David Ho13h ago

I don't think people fully appreciate how apocalyptic things are for US science. I haven't received any new funding since 2024, but I'm still ok since grants are typically for 3 years. This means next year I will be completely out of funding and will have to fire everyone in the lab. It's not great.

In my 25-year career, I’ve never NOT had funding. I typically have 4 to 8 grants, which you need if you’re running an observation science program and have a technician, students, and postdocs.

Show threadSneezy

@davidho

I'm looking forward to the science centre of gravity moving away from the USA - and hopefully past Europe towards the East and South.

9:50pmWeb
Show threadNicovel0 🍉2h ago
@rapsneezy @davidho some European countries made a big deal of setting up money to attract Us scientists, but then cut their overall funding. E.g. France set up a €500 million fund but then cut by €1 billion. I have been very disappointed by their response, the EU could easily take up the slack from USAID cuts too, set up a program with fairer terms and start to make up for colonialism, but no it’s too expensive apparently (it’s not). Oh well China it is then.
Show threadAnders Cornelius Madsen1h ago

@Nicovel0 @rapsneezy @davidho

Just to be sure: You do know that the EU international aid was significantly more than what the US donated, even before Trump came into office, right? It's not like we are doing nothing.

I can't remember the exact numbers, but it was something like 55/45, with the most aid coming from the EU.

Show threadNicovel0 🍉30m ago
@madsenandersc @rapsneezy @davidho it was, and European countries then followed Trump in cutting foreign aid instead of stepping up. The U.K. (not EU I know) cut it to iirc 0.4 or 0.5% of GDP.
And then when china steps in we’ll again get handwringing headlines about their expanding influence.