'A Blunt and Reckless Tool'

November 12, 2013 | A survey released this week of American research universities, conducted by the Association of American Universities (AAU), the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU), and the The Science Coalition (TSC), is attempting to quantify where cuts to scientific research due to the sequester are being directed. Administrators from 74 research universities responded to questions about their research grants, and the downstream effects of loss of funding. Seventy percent of universities surveyed reported receiving fewer federal grants for scientific research this year. To adapt to this loss of funding, 24% of universities had laid off personnel; 50% had reduced employees' hours; 23% had admitted fewer graduate students; 14% had reduced financial aid to existing graduate students; 28% had been unable to purchase planned equipment; and 19% had cancelled experimental work for existing projects. "Sequestration is a blunt and reckless tool that has chipped away at the core role our institutions play for the country in conducting critical research that leads to next generation, technological breakthroughs," said Peter McPherson, President of the APLU, in a statement on the survey. "The survey trends today will worsen and then be deeply entrenched a year from now if sequestration remains in place." ScienceWorksForU.S.