by Alan Marnett

These days it seems the only thing lower than the grant funding line is Arnold Schwarzenegger’s approval rating. In 2010, many of the National Institutes of Health agencies exhibited funding lines around the 8th percentile. Ouch. For many of us, the grant writing process has become an exercise in futility – damaging our motivation as significantly as our pocketbook.

Although some claim the funding outlook is bright based on 2011 congressional budgets, others see a dire funding situation ahead. Beyond the numbers, anyone who has applied for a postdoctoral fellowship, career award or RO1 recently, knows empirically that things remain tough in the trenches. But what are we to tell researchers who are considering how funding prospects will impact their careers in the near future? “Hang in there, it’s going to turn around” or “Grab your Prozac and start writing a grant a week“?

Where do you think our lab funding situation will be five years from now?

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In 5 years, how will lab funding compare to our current situation? Worse - believe it or not, it's going to get tougher

Same - while it might not get worse, there are few signs it will be better

Better - the way I see it, we can only go in one direction View Results

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