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College leaders ask for research money

Martin, others in academia field write to Obama wanting a part of stimulus funds

University of Wisconsin Chancellor Biddy Martin and a group of 49 other academic leaders called on President Barack Obama in a letter for an increase in scientific funding.

“The letter was written by university presidents, chancellors and Nobel Laureates,” Martin said. “[We’re] calling for an increase in science funding as an economic stimulus.”

Biddy was one of many prestigious national leaders who worked on the letter, including Paul Berg, Nobel Laureate in chemistry from the Stanford University School of Medicine and Sidney Altman, Nobel Laureate in chemistry from Yale University.

The letter to Obama says increasing scientific funding is a beneficial method of economic stimulus because “it creates good jobs across the economy, there is large pent-up demand so that money can be spent immediately, and it represents an investment in the infrastructures of scientific research and higher education that are vital to our economy’s future.”

The letter argued federal money invested in research grants, scientific infrastructure and national laboratories can be quickly spent on a variety of research institutions and large facilities.

This immediate spending will call for an increase in need for workers of all levels and more jobs will therefore be created.

According to the letter, federal funding for non-defense research has not increased with the rate of inflation since 2004.

“As a result, success rates for these grants are dangerously low and the funding is often inadequate even for the best proposals,” the letter reads.

Other academic and political leaders are taking a similar stance, including Princeton University President Shirley Tilghman, U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and U.S. Rep. Rush Holt, D-N.J.

The letter also insisted that, though increasing funding is only a small portion of Obama’s larger plan to stimulate the economy, it is an important step in pushing America in the right direction.

The authors also insisted funds allocated to science and technology are essential to the well-being of America even after economic pressure is alleviated.

“We believe that the forthcoming economic stimulus package provides a remarkable opportunity to initiate this effort immediately, forcefully and productively,” the letter reads.