By Jackie Pena
Imagine a world where research in health, the environment and education is halted or diminished. What changes would this create for our future?
Government grants cover the costs of materials and resources for research, making them extremely essential.
Unlike loans, grants do not need to be repaid. They are awarded to universities, nonprofits, businesses and individuals based on merit, need or national interests.
Student-led projects specifically provide hands-on experience, preparing them for future careers.
Federal grants offer financial support and foster collaborations with government agencies and private companies that open opportunities for student internships and jobs.
Grants help Long Beach State expand its research facilities, labs, technology and learning environment for all students.
On March 6, CSULB President Jane Close Conoley stated to the Press-Telegram, “If the National Institutes of Health capped their indirect costs to 15%, we’d be faced with laying off dozens of employees.”
These funding cuts halt student research indefinitely, hindering their academic and career development.
We cannot ignore this ongoing conflict. It will only worsen.
People dedicate their lives to research that ensures our safety and security, doing so with great diligence.
Research on critical topics, such as improving groundwater quality, effective online treatment for youth with anxiety or depression and climate change, are all at risk of being discontinued.
“Shutting down climate research alone would result in a $1.6 million dollar loss. We calculate that, in addition to our employee’s loss, our local economy would take an $11 [million] dollar hit,” Conoley had said in the article.
Believing the government was spending excessively, the administration of President Donald Trump imposed a pause on all grant agencies.
However, this “pause” appears to offer little to no benefit and may aggravate the issues it intended to address. Without further research in areas like health, diseases could worsen and physical well-being could decrease.
This pause will affect communities worldwide, threatening the safety and security of all American citizens.
Many Ivy League universities, including Columbia, Duke, Harvard and University of Pennsylvania, have reported a suspension of their research funding due to federal cuts under the Trump administration.
In an email to CNN, Perry Halkitis, a professor and dean at Rutgers University, stated, “The termination of numerous federal grants for HIV prevention and treatment is a cause for alarm.”
Federal research funding plays a role in advancing public health by supporting medical health, preventing diseases and healthcare upheaval.
Cutting federal research will slow scientific and technological progress, impede economic growth and weaken public well-being. For example, without continued research on AIDS, the epidemic could worsen significantly.
People will lose their jobs, universities will struggle to support graduate students and organizations reliant on federal research funding may face financial instability.
Research helps us understand global issues– both large and small– and allows us to gain more knowledge from the endeavors of others.
