Stimulus Bill Equals Big Bucks for Scientific Research
Laura Dosanjh
President Barack Obama signed into law a mammoth $787 billion stimulus package on Tuesday, February 17. The bill, which is intended to combat the economic downturn, is a combination of tax breaks and spending. The legislation includes an unprecedented $13 billion designated for scientific research; $3 billion will go to the National Science Foundation and $10 billion to the National Institutes of Health.
The funding has elicited an immediate positive response from the scientific community. Thomas J. Carew, Ph.D., president of the Society for Neuroscience said in a letter Tuesday, “With this historic investment, I have no doubt that neuroscientists will rapidly take up the call and help the nation recover from economic recession by doing what we do best – explore and discover.”
The funds represent a marked change from the presidency of George W. Bush, who was widely criticized by scientists for cutting research funding and restricting federal funding of stem cell research.
Despite nearly universal Republican opposition to the bill, Obama remains optimistic that it will have a positive impact. He said in a press conference Tuesday, “We have begun the essential work of keeping the American dream alive in our time.”