join us.