From David Valentine's LA Times Opinion Editorial

In his Los Angeles Times opinion editorial, UC Santa Barbara professor David Valentine expresses alarm over proposed federal budget cuts that could severely damage American scientific research. Valentine, an expert in ocean pollution, gained national attention during the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, when his previously niche research on undersea microbes and hydrocarbons became essential to understanding the disaster’s impact. His work, and much of the nation’s scientific progress, has been made possible by consistent support from the National Science Foundation (NSF).

Now, that support is in jeopardy. Valentine highlights proposed cuts from the Trump administration, including a 55% reduction in NSF funding and a 75% cut to his area of research. He’s particularly concerned about efforts to slash funding for indirect costs—which often misunderstood or dismissed as “overhead,” are in fact critical to sustaining a functioning research enterprise. Valentine explains that while they don’t cover his salary or equipment, they do pay for the lab space, electricity, procurement staff, and health and safety services that allow scientific work to happen.

These aren’t luxuries, he argues—they’re the backbone of research infrastructure.
Valentine warns that capping indirect cost support at 15%, down from his institution’s negotiated 56.5%, would cripple the ability of universities to support science, train students, and maintain compliance with federal regulations. The result would be not only immediate disruption, but also long-term damage to the nation’s innovation pipeline.

Before the NSF existed, American scientists looked to countries like Germany for leadership. Without proper investment, Valentine adds, China or others may soon take the lead, and the U.S. could lose its global edge in science and discovery.