ZME Science
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science

Home → Science → News

When we need it the most, federal funding for research in the U.S. is ‘lowest in years’

Can we afford to ignore science any longer?

Tibi PuiubyTibi Puiu
May 11, 2020
in News
A A
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterSubmit to Reddit

RelatedPosts

Shift to remote work seems to be making us spend more time on work
Over 230,000 American lives could have been saved from COVID-19 — if people got vaccinated sooner
Latin American’s science contribution against COVID-19
Can Blockchain Technologies Combat the Coronavirus?
Credit: Pixabay.

Funding for research is at its “lowest levels in many years,” according to a recent note to clients sent by two researchers at Goldman Sachs, obtained by Axios.

The rapidly-evolving COVID-19 pandemic might have seemed like it came out of the blue, but scientists have been warning that something like this was inevitable, statistically speaking, given the level of human encroachment on wildlife habitats known to harbor novel viruses.

In fact, some scientists have published works suggesting that novel coronaviruses could spill out of bats in Asia years before the outbreak of COVID-19 — yes, the predictions were that specific.

While the public can be forgiven to an extent for its ignorance of evidence-based threats to its safety, policymakers should have known (and acted) better.

“The federal government now plays a much smaller role in advancing science than it did in the past. The consequence of this trend is particularly damaging for basic research, which depends on the government as its main source of funding,” wrote Abby Joseph Cohen and Michael Hao Wu of Goldman Sachs Research.

The pair of researchers also conducted an inflation-adjusted analysis of federal spending on research and development.

According to their results, spending for the fiscal year 2019 amounted to 0.6% of the nation’s GDP and 2.8% of total federal outlays. That’s 14% less than in 2011, the researchers noted.

“When adjusted for inflation, the first three years of the Trump administration had the lowest levels of federal R&D spending since FY 2002.”

“The Trump administration has repeatedly tried to cut funding from federal research and public health agencies. Its FY 2021 budget released on February 10 proposed funding cuts of 18.6% for the CDC, 7.5% for NIAID, and 7.2% for NIH.”

Tags: coronavirusCOVID-19

ShareTweetShare
Tibi Puiu

Tibi Puiu

Tibi is a science journalist and co-founder of ZME Science. He writes mainly about emerging tech, physics, climate, and space. In his spare time, Tibi likes to make weird music on his computer and groom felines. He has a B.Sc in mechanical engineering and an M.Sc in renewable energy systems.

Related Posts

Diseases

That 2022 Hepatitis Outbreak in Kids? It Was Apparently COVID

byMihai Andrei
3 months ago
Genetics

Finally, mRNA vaccines against cancer are starting to become a reality

byMihai Andrei
4 months ago
Diseases

FLiRT and FLuQE, the new COVID variants making the rounds

byMihai Andrei
12 months ago
Diseases

Moderna’s flu + Covid jab produces “higher immune response” than two separate shots

byMihai Andrei
1 year ago

Recent news

Tennis May Add Nearly 10 Years to Your Life and Most People Are Ignoring It

July 4, 2025

Humans Have Been Reshaping Earth with Fire for at Least 50,000 Years

July 4, 2025

The Strangest Microbe Ever Found Straddles The Line Between Life and Non-Life

July 4, 2025
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Editorial Policy
  • Privacy Policy and Terms of Use
  • How we review products
  • Contact

© 2007-2025 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Science News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Space
  • Future
  • Features
    • Natural Sciences
    • Physics
      • Matter and Energy
      • Quantum Mechanics
      • Thermodynamics
    • Chemistry
      • Periodic Table
      • Applied Chemistry
      • Materials
      • Physical Chemistry
    • Biology
      • Anatomy
      • Biochemistry
      • Ecology
      • Genetics
      • Microbiology
      • Plants and Fungi
    • Geology and Paleontology
      • Planet Earth
      • Earth Dynamics
      • Rocks and Minerals
      • Volcanoes
      • Dinosaurs
      • Fossils
    • Animals
      • Mammals
      • Birds
      • Fish
      • Amphibians
      • Reptiles
      • Invertebrates
      • Pets
      • Conservation
      • Animal facts
    • Climate and Weather
      • Climate change
      • Weather and atmosphere
    • Health
      • Drugs
      • Diseases and Conditions
      • Human Body
      • Mind and Brain
      • Food and Nutrition
      • Wellness
    • History and Humanities
      • Anthropology
      • Archaeology
      • History
      • Economics
      • People
      • Sociology
    • Space & Astronomy
      • The Solar System
      • Sun
      • The Moon
      • Planets
      • Asteroids, meteors & comets
      • Astronomy
      • Astrophysics
      • Cosmology
      • Exoplanets & Alien Life
      • Spaceflight and Exploration
    • Technology
      • Computer Science & IT
      • Engineering
      • Inventions
      • Sustainability
      • Renewable Energy
      • Green Living
    • Culture
    • Resources
  • Videos
  • Reviews
  • About Us
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Editorial policy
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact

© 2007-2025 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.