Here's a developing social media story of interest to scientists, clinicians and the general public. National Institutes of Health Director Francis Collins, MD, PhD, kicked a hornets' nest on Twitter earlier today with a tweet asking researchers to describe the direct impact of the U.S. budget sequestration, which began in March, on their research and lives. He asked respondents to use the hashtag #NIHSequesterImpact. The responses (some of which I've included below) are fascinating and depressing:
"I am no longer encouraging undergraduates to consider graduate school. No future in it."
"The NIH training grant I'm on was canceled"
"I know a lot of very smart USA young researchers that are seriously considering China"
Check it out if you'd like to hear a real-time conversation about what it's like to be a researcher today, and join in if you have anecdotes to share.
Previously: As budget sequester nears, a call for Congress to protect funding for scientific and medical research, Director of NIH discusses accelerating translation of biomedical research into clinical applications and Francis Collins profiled in New Yorker