Bay Area Council Convenes Top Regional Science Leaders to Discuss Threats to Federal Research Funding

On March 3 leaders of the region’s scientific community met to discuss the future of science funding under the new Trump administration. Hosted at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, the board of BASIC, the Bay Area Council’s science arm, addressed the potentially devastating impact of current plans to cap indirect cost recovery on research grants from the National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health at 15% (current recovery rates at many institutions range from 40-60%).

Losses to Bay Area and other institutions could range in the hundreds of millions of dollars, impacting core research programs and employment at universities and other research centers receiving federal grants. The board – composed of leaders representing research universities, federal laboratories, independent laboratories, and research-based companies – also discussed state funding issues and the need for a focused strategy to secure California’s lead in quantum technologies. For more information, please contact Senior Director Sean Randolph.