Think sequestration isn't hurting? Ask researchers

The Washington Post had a recent strange article in which they noted that many of the horror stories that were suggested could happen with sequestration haven't happened.  It was weird because one of the main reasons that they haven't happened is that Republicans have let slip the noose when it got tight on some of the issues, most notably with air traffic controllers.  And the article does note that military readiness is likely being impacted, but it isn't clearly obvious yet.

But one somewhat invisible (to the general public) sequestration impact is on science research.  This article from the Minnesota's Star Tribune describes what is happening at the University of Minnesota in terms of medical and biomedical research (and research in general in the U.S.).

There's a lot in this one:

The U [of Minnesota], for example, could lose $50 million of its $750 million federal research budget in the next couple of years.

and

The NIH, with an annual budget of about $30 billion, is the largest biomedical research organization in the world. Dr. Francis Collins, known for his leadership of the Human Genome Project, heads the NIH and recently warned a Senate subcommittee that countries such as China and India have been ramping up their investments in biomedical research while the NIH budget — essentially flatlined since 2003 — has seen inflation erode its purchasing power by about 22 percent.

The United States now spends less on R&D, as a percentage of its GDP, than Israel, Japan, Korea, Sweden and Switzerland, he said.

Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., said China increased its basic research budget by 26 percent last year and plans to spend $300 billion on biotechnology research over the next five years. In the United States, he said, “We risk losing a generation of scientists.”

and

Dr. Brian Herman, the U’s vice president of research, said other federal agencies also are slashing research budgets. He said NASA, for instance, is on pace to drop to its lowest level since 1988. The NSF’s budget declined 24 percent between 2009 and 2012.   [And in the mid-oughts Congress and the Prez made noise about doubling NSF's budget.]

 and

An assistant professor at the U’s medical school, who asked not to be identified, said she advises students to think hard before pursuing a career in academic research. The lab where she works with genetically engineered mice used to have 30 people, including grad students, post-docs and research associates, she said. Now it’s down to just two — and they are working for three-quarters’ salary because their latest grant request wasn’t funded and the U chose not to support the lab any longer.

This situation is pretty bad.  And in a few years a lot more people will realize it and wonder what happened.  I'll be able to say "I told you so", not that it will make me feel much better.