This is a guest opinion

Scientific discovery, research, and development grow Alabama’s economy by supporting jobs, and industry. Government research grants are investments in scientists’ work to cure diseases, grow our food and ensure it is safe, respond to emerging threats (bird flu), create innovative technology, and discover new sources of energy. Alabama received over $90 million dollars from the National Science Foundation and another $380 million from the National Institutes of Health last year, which then generated more than a billion dollars for Alabama’s economy. Yet today, Alabama’s continued excellence in research is being threatened by government actions including grant funding cuts and freezes, preventing information sharing and collaborations, and termination of colleagues at government agencies that facilitate scientific research efforts.

These funds not only support science but provide jobs for many people who support research efforts that in turn go back into our economy. Grant funds pay salaries for scientists as well as scientists-in-training including graduate and undergraduate students, and high school interns. Most research faculty have 9-month appointments and use grant funds to pay their remaining three-months of salary. Universities also receive a portion of these grant funds, which are necessary to pay for infrastructure and salaries for support staff, including secretaries, custodial and maintenance personnel, and many other workers that enable scientific research. Their salaries are spent supporting a myriad of local businesses and municipal budgets through sales taxes.

Cuts in federal funding for science hurt research progress, delay, or derail important discoveries. The accountability and rigorous peer review that comes with securing research grants ensures that funds are used effectively and legally. This system encourages innovation while maintaining high standards and accountability for spending tax-payer dollars. Continued support for scientific funding is essential for addressing many societal challenges and requires continued support from citizens and government leaders.

Oyster research is but one example of how federal dollars benefit Alabama. Oysters are a favorite dish of Alabamians and intimately tied to our culture, generating an income for many of our watermen. Gulf oyster populations are declining and remain at or below historic low levels in Alabama and Mississippi, and globally populations have declined more than 85%. Here on the Gulf Coast, research seeks to restore oyster habitat and reverse this decline, protecting not only our waterways but also the fishing industry. Using federal funding from Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Alabama Coastal Management Program, and from the National Science Foundation (NSF) coastal scientists have uncovered innovative methods to help bring oysters back to our waters (oyster restoration success) by finding ways to increase their survival, which will in turn save the jobs of our watermen and businesses tangentially dependent on them.

In this local example, federally funded research resulted in a recent important discovery which led to the creation of a new oyster reef habitat in Bayou la Batre. This research in turn created jobs for more than a dozen people, engaged nearby high school students in research, and then generated funds that helped repair infrastructure and provided salaries for numerous support staff connected through this project. Please keep science funded, it directly benefits all of us and improves our economy.

Dr. Lee Smee is Chair of University Programs at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab and a Professor at the University of South Alabama in the Stokes School of Marine and Environmental Sciences. He is an Eagle Scout and Scoutmaster of Troop 251G in Mobile.