Science R&DScientists: sequestration will damage U.S. science

The Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) has once again called on Congress and the president to work together to prevent sequestration, the automatic across-the-board budget cuts that are scheduled to go into effect on 1 March.

“These automatic spending cuts will stop science advances in their tracks and cost highly trained researchers their jobs,” said FASEB President, Judith S. Bond, Ph.D.

• A new analysis produced by FASEB calculated the impact of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) sequestration cuts on each state. Three states – California, Massachusetts, and New York – could lose more than $100 million each.
• Researchers from FASEB member societies have sent nearly 20,000 e-mails to members of Congress urging them to prevent sequestration, and the Federation recently sent a letter to all of the new members of Congress urging them to sustain the federal investment in research.
• On 19 March, FASEB scientists from across the country will come to Capitol Hill to share personal stories about the impact of the sequestration cuts and how several years of flat funding for NIH has affected the research community.

“FASEB has been a leading voice working around-the-clock to educate members of Congress about the damage sequestration will do to NIH and we will not back down now. The future of medical research depends on it,” stated Dr. Bond.