Government shutdowns hamper progress in materials research
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Government shutdowns hamper progress in materials research
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overnments across the globe fund science to build an edge in innovation and technology, which pushes the boundaries of human knowledge, enables economic growth, and provides national security. So what happens to science when governments shut down? Following the most recent partial government shutdown in the United States that spanned between December 21, 2018 and January 25, 2019, the impacts are still being determined. For science, this question does not have a single, simple answer because it depends on the duration of the shutdown,
the parts of the government impacted, and even the timing of the shutdown. But one thing is for sure—government shutdowns aren’t good for science. During the 34-day shutdown—the longest in US history—many researchers and scientific societies called on the government to find a solution. David Norton, vice president for Research at the University of Florida and the chair of the Materials Research Society (MRS) Government Affairs Committee, wrote an opinion piece that was published in the Tampa Bay Times about the impacts of the shutdown
Table I: Funding gaps of the modern US budget process. Fiscal Year
President
Length*
Shutdown
1977
Ford
10 days
No
1978
Carter
12 days
No
1978
Carter
8 days
No
1978
Carter
8 days
No
1979
Carter
17 days
No
1980
Carter
11 days
No
1982
Reagan
2 days
Yes - partial
1983
Reagan
1 day
No
1983
Reagan
3 days
No
1984
Reagan
3 days
No
1985
Reagan
2 days
No
1985
Reagan
1 day
Yes – partial
1987
Reagan
1 day
Yes – partial
1988
Reagan
1 day
No
1991
Bush
3 days
Yes – partial
1996
Clinton
5 days
Yes – partial (3/13 already passed)
1996
Clinton
21 days
Yes – partial (7/13 already passed)
2014
Obama
16 days
Yes – full
2018
Trump
2 days
Yes – full
2019
Trump
34 days
Yes – partial (5/12 already passed) Source: CRS data
* CRS calculated the length of funding lapses based on the total number of full days for which there was
no budget authority. For example, for the latest shutdown, budget authority expired at the end of the day on December 21, 2018, and new budget authority was enacted on January 25, 2019, yielding a funding gap of 34 full days. Tan highlighting indicates funding gaps prior to the Civiletti opinion letters for which there was no government shutdown regardless of the length of funding lapse.
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on science. “In research and innovation, time to success is often the difference between leading the world or being just another also-ran. Each day of the shutdown eats away at our competitiveness as institutions and as a nation,” Norton wrote. MRS also took action through its Materials Voice letter campaign to the US Congress and the White House. The letter called for a bipartisan solution to resolve the shutdown, stating “The damaging effects of the shutdown on science are more subtle than airline safety or food inspections, but they are long lasting and irreversible. It will take years, if ever, for the scientific c
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