CO-LABS is receiving information about the layoffs, threatened or actual budget cuts, and confusing or contradictory directives affecting federally funded research labs in Colorado. We are working to provide insight on the negative impacts of these swirling policy issues to our federal elected official to help mitigate and halt the destruction of our national research ecosystem.
Read our statement below to Colorado Congressman Joe Neguse - his District (CD-2) is home to numerous federally funded labs and joint institutes. We are working to provide details to his staff to assist with his role as the Chair of the Rapid Response Task Force and Litigation Working Group.
See our project with the Boulder Chamber and Workforce Boulder County regarding Boulder-area partners of labs here, you can provide examples of impacts to your company or organization.
February 24, 2025
The Honorable Joe Neguse
U.S. House of Representatives
2400 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515-0602
Dear Representative Neguse,
I’m reaching you on behalf of the CO-LABS network of federally funded research
laboratories and our broad membership spectrum of science- and technology-focused companies, universities and professionals in Colorado and in CD-2 in particular.
We’re alarmed at the Administration’s legally dubious funding freezes, indiscriminate layoffs and unclear Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) processes that have caused turmoil in our national research agencies and hobbled projects with private-sector partners. This is a self-inflicted setback to the United States’ innovation leadership that our country cannot afford. We urgently request your help to mitigate and ensure the legality of any staff reductions and budget cuts affecting the research labs in Colorado whose missions are collectively serving the most fundamental needs of our citizens. We welcome the recently announced Rapid Response Task Force and Litigation Group to address the scale of threat to our nation’s research enterprise.
The scientific research occurring at federal labs and institutes in Boulder, Ft. Collins and across the Front Range ensure our most basic societal needs are provided for, such as clean water, energy, national defense, food production, extreme weather resiliency and public health programs. Research in Boulder labs and institutes also serve our country’s more aspirational goals in quantum computing, artificial intelligence, renewable energy provision, bioscience, transportation and aerospace technologies and much more.
Even worse is the intangible effect of losing deeply talented and brilliant scientists and dedicated public servants. As was discussed on February 5, 2025 at a Congressional Space, Science and Technology Committee hearing on U.S. Competitiveness, America’s global leadership position in the majority of the critical technology fields has been overtaken by China. The U.S. still holds the clear lead in 7 of 64 technology categories, whereas China is currently leading in the rest.(1)
Without a renewed commitment to scientific research, the United States risks falling behind further in critical scientific domains. As federal research investment is the foundation of our national economic prosperity, the dissolution of knowledge from our country’s scientific agencies and universities will further enable global competitors and weaken our international standing in science - this is ultimately a national security issue.
The range of research within more than 35 federally funded research laboratories and joint institutes across Colorado is a crucial part of our nation’s ability to function responsibly and equitably on behalf of all our citizens. We truly appreciate your efforts to ensure a responsible and pragmatic strategy by Congress to support our country’s scientific enterprise, and that taxpayer-funded laboratories continue to manifest the positive and inspiring benefits of science!
Sincerely,
Dan Powers
Executive Director
CO-LABS, Inc.
(1) Research and Development: U.S. Trends and International Comparisons: https://ncses.nsf.gov/pubs/nsb20246
About CO-LABS:
CO-LABS, incorporated in 2007, is a 501(c)3 non-profit consortium of federally funded scientific laboratories, research universities and colleges, business leaders and economic development experts organized to nurture and champion Colorado as a global leader in scientific research, technology, and related commercialization of discoveries.
Through lab tour, events, economic analyses, strategic communications and networking activities we work to:
• PROMOTE Colorado’s research ecosystem as a global center in research and technology
• EDUCATE the public about the labs’ impact and importance of sustained funding for research
• CONNECT the labs, universities and businesses to facilitate partnerships and technology transfer
See more at www.co-labs.org.
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