Increasing Uncertainty for Life Science Funding

In a recent study pertaining to 2013-2014 lab budgets, over 1,000+ life scientists and research professionals in the United States, Europe and Asia were asked how they felt about the following statement:

“Life science funding is increasingly uncertain in my country.”

The results showed that in general, life scientists in the United States are more pessimistic about the future of life science research funding than respondents in either Europe or Asia. Academic researchers in the U.S., in particular, feel battered by years of declining federal funding made worse by the sequester.

European scientists, although stressed by financial austerity in their countries, appear to be less distraught than their colleagues in the United States who experienced years of flat funding. Availability of Horizon 2020 funds starting in 2014 maybe fueling their optimism.

In contrast, researchers in Asia are near ebullient compared to their colleagues in the U.S. and Europe regarding their future prospects.

Based on your understanding of life science research funding across the globe, would you agree with these results?

LSFunding_Uncertainty