<p>A graduate student I talked to tells me that it will be difficult to survive in the research field next year, and each year after that will be worse and worse due to limitations of research funds/grants. Perhaps the federal government will put more money into research next year, but who knows? Most likely, even good PIs will be short on money, and students would have to find their own research funding.</p>
<p>Would this kind of situation be less scary in top-notch private institutions? If you come from a prestigious school, would it be easier for you to receive external grants?</p>
<p>Career success in biomedical sciences is less dependent on the grad school and highly dependent on the PIs (professors) that mentor an individual through graduate school and through the critical post-doctoral period. </p>
<p>Lets face it, a doctorate is an apprenticeship. You need to apprentice not with someone who runs a factory lab (survival of the fittest-with low odds of succeeding), rather with someone whose students have a demonstrated track record of doing well. So being a a great grad school can still be a poor choice if you fail to get into an appropriate lab. Lastly, research is a 24/7 career. If the field is not your passion, you will not be competitive. Being expected to write and win fellowship support while a grad student or a post-doc is a routine aspect of entering this field and is independent of the current funding climate.</p>
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Would this kind of situation be less scary in top-notch private institutions?
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It's definitely less scary in a top-notch lab. My PI has three NIH grants, money from about five small foundations, and almost everybody in my lab is on an NRSA or a research foundation fellowship. That money well isn't running dry anytime soon.</p>
<p>This reflects the changes that the NIH underwent between 1995 and 2005 when the budget doubled from 13 billion/year to 26 billion/year. It has remained almost flat since it hit 26 billion (I believe its currently at 28 billion).</p>
<p>Things were always better in the good old days. Just ask any elderly person. People seem to forget how bad things were during/soon after Nixon attempted to end public support for research. Or how about when post docs were paid less than 20 grand a year in the mid 90's. Or when grad students made striking less than minimum wage (at the time) in the 70's. Everyone is so negative about the funding situation. Try putting it in historical perspective.</p>
<p>If you are interested in graduate student funding, I have been compiling a database of funding opportunities for all members of the academic medicine community (including graduate students) on my blog. Up to ~125 grants, etc. so far and hope to be closer to 250 by end of the weekend. Just go to the "funding opportunities" page.</p>