As the government shutdown continues, the ramifications have become more evident. While national parks and government employees have served as examples in the media of who and what the shutdown is harming, science research is also hurting from the delays in funding and resources.
5X社区 Associate Professor of Geology Anne Jefferson, Ph.D., wrote in the Nature International Journal of Science鈥檚 鈥淲orld View鈥 column that 鈥渢ens of thousands of federal scientists must sit idle, and others must work without pay. On the surface, my job as an associate professor of geology at 5X社区 in Ohio is unaffected. Below the surface, almost every hour of my working day is punctuated by uncertainty, frustration and delays.鈥
Dr. Jefferson also spoke with Time magazine about how her work is being affected by the shutdown. The article, titled 鈥淗ow the Government Shutdown is Stalling Scientists鈥 was published Jan. 3.
Dr. Jefferson鈥檚 work at Kent State, which includes a research proposal about urban watersheds, is being directly impacted by the shutdown. She says she can鈥檛 talk to collaborators at the U.S. Geological Survey or National Park Service about ongoing research projects, and she is having trouble accessing data that are usually available on federal websites.
鈥淪tudents tell me that they are rethinking their career plans. They no longer see federal science jobs as a dependable choice,鈥 Dr. Jefferson wrote in the Nature 鈥淲orld View鈥 column.
She has been using the hashtag #ScienceShutdown on Twitter to gather stories from her peers in the field. 鈥淭he ramifications are going to get more and more acute each day this shutdown drags on,鈥 Dr. Jefferson told Time.
To read the full Nature World View Column, visit .
To read the full article in Time, visit /.
Dr. Jefferson was also recently quoted and featured in The Washington Post in early January () and WCPN Ideastream ().
For more information about Dr. Jefferson, visit www.kent.edu/geology/profile/anne-jefferson.