Best of this week’s reader comments…
Shifting Ground: As Rockview Closure Looms, Centre County Faces a New Economic Reality
“Depending on a dilapidated prison (built in 1915 that requires a minimum of $74 million to get back to code) for employment is silly. Those employees were all promised jobs at other facilities. Absolute no-brainer decision by Gov. Shapiro. The Centre region can and will do better.”
Penn State and NIH Funding Cuts: What You Need to Know
“With the current administration’s continued assault on science, education, and culture—posing a serious threat to university-centered communities—how will the State College community respond? Will we passively accept these setbacks, or will we push back and stand as a bastion of resistance by actively supporting the arts and STEM non-profits?
This collective effort is more urgent and far-reaching than the familiar refrain of expanding ‘Eds, Meds, and Beds’ (Tourism) as the foundation of economic development. Strategic planning alone will not sustain us. Without a strong sense of community and cultural appreciation, State College risks losing what makes it a vibrant, enriching place to raise children, build careers, and enjoy retirement.
So, where do we stand? Will we rise to the challenge or let our identity erode?”
Another comment on NIH funding cut….
“Thank you for highlighting this important problem for our region. The way you calculated the potential funding cut may inadvertently feed into the perception that indirect cost rates on federal grants are excessive. Penn State does not currently take 58% of the overall funding for overheads. Rather, the current $838 million per year in federal funding includes both direct and indirect costs. And not all direct costs are eligible for overheads. For example, of the $166 million in new NIH funding that Penn State received last year, only $54 million was earmarked for overheads (33% of total funding).
However, this may be beside the larger point. Indirect funds are required to fund real overhead costs of research (facilities costs, administrative staff, etc.). If federal indirect rates are sharply cut, and if Penn State cannot find alternative ways to cover those real overhead costs, the true amount at stake is the entire $838 million per year in federal funding. It would just be unaffordable to do federal research here.”
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