Don’t cut research - Salt Lake Tribune

Science can be a divisive issue. Yet scientific research is largely responsible for many modern conveniences and life-saving technologies. For the past five years, the University of Utah and BYU have been among the top institutions in start-up companies generated by university research. These start-ups create tens of thousands of jobs and generate billions of dollars for local, state and national economies. These achievements should be a source of pride for Utahns, but their persistence is threatened. The budget for the National Institutes of Health, the major funding source for biomedical sciences, will be cut 8 percent on Jan. 1. This will eliminate thousands of federal grants to fund research, including many that could go to Utah researchers. By the lowest estimates, the return on NIH investments in research is around 2 to 1. http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/opinion/55083924-82/utah-research-budget-cut.html.csp