Colton Fruhling
 |  Lafayette Journal & Courier

Indiana is famous for the roar of the Indy 500, but the race that matters most today isn’t on a track: It’s the race for global leadership in science and innovation. And that’s a race we can’t afford to lose. 

Thanks to U.S. Sen. Todd Young’s leadership and strategic federal investments like the CHIPS and Science Act, our state is emerging as a national and global hub for semiconductor, nanotechnology and quantum computing research and development. From new semiconductor foundries breaking ground, to pioneering research labs like those at Purdue University, our state is defining what it means to be a technology leader in the 21st century. 

This didn’t happen by accident. It’s the result of deliberate, forward-looking public investment. Without it, we risk losing talent and jobs, momentum and the chance to lead.

Unfortunately, the newly proposed federal budget threatens devastating cuts to the very agencies that make innovation possible. 

While the Trump administration proposed a drastic $5.1 billion (57%) cut to the National Science Foundation, the Senate Appropriations Committee has proposed scaling that back to a smaller $60 million reduction, leaving NSF with a little more than $9 billion. 

Adding to the uncertainty, the House has proposed cutting NSF funding by $2.6 billion (23%), leaving NSF with about $7 billion. Because the Senate and House must agree on the final legislation, the proposed 23 percent cut is unlikely to be the final amount.

These aren’t just numbers in a spreadsheet. They represent real labs, real jobs and real futures for students and families across Indiana.

Consider this: In 2023, federal science agencies funded research at 11 universities in Indiana that produced more than 12,000 STEM bachelor’s degrees and supported more than 1,100 STEM doctoral students. These dollars keep Indiana at the center of American innovation.

As a postdoctoral researcher at Purdue, I see the effects firsthand. Our nanotech facilities are among the best in the world. My lab explores the interaction of light and matter which is the building block of many technologies and discoveries. In particular, we work in the areas nanophotonics and nonlinear optics, contributing to breakthroughs in quantum computing. These breakthroughs use the behavior between tiny particles like atoms, electrons and photons to solve problems in seconds that would take today’s fastest computers thousands of years.

Encryption, communications and cyber defense are also all key application domains for quantum research and technologies. That means the proposed cuts would not only surrender our innovation edge but put our national security at risk as well.

As history has shown, what sounds like science fiction today becomes tomorrow’s essential technology. Lasers used in agriculture and broadband internet all began as research projects, funded by the very agencies now facing cuts. 

But this isn’t just about jobs and science; it’s also about global leadership. 

Our competitors aren’t standing still, and their goal is clear: to outpace the United States in technologies that will define our future. And if you missed the headlines, China is already gaining ground.

Fortunately for Indiana, Young gets it: “Basic research isn’t a federal handout … It is a vital ingredient in our innovation future, economic and geopolitical competitiveness, and national security.” He’s right. Our nation’s future as a science and technology superpower isn’t guaranteed. The decisions we make today will shape our world tomorrow. 

The proposed funding cuts will stall innovations, weaken national security and jeopardize Indiana’s growing industries. Young has shown leadership and courage in calling for strong, sustained investments in scientific research.

Now, all of Congress must remember to defend federal science funding. Protect the progress we’ve made. Invest in the talent, technology and security that Indiana, and America, depend on.

Colton Fruhling is a post-doctoral researcher at Purdue University.