Katie Abusaba, Class of 2021
In the final month of 2018, the United States government began a partial government shutdown. The shutdown was ordered by president Trump as a response to congress refusing to support his request for $5.7 billion to fund building a wall along the U.S.- Mexico border. As a result, an estimated 800,000 federal employees were legally barred from working (Morello, Maxmen, Reardon, & Witze, 2019b). The standstill ended on January 25, 2019, lasting over a month. However, the fact that the shutdown is behind us doesn’t negate the temporary or long-lasting strain it caused on thousands of federal employees.
The shutdown obstructed the work of countless branches and agencies across the country, its affect reaching and impeding scientific advancements in the country. Some of the many agencies that were put on hold as a result of the shutdown were the National Science Foundation (NSF), the US Department of Agriculture, and NASA, among many others (Wilke, 2019).
Beyond the scientists in the aforementioned branches of government who were directly furloughed, their non-federal colleagues have also felt a strain on their work as a direct result of the shutdown (Malakoff, 2019). Scientists working with or affiliated with federal counterparts have greatly widened the range of people in the scientific community whose work and livelihood have been impacted. Furthermore, the standstill has already ruined the data sets of some of the longest running experiments in their respective fields. A prime example is that of the environmental data set containing the longest running study on predator-prey relationships. 2018 was the first year since 1958 where the scientists’ ability to collect data was hindered; this occurred, because the National Park Service did not grant anyone—even researchers—access to the national park in which the species in question live. Scientists tried their hardest to postpone the data collection process until after the shutdown ended, but commented that “at some point, the scientific continuity is lost” (Morello, Maxmen, Reardon, & Witze, 2019a).
This breach in an extensive and groundbreaking set of data can never be recovered or replaced. Data based on the natural world is time-sensitive and cannot wait for the shutdown to end; if scientists do not have access to national parks the day of a natural event or milestone, that opportunity for data is gone forever. Therefore, lack of access hinders both continuous data collections, which are gapless , and entire data sets on natural events that occurred during the shutdown. Such was the case for a professor aiming to collect data on the immediate effect Hurricane Florence had on nearby forests (Jefferson, 2019).
Beyond the faceless, abstract scientific concepts and numbers that are lost are real people with very real potential. The furlough in work posed serious threats to scientists all over the country. Besides not getting paid for the entire timespan of the shutdown, employees were left with no information on when they could return to work, when they would receive their next paycheck, and what their options for supporting themself were in the meantime. Marshall McMunn, an ecologist at UC Davis, expressed that he “went from believing [he] had secure income to not knowing when [he] would be paid.” The lack of security left McMunn unable to pay his bills. Furthermore, the sudden and unforthcoming nature of the standstill left him unaware if he was contractually allowed to get a part-time job to support himself in the meantime (Malakoff 2019). Fortunately, government workers on forced, unpaid leave are subject to unemployment benefits. Although this option was not well communicated to the tens of thousands of furloughed employees, the U.S. Department of Labor nevertheless reported that in the first few weeks following the beginning of the shutdown, the number of federal workers seeking unemployment benefits doubled (Morello, 2019). This shows the widespread struggle and economic panic that was caused by the government closure.
While the harm of losing a month’s salary affects all furloughed employees, young scientists are in an especially vulnerable position. Graduate students or recent post-grads often have not had the chance to save up enough money to live comfortably after abruptly losing a previously guaranteed month’s salary. In the case of Bob Literman, his wife, and their newborn child, their furloughed contractor research job at Brown University was supposed to “take [them] from poor graduate students to real members of society. And now, not having guaranteed money to feed [their] son is terrifying.” To make matters worse, Literman’s status as a contractor makes him and many others ineligible for the aforementioned unemployment benefits their full-time colleagues may apply for (Morello, Maxmen, Reardon, & Witze, 2019a). Furthermore, young scientists often depend on grants to establish their early-career research. Between December 21, 2017, and January 11, 2018, the NSF awarded $101.3 million in grants. During the 35 days of the government shutdown, no funding was given (Wilke, 2019).
The neglect and lack of communication that scientists have faced has left many feeling disrespected and unvalued. As of January 25, 2019, the shutdown has ended, although its impact on the science field in America will last years. Overall, the experience has left a bitter taste in the science community’s mouth. Many of the current federal scientists have expressed that they are looking to turn away from federal work following this experience (Jefferson, 2019). What used to be seen as a stable source of income and a way to serve their country is now seen differently after having been put through an experience in which they struggled to feed their family.
Moreover, the up-and-coming generation of government scientists are no longer looking to join government work. People who were in the process of applying to government jobs when the shutdown first began had their application on hold indefinitely, and students waiting for funding had projects delayed or cancelled entirely (Jefferson, 2019). The shutdown has put many young people’s first experience with government work off to a bad start, discouraging an entire generation away from a lifetime of government employment.
For over a month, tens of thousands of scientists across the country were left waiting for confirmation on a job, crucial funding for a new project, or a salary for a previously stable and long-held job from a government that appears not to care about their wellbeing. Although the government is now open once again, it appears that long-lasting damage has been done. According to Keith L. Seitter, Executive Director of the American Meteorological Society, thousands of new or previously government-employed scientists are turning away from government work forever, and towards the private sector (Freedman, 2019). The rewarding factors of working in public service have been overshadowed by the feeling of being “used as an unwilling political pawn” (Morello, Maxmen, Reardon, & Witze, 2019a). In the height of the standstill, NASA astrophysicist conveyed her dismay for the situation on Twitter, writing “Can't work. Can't travel for work … Can I think about the universe? Unclear” (Malakoff, 2019).
References
The shutdown obstructed the work of countless branches and agencies across the country, its affect reaching and impeding scientific advancements in the country. Some of the many agencies that were put on hold as a result of the shutdown were the National Science Foundation (NSF), the US Department of Agriculture, and NASA, among many others (Wilke, 2019).
Beyond the scientists in the aforementioned branches of government who were directly furloughed, their non-federal colleagues have also felt a strain on their work as a direct result of the shutdown (Malakoff, 2019). Scientists working with or affiliated with federal counterparts have greatly widened the range of people in the scientific community whose work and livelihood have been impacted. Furthermore, the standstill has already ruined the data sets of some of the longest running experiments in their respective fields. A prime example is that of the environmental data set containing the longest running study on predator-prey relationships. 2018 was the first year since 1958 where the scientists’ ability to collect data was hindered; this occurred, because the National Park Service did not grant anyone—even researchers—access to the national park in which the species in question live. Scientists tried their hardest to postpone the data collection process until after the shutdown ended, but commented that “at some point, the scientific continuity is lost” (Morello, Maxmen, Reardon, & Witze, 2019a).
This breach in an extensive and groundbreaking set of data can never be recovered or replaced. Data based on the natural world is time-sensitive and cannot wait for the shutdown to end; if scientists do not have access to national parks the day of a natural event or milestone, that opportunity for data is gone forever. Therefore, lack of access hinders both continuous data collections, which are gapless , and entire data sets on natural events that occurred during the shutdown. Such was the case for a professor aiming to collect data on the immediate effect Hurricane Florence had on nearby forests (Jefferson, 2019).
Beyond the faceless, abstract scientific concepts and numbers that are lost are real people with very real potential. The furlough in work posed serious threats to scientists all over the country. Besides not getting paid for the entire timespan of the shutdown, employees were left with no information on when they could return to work, when they would receive their next paycheck, and what their options for supporting themself were in the meantime. Marshall McMunn, an ecologist at UC Davis, expressed that he “went from believing [he] had secure income to not knowing when [he] would be paid.” The lack of security left McMunn unable to pay his bills. Furthermore, the sudden and unforthcoming nature of the standstill left him unaware if he was contractually allowed to get a part-time job to support himself in the meantime (Malakoff 2019). Fortunately, government workers on forced, unpaid leave are subject to unemployment benefits. Although this option was not well communicated to the tens of thousands of furloughed employees, the U.S. Department of Labor nevertheless reported that in the first few weeks following the beginning of the shutdown, the number of federal workers seeking unemployment benefits doubled (Morello, 2019). This shows the widespread struggle and economic panic that was caused by the government closure.
While the harm of losing a month’s salary affects all furloughed employees, young scientists are in an especially vulnerable position. Graduate students or recent post-grads often have not had the chance to save up enough money to live comfortably after abruptly losing a previously guaranteed month’s salary. In the case of Bob Literman, his wife, and their newborn child, their furloughed contractor research job at Brown University was supposed to “take [them] from poor graduate students to real members of society. And now, not having guaranteed money to feed [their] son is terrifying.” To make matters worse, Literman’s status as a contractor makes him and many others ineligible for the aforementioned unemployment benefits their full-time colleagues may apply for (Morello, Maxmen, Reardon, & Witze, 2019a). Furthermore, young scientists often depend on grants to establish their early-career research. Between December 21, 2017, and January 11, 2018, the NSF awarded $101.3 million in grants. During the 35 days of the government shutdown, no funding was given (Wilke, 2019).
The neglect and lack of communication that scientists have faced has left many feeling disrespected and unvalued. As of January 25, 2019, the shutdown has ended, although its impact on the science field in America will last years. Overall, the experience has left a bitter taste in the science community’s mouth. Many of the current federal scientists have expressed that they are looking to turn away from federal work following this experience (Jefferson, 2019). What used to be seen as a stable source of income and a way to serve their country is now seen differently after having been put through an experience in which they struggled to feed their family.
Moreover, the up-and-coming generation of government scientists are no longer looking to join government work. People who were in the process of applying to government jobs when the shutdown first began had their application on hold indefinitely, and students waiting for funding had projects delayed or cancelled entirely (Jefferson, 2019). The shutdown has put many young people’s first experience with government work off to a bad start, discouraging an entire generation away from a lifetime of government employment.
For over a month, tens of thousands of scientists across the country were left waiting for confirmation on a job, crucial funding for a new project, or a salary for a previously stable and long-held job from a government that appears not to care about their wellbeing. Although the government is now open once again, it appears that long-lasting damage has been done. According to Keith L. Seitter, Executive Director of the American Meteorological Society, thousands of new or previously government-employed scientists are turning away from government work forever, and towards the private sector (Freedman, 2019). The rewarding factors of working in public service have been overshadowed by the feeling of being “used as an unwilling political pawn” (Morello, Maxmen, Reardon, & Witze, 2019a). In the height of the standstill, NASA astrophysicist conveyed her dismay for the situation on Twitter, writing “Can't work. Can't travel for work … Can I think about the universe? Unclear” (Malakoff, 2019).
References
- Freedman, A. (2019, January 7). Trump shutdown hits science with stalled research, missed conferences. Retrieved February 14, 2019, from https://www.axios.com/trump-government-shutdown-science-conferences-nasa-3dd8a89a-b3aa-4e52-8f07-06f635f3c5c0.html
- Jefferson, A. (2019, January 18). Shutdown will cast a long shadow over research. Retrieved February 14, 2019, from https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-00207-9
- Malakoff, D. (2019, January 11). Shutdown starts to take a bite out of science. Retrieved February 14, 2019, from http://science.sciencemag.org/content/363/6423/109
- Morello, L. (2019, January 18). The US government shutdown has lasted as long as 3.5 Apollo missions. Retrieved February 14, 2019, from https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-00204-y
- Morello, L., Maxmen, A., Reardon, S., & Witze, A. (2019a, January 10). Science and the shutdown: 5 things to watch as US impasse drags on. Retrieved February 14, 2019, from https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-00082-4
- Morello, L., Maxmen, A., Reardon, S., & Witze, A. (2019b, January 04). Scientists despair as US government shutdown drags on. Retrieved February 14, 2019, from https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-00008-0
- Wilke, C. (2019, January 17). Government Shutdown Hits Funding, Resources, and Morale in Science . Retrieved February 15, 2019, from https://www.the-scientist.com/news-opinion/government-shutdown-hits-funding--resources--and-morale-in-science--65314
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