University research helped American astronauts go to the moon, released the atomic bomb, and created everything from the microwave and the Internet to the billionaires in Silicon Valley.
Fast forward to this day. Universities had billions of dollars in federal federal research funds or reduced by the Trump administration. The White House justified discounts due to allegations of anti -Semitism on the campus during the protests against the war in Gaza or because of the transgender athletes to participate in sports.
Harvard University pledged to fight – the White House immediately hung 2.2 billion dollars and threatened to reduce another billion dollars. Harvard University filed a lawsuit on Monday, noting the first amendment and other federal laws about the end of federal financing. Columbia University has been raised to the demands of the Trump administration, but so far hundreds of millions of dollars have not been restored in financing.
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Since World War II, the United States has been advanced by the twin engines of university research and government dollars. The sudden semester of the two is likely to have consequences for a generation of scientific progress.
The oldest university in the United States is now a charge to protect not only research, but also the first amendment, with colleges and other universities that line up to defend the right of their students to learn without government interference. More than 150 university presidents A message signed on Tuesday They say they are “speaking with one voice.” It is the most powerful sign that higher education institutions bring together to protect what they see as “basic freedom” is important to learn.
They wrote: “Our colleges and universities participate in a commitment to work as centers for open surveys, where, in their endeavor, faculty, students, and free employees in exchanging ideas and opinions through a full set of views without fear of revenge, control or deportation.” “Because of these freedoms, American higher education institutions are necessary for US prosperity and are productive partners with the government in promoting public interest.”
With some school endowments in billions of dollars, critics of higher education asked why universities need even government funding for scientific research. But this ignores the fact that since World War II, progress in the United States has been supported by university research engines and government dollars. The sudden semester of the two is likely to have consequences for a generation of scientific progress.
“I cannot predict what the White House will do, but I will be happy to defend this position: if research financing is reduced, this will be harmful to the country, and the reason is double,” says Tom Mitchell, the computer world, a researcher at Carnegie Mellon University.
Dr. Mitchell says that American universities are leading the world historically in creating new ideas and scientific breakthroughs in many different fields.
“It is one of the assets of the United States that makes it a strong economy. This type of research has fed our economy for decades, and if we cut this research, there are great economic consequences in the direction of the river course,” warns.
The second negative impact will appear in the pieces of fellowships and training opportunities for the next generation of researchers.
At Harvard University, 402 innovations were reported by researchers at the university in the fiscal year 2024, and 155 American patents were issued to the school, According to HarvardAnd renewed to highlight research contributions. More than 5800 patents She was detained by school As of July 1, 2024.
the The case says The government’s actions “threaten Harvard’s academic independence and subjected critical research to save life and the paths that occur on its university campus.” “Today, research funded by Harvard University includes certain strengths in oncology, immunology, neuroscience, molecular biology, genome, quantum science, and other areas of technology that support our economy and our defense.”
Elsewhere, entities such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the largest financier of biomedical research in the world, can be. 20 billion dollars It reduced its budget 2026. Several hundreds of colleges have already received grants or freezing, which has reducing Or the endless research. The National Science Corporation has announced it to cut Half (1000) of its colleagues for the graduate research fellowship program. This program fills the pipeline of the scientists in the future, and covers the doctorate. The tuition fees for the candidates and give them a live salary of $ 37,000. The American Agency for International Development, which is also undergoing university research, “in wooden pieces”, was fed, according to Elon Mousse of the Government Efficiency Department.
Together, these funds are tens of billions of dollars to finance research laboratories. These laboratories have created health developments, and made products that made companies rich. In some cases, such as Google, the companies that have used this research now have reviews in trillion.
What are the indirect costs, and why does it matter?
Dr. Mitchell is particularly interested in the financial stability of colleges and universities if there is a specific ruling that the Trump administration is pushing the moves forward.
In addition to the proposed discounts for the year 2026, which must be approved by Congress, the National Health Institutes do end The indirect cost is 15 %, much lower than an average of 30 % of the total grant. The indirect costs are things such as facilities management, payment of facilities, and to keep buildings and laboratories updated. A federal judge prevented this reduction in March, but the Trump administration is attractive. Likewise, the administration wants to cut 400 million dollars Annually by the US Department of Energy by placing indirectly costly covers by 15 %. This, also, will affect schools. The judge has temporarily prevented the administration from doing this. This spring is expected.
“This is the only thing that will affect every university,” says Dr. Mitchell. He says: “Every university gets funding from the National Health Institutes that will be linked suddenly, financially, tied to pay heating bills, to keep the library open, and those types of things,” he says.
Universities and professors also wonder whether the comprehensive cuts are really aimed at reducing anti -Semitism on the campus. One of the institutions that the Trump administration over the discounts in the National Health Institutes is Brandis University – which was named after the first Jewish Supreme Court judge and the student’s body of 35 % Jewish.
Culture startup fed by university research
Although business incubators and the accelerators have been present in the United States since the 1950s, they have gained more popularity in the technical boom of the last generation. I found an article in the Journal of Technology Transfer once the startups that participated in the university incubators created jobs and sales more than their own and non -profit counterparts.
The historian Margaret Umara wrote in her book “The Blog: The Silicon Valley:” The Blog: The Silicon Valley: “Silicon Valley:” Silicon Valley: “Silicon Valley:” Silicon Valley: “.
Perhaps no incubator/school accelerators was more successful than StartX, a Stanford non -profit institution for students and faculty members in Stanford. Its value is more than $ 40 billion, and 165 companies worth $ 100 million or more, including 18 value of more than one billion dollars, According to its website. It is a society of guidance, education, granting and support, as the founders do not have to give up shares.
“The search is an essential driver for scientific discovery and technological progress wherever it happens. So it is important that the research continues in the place where it is happening and who is in its decision is a decision I think everyone should take it,” said StartX. Artificial intelligence is used as an example. Ms. McClinagan says that the foundations of artificial intelligence came from the research, whether startups in the marketing stage, publishing new products, or slicing industries.
“It is clear that a lot of this research occurs in many places, including universities,” she added.
Mrs. McClangan says she does not think that research will abandon stopping or that talent will reconsider the formation of startups. Funding will come from a place. She says research is very important and feeds economic growth.
“Entrepreneurs are very innovative, and they find ways to accomplish things that others cannot do,” she says. “So how the research is funded is a problem that will be solved.”
Although he hopes Congress will intervene to provide financing, Dr. Mitchell sees matters in the same way, especially with artificial intelligence. He believes that the matter has reached a point that the industry can have surrounded any research coming from universities.
The government still believes that technology is worth investing in it. Care for the two parties from Establishing the artificial intelligence law It was presented to the House of Representatives in March. The draft law will create a program supported by the National Science Foundation to be a national resource tool of artificial intelligence for academics, non -profit organizations and small companies.
Dr. Mitchell hopes that voters will tell Congress that research is important for the country’s economy and the quality of people’s lives.
“We want to continue to make the American economy the strongest economy in the world,” he says. “You don’t want the United States to become a second -class player in science and technology. We will overcome other countries if that happens.”
