As federal funding uncertainty grows, early-career scientists like Duke PhD student Helen Rueckert face difficult decisions about their research, careers, and financial stability.
At the bench and at the brink—Duke PhD students like Helen Rueckert continue their research amid growing uncertainty over federal funding for science. Photo courtesy of Helen Ruckert.
Duke PhD student Helen Rueckert, nearing the end of her doctoral studies in the Duke Orthopaedic, Cellular, Developmental, and Genome Laboratories, shared her concerns on WUNC-FM about the impact of looming federal research funding cuts. Despite securing a postdoctoral position in Michigan to continue her work on muscle injuries, Rueckert expressed uncertainty about whether the position will be viable if funding is reduced or paused.
Her story highlights the broader anxiety among early-career scientists, as universities freeze hiring and federal budget instability threatens the future of research careers. Rueckert, who works in the Hilton Lab, emphasized the emotional toll of navigating a scientific career amid such unpredictability.