Sequester Survey Reveals Widespread Concerns

The automatic, across-the-board federal spending cuts, known as sequestration, are having a definite impact on American Chemical Society members—particularly those working in the federal government—according to an ongoing survey being conducted by ACS, which publishes C&EN.

As of March 18, about 3,800 ACS members—out of some 163,000 members total—have responded to the survey. Of those respondents, 500 say they are employed by the federal government, and of those federal employees, 82% report feeling an impact from sequestration.

Specifically, the ACS-member federal employees were asked how they have been affected by either sequestration or other recent federal budget restrictions. Sixty-eight percent say they have experienced restrictions on attending conferences and meetings; 59% cite restrictions on travel; 47% report having reduced support for existing projects, contracts, or grants; and 42% report having been furloughed.

“Our interest in cataloging [sequestration] impact is to be armed with solid data and facts,” says Glenn S. Ruskin, director of the ACS Office of Public Affairs. “The survey results will provide us with real-world data and reports about the cuts’ impact on the chemical enterprise, which we can share with policymakers on Capitol Hill and in the Administration.”

The ACS survey remains open and can be accessed at: www.acs.org/sequester.