Dear federal government peeps,
I’ve had 12 years of schooling, 13 years of university education, 4 years of postdoctoral training and have been busting my metaphorical balls during the first few years of my faculty position to be a kickass basic scientist. My research is supercool and will revolutionize the way physiologists think about stuff. In several years time, the results of my research will have a dramatic impact on our ability to prevent and treat some of the common diseases and disorders that are crippling our health care system.
But here’s the thing ... the research I do is expensive. Every time we walk into the lab, it costs money. The peeps who work in my lab need to get paid the pittance I give them so that they can eat. The animals we use don’t appear out of thin air and the little suckers need to eat, too (although I don’t have to pay them, thankfully). Kickass, supercool basic science research isn’t cheap.
So you think it’s ok to slash funding to federal agencies such as the National Institutes of Health? Do you understand the impact the NIH has had on today’s health care? And the impact that cutting today’s budget will have in 10 years time? How about 20 years? Basic science research that is going on today will likely not make it to new preventative and/or treatment therapies for at least a decade or two, but some of them will. Every time you or a member of your family see your doctor, visit the hospital or go to the pharmacy, you’re reaping the benefits of basic science that happened in the past. You probably won’t be around long enough to be affected by your plan to cut NIH funding today. But your kids will. And your grandkids.
As for myself, as someone who FINALLY got a fundable score on an NIH grant, if you cut this year’s budget, I will not receive the money I need to keep my research going and you will smash my career into tiny little pieces. That will mean that 29 years of education will be wasted. And you will never get to see the results of my kickass research. Ever. It will be worth the investment. I am worth the investment. Believe me. Your kids and grandkids will benefit from it.
Thank you for your consideration.
That is all.
PiT.
Is it OK if I just copy-paste this whole thing?
Amazing letter, PiT.
I agree with you but i am afraid that republicans are hell bent on austerity and there's not a lot we can do about (based on your argument). They can counter that public sector plays a small role in health outcomes and that the driver is actually private sector development. This is, of course, wrong so you might want to consider this argument: that NIH funding is actually a strong driver for economic development and plays a crucial role in private sector job growth. there are some very interesting findings on this to be found in this paper:
http://healthpolicyandreform.nejm.org/?p=13730&query=home
When you call your congress critter (you are going to call, right) it might be worth adding a few sentences about how NIH investment drives economic growth.
Amen!
I hear you PiT.
Hellz yeah. Facebooked and tweeted it. Well done.
Game. Set. Match.
[Well, if it was up to me anyways.]
Rock on with the righteousness... rock on.
I just want to say BIG CONGRATS on your fundable score!!!
It will almost certainly die in the Senate, or be vetoed, so I wish you BEST WISHES on your epicsauce fundable score! You are so pro.
I forwarded this to my linked in account to hopefully get some traction w/ the lay
You think you have it bad? Think Again
While you're at it, let your Congresscritters know that not only will medical researchers be getting the shaft, but so will all the agricultural, applied, basic, and environmental science researchers as well.
YES!!! THIS is the letter we all need to be sending!!!
Amen ... fantastic post and oh so true.
Thanks for this. I reposted with info on how people can get involved. Let's cross our fingers and hope it works!
YAY FUNDABLE SCORE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Moreover, a nation of salt-lovers daunted by the prospect of only ingesting 1 teaspoon of sodium a day is gonna be real sorry real quick if it doesn't adequately fund good cardiovascular research.
Nice job PIT. I couldn't have said it better myself. I am right there with you. If it stays right where it is, the RO1 is funded but if it moves down I lose it.
Obama, help me out!
I don't doubt that it is all super-cool and super-worthy, but the country is a degenerate deadbeat. I would slash everybody dramatically.
(I'm no Republican. Please don't lump me with them. I do, however, believe in fiscal responsibility; at least to the point that we should like, you know, have the money to pay for stuff.
Best blog I have seen...you seem to be able to face the crap with a positive attitude.. with a touch of humour, without appearing to be bitter or strident. You should teach a course on : "How to write a kickass blog"
That said, I should point out the funding "cut" is actually asking NIH to keep its budget stagnant. They are just denying the raise NIH wants... Imagine applying that reasoning to other things. Ideally, I'd like to make at least $1 million next year...but the university wont give it to me. That does not mean I am getting a "salary cut".
It would be great to live in a world where we could get a raise whenever we want...but that would not be a realistic one.
Unfortunately, much like those lab animals you work with, the money to fund government agencies doesn't appear out of thin air either. It has to come from somewhere.
Of course I'd rather them cut military spending first, but those trillions of dollars we spend each year have to be funded by the (only millions) of taxpaying citizens. Trillions into millions. A basic scientist should be able to easily do that math.
even better....we could have a real discussion about entitlement reform. Everything else is just a drop in the bucket.
"Every time you or a member of your family see your doctor, visit the hospital or go to the pharmacy, you’re reaping the benefits of basic science that happened in the past." Slap that on a sign or t-shirt right the F now. Great post!
Great post!! Well said.
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