Federal funding cuts threaten a generation of scientists, researchers say
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DENVER — Sarah Senese is a first year doctoral student at the University of Denver, studying evolutionary biology and ecology. Her research has taken her to the top of Mount Blue Sky, where she studies high-altitude mice.
Senese’s position at the university is entirely funded by the National Science Foundation, but the future of that funding is unclear.
After President Donald Trump’s administration made cuts to federal research funding at the NSF and the National Institutes of Health, science advocates across the country started organizing “Stand Up for Science” demonstrations in Washington, D.C. and beyond.
Senese led the organization efforts for the Colorado protest, held at the Colorado Capitol building March 7. Senese estimated about 800 people attended the demonstration.
“Doing this and grad school was a huge undertaking, but definitely well worth my time.
These are people's livelihoods and people's hard work,” Senese said.
“The NSF cuts are going to be devastating to all of us, whether we realize it or not, because science affects every aspect of life, from health care to advocacy.”
The NSF and NIH account for about 50% of DU’s federal funding and about 35% of its research funding, according to a media representative from the university. This funding pays for more than 500 student researchers, including Senese.
Shannon Murphy, a biological sciences professor at DU, runs a research lab studying the ways plants and insects interact with each other. She is researching how insects respond to rising temperatures and how much global warming contributes to the observed worldwide decline in insect populations.
The Trump administration is considering ending the government’s support for hundreds of millions of dollars worth of climate-related research, according to The Washington Post.
Murphy has received about 67% of her total research funding from the NSF.
Murphy’s current grant is worth about $1 million. She received about 4% of the money — the rest goes back into the community.
Most of Murphy’s grant is spent running and supplying the lab, paying students’ salaries, offering outreach programs at Denver Public Schools and providing a free science summer camp for middle school girls.
Murphy typically hires a dozen students to work in her lab over the summer. She expects she won’t be able to fund any students next year.
“For all these students that aren't getting hired, it also makes me worry because these are the future scientists. We're losing a small generation of people who would become the scientists in the future,” Murphy said.
The CU System received about $106 million from the NSF in the 2024 fiscal year and $441.5 million from the National Institutes of Health, with about $360 million going to CU Anschutz, according to a media representative for the system.
“All of our work is funded by the NIH,” said Cathy Proenza, professor of physiology and biophysics at CU Anschutz. She attended the demonstration at the Capitol with several of her students. “It’s important research on how the heart works. We all need our hearts to beat.”
A new policy from the NIH would cap its funding for “indirect costs” for research at 15%, which cuts its overall funding for these costs by half.
“Indirect” costs refer to overhead costs, also called Facilities and Administrative costs, like building utilities, maintenance and staffing. These resources aren’t specific to one research project but are necessary for research to take place.
On average, the agency said it covers about 30% of F&A costs. Many organizations, the NIH reported, receive coverage for more than 50% of these costs.
A federal judge blocked this policy following a lawsuit brought by 22 state attorneys general, including Phil Weiser of Colorado. The cuts are on hold for now.
The NSF provides approximately one quarter of the funding that American universities receive for basic research.. Last month, the NSF laid off about 10% of its staff, adhering to an executive order aimed at reducing the federal workforce.
The director of the NSF has since announced the agency will reinstate more than 80 employees who were fired because of their probationary status — meaning they were new to their positions — after a federal judge deemed some of those firings illegal.
The agency faces further cuts as the White House pushes for “large-scale reductions in force,” per a memo the Office of Management and Budget director Russell Vought sent last week.
Murphy fears large-scale layoffs will dissuade qualified scientists from working at these federal agencies at all.
She said the NSF approached her about becoming a program officer, a position responsible for managing grant programs. She considered it. But now, she said there’s no way she would give up her job at DU for what she feels is a risky position.
“This is damaging science, not just right now, but for forever,” Murphy said.
“I've seen cuts and scale backs, but I've never seen anything like this before. In the past we've been able to repair any damage to science that has happened through reductions in spending. But I think the difference for this is that they've now created a climate of distrust.”
Type of story: News
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
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