Funding the future: The impact of science cuts on rural Idaho

Science is often portrayed as the stuff of villains in sci-fi movies or as almost magical in catching criminals on TV dramas. 

The reality is that the scientific research that benefits us all takes both time and continued investment. This investment has made our nation a leader in research and innovation for decades, thanks in large part to broad bipartisan support. But now, science is the victim of indiscriminate federal funding cuts that put this progress at risk.

Three main actions are devastating scientific research right now: freezing federal budgets and review panels for the National Institutes of Health and National Science Foundation (NSF), firing thousands of expert scientists from agencies like NIH, NSF, and NASA, and canceling programs that promote entry into the scientific workforce. This hurts science, but why should it matter to you?

Let's start with the numbers. Millions of dollars flow into Idaho from NIH ($24 million) and NSF ($32 million), supporting thousands of jobs and boosting the Idaho economy by over $140 million. Any new drug prescribed by your doctor was likely developed through NIH-funded research — 99% of FDA-approved drugs in the last decade were. NSF funding has spurred countless discoveries, from the internet to contact lenses to Doppler RADAR for weather forecasting, plus 261 Nobel prizes. These are your tax dollars at work, bringing real benefits to daily life.

I grew up in Eastern Washington and North Idaho, where my family still lives today. I rode the bus for hours each day to Priest River Junior and Senior High Schools, where my teacher, Mrs. Mund, first sparked my interest in science. With a mix of Pell Grants and scholarships, I became the first in my family to graduate from college, earning two degrees from the University of Idaho.

In college, my passion for science ignited through an NSF-funded Research Experience for Undergraduates summer program. This led me to graduate studies, where I received support from an NIH training grant and an NSF fellowship to study the microbes inside us with a gut microbiome pioneer at Washington University. Later, thanks to an NIH postdoctoral fellowship, I worked with a now Nobel Prize-winning scientist in Boston.

These opportunities changed my life. Now, I have my dream job as a professor at Baylor College of Medicine, leading a team that studies how microbes in the gut affect metabolism and health. Our research, salaries, and lab space are almost entirely funded by NIH and NASA grants. Over the years, I have trained more than 80 young scientists from Idaho and beyond, helping build tomorrow’s STEM and biotech workforce.

Science research is not like the movies — it’s more like food service. Imagine each lab as a restaurant in a food hall (universities and research institutions). The lab head (like me) is the chef, bringing their own ideas and hiring a team of specialized sous chefs (researchers) to cook up new discoveries. These sous chefs often go on to start their own “restaurants” (labs or biotech startups).

Your tax dollars, through federal grants, are the orders that keep the kitchens running. But now, the government is walking out without paying the bill. The orders have stopped, the produce is going bad, and science — along with its many benefits — could go out of business.

These cuts directly harm rural Idahoans. Federal research funding has long been a pathway to opportunity for students like me — kids from small towns who dream of being scientists. Cutting these programs means fewer students from Idaho will have a chance to break into STEM careers, which offer high-paying, high-impact jobs.

Beyond individual careers, science funding strengthens entire communities. Research investment fuels economic growth, creates jobs, and keeps America at the forefront of innovation. Without strong support, medical advances, technological breakthroughs, and job opportunities will vanish.

Science is for all of us, not just scientists. We all benefit from new medicines, technologies, and discoveries. That’s why it’s critical to contact your representatives and urge them to support NIH, NSF, and NASA funding. Without it, Idaho will lose its ability to compete, innovate, and thrive.

When we invest in science, we invest in Idaho’s future — a future of discovery, industry growth, and life-changing innovation.

The views expressed in this My Turn column are those of Buck Samuel and not on behalf of his institution.