Cuts to government funding for basic research--already at dangerously low levels--could have devastating long term economic effects nationally, locally
Basic research—the very foundation of the research cluster—depends heavily on federal dollars. Without it, research activity will slow to a crawl and could eventually wither away.
According to information distributed by Congressman Peters’ office, the sequestration (or amputation) threatens to cut $2.5 billion from the National Institute of Health’s budget (8.2%). To put that in local terms: In fiscal year 2012, San Diego research groups benefitted from 1,760 grants totaling more than $130 million from the National Science Foundation and $850 million from the NIH.
Nationally, cuts to research funding could mean that 2,300 fewer grants will be funded, costing 33,000 jobs. Locally, 4,500 research jobs could be lost, and according to Mark Cafferty, the president and CEO of the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation, “the loss of a higher wage, high tech job in this region means the loss of another job.” That’s 9,000 jobs in just the research cluster alone.
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