It seems like a terrible time to be a scientist in the United States. Federal budgets aren’t being passed, and when they are, funding for science is slashed. The debate over immigration reform—including what to do about visas for high-skilled workers, such as scientists—is stalled. Everyone agrees that cybersecurity is a problem, but no one seems to have a solution. The restrictions on federal travel and conference participation are starting to impact how science is done in the US—and may be expanded to include those with federal grants. Meanwhile, we have no meaningful debate in Congress or in the presidential campaigns on climate change or energy policy. This lecture will cover how we got here, why we are stuck, some speculation on how the new administration will impact research, and how the scientific community can impact policy.
Coffee and snacks with speaker for students and postdocs from 3:30 – 4:30 in WL-210