8.7 Percent Less Likely

The CRA Policy Blog has the latest info on the impact of the underfunding of science in the budget. In particular

NSF will likely fund 1,000 fewer research grants in FY 08 than planned and the average award size will be smaller.

Sweet! Data to update my probability of employment. Oh wait. (Note for those playing along at home, I think the relevant total number of NSF grants is on the order of 11500.)

More like this

Yes, but that will be money better spent on finding those darn elusive WMD's.

By JohnQPublic (not verified) on 28 Jan 2008 #permalink

Will changes for FY08 mean that my chances of getting an NSF grad fellowship are already reduced by 23%? (I applied this year.)

Dave, you've got to learn how to spin better:

- American science will be 8.7% stronger because the bottom 8.7% will no longer be leaching off the system!
- These budget cuts will mean that less money will be spent on scientific bureaucracy and will instead be spent on science that will impact your life!
- Real world science will not be affected by these budget cuts.
- This money was only for mathematicians anyhow. Don't you remember how much you hated math in school?

See, you just need to be positive...

Makes me glad I left last year rather than "try one more time" to get that NSF grant that my institution demanded I have for tenure....