We'll Take It, But We'll Worry

While many universities in the US are thrilled about receiving stimulus funds, they are also wary of their potential pitfalls, reports the Chronicle of Higher Education. One downside is that stimulus funds may be just another spike in NIH funding that won't last long-term. Another issue is that spending money on science won't immediately lead to solving the country's unemployment rate, and university presidents worry there may be a backlash. "We have to be very careful because if expectations are, 'Well, look, they spent all that money in two years and didn't produce,' and it undermines the long-term budgets, that would be very damaging," says Lehigh University President Alice Gast.