A stimulating read: The bill boosts biomedicine Credit: AFP photo/Jim Watson

US scientists are poised to gain more than just money from the economic stimulus bill signed into law on 17 February, say some experts. With nearly $22 billion of the $787 billion plan going toward scientific endeavors, researchers and science policymakers have the chance to “show the public the positive economic impact that an investment in science can bring,” according to Rick Weiss, a senior fellow at the Washington, DC–based Center for American Progress.

Biomedical researchers will reap a good portion of the funds marked for science. The US National Institutes of Health (NIH) gains a $10.4 billion boost out of the deal, about one-third of its $29.5 billion budget for the 2008 fiscal year. In addition to bolstering preexisting research projects, Weiss thinks the stimulus gives the NIH a chance to fund “intelligently thought out, but admittedly risky, endeavors” that are often not funded with cash-strapped budgets. Although these bolder endeavors might not necessarily pay off, if they do, they “give you the most bang for your buck,” he explains.

Along with these increased opportunities come greater responsibilities to meet demand for quick results, according to experts. For one, it might be hard for some of the projects funded to show hard and fast results after just two years of funding, says Weiss. But he and others think it is likely that such investment into science will continue to be a priority. Stacie Propst, vice president of policy and outreach at Alexandria, Virginia–based Research!America, thinks the stimulus's science funding is designed to “jump start some longer-term investments.” She adds, “[The stimulus bill] is an excellent predictor of where we're headed.”