20 Feb The American investment in research is about people
by Morgridge Institute for Research
The recent announcement of a multi-billion-dollar cut to institutions supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), currently under federal court review, has placed scrutiny on the operational costs of doing research, or so-called indirect costs.
What is often underrepresented in the discussion is the support NIH provides to early-career scientists, such as graduate students and postdocs, who are the key building blocks that have helped make — and keep — the United States the world leader in science. While performing a great deal of work on current projects, they also are honing their skills and expertise to become the next scientific leaders.
Early-career scientists are essential to the Morgridge mission, and the majority have some level of competitive support from NIH. Here, early-career researchers share thoughts on how federal funding supports their mission to conduct high-impact research.