Science Is Good for the Economy

The funding of scientific research "has significant macroeconomic effects," especially in states where there's a lot of research, says Mike the Mad Biologist. A Massachusetts paper, the Boston Courant, writes that many scientific and medical research facilities in Boston are in danger of losing portions of their NIH funding because of anticipated budget cuts. According to the Courant, the Longwood Medical and Academic Area, one of the institutions losing parts of its federal funding, employs about 10,000 researchers. And that's only direct hires, Mike says. About 80 percent of Longwood's research is federally funded, the Courant says, and covers both funds that go to researchers and indirect funds that are needed for overhead costs like lab space. "NIH funding provides a lot of jobs to many local economies — not just Boston's," Mike says. "With the Politburo Super-Congress inexplicably looking for trillions in cuts (over ten years), I only hope that Politburo member Democratic Senator John Kerry (MA) fights for his constituents." Cuts in science funding won't just affect researchers, Mike adds, but all the people who work in and around hospitals and universities.