Politics

Scientists hope Trump won’t decrease the flow of federal research dollars

Bacterial colony picking for DNA cloning; Shutterstock ID 149312621; PO: oped Shutterstock

Massachusetts is a powerhouse of life sciences research, bolstered by billions of dollars in federal money. But the state’s big biomedical research institutions, the engines of its thriving life sciences sector, could face an era of uncertainty around the future of federal research funding.

Heavily Democratic Massachusetts is expected to lose some of its Washington influence in January when the White House, in addition to both houses of Congress, will be controlled by Republicans.

The state depends on grants from agencies such as the National Institutes of Health, which support labs in Boston, Cambridge, and other communities. Research leaders say they are prepared to be more vocal with members of Congress and other officials in Washington to make sure Massachusetts doesn’t lose out under Donald Trump’s administration.

Advertisement:

“We are going to have to stand up as scientists and talk about the importance of science and the importance of research,” said Dr. Michael F. Collins, chancellor of the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester.

Read the complete story at BostonGlobe.com.

Don’t have a Globe subscription? Boston.com readers get a 2-week free trial.

To comment, please create a screen name in your profile

Conversation

This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com