Academics

US Shutdown Affects Military Service Institutions, Academic Resources and Scientific Research

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As the United States' partial government shut down entered its second week, it has not only affected the tourism industry and the lives of 80,000 federal employees but also impacted the country's education sector adversely.

It has shut down military service institutions, academic resources and put sexual assault investigations and scientific research on hold.

Military service academies have been forced to shut down. More than 1,000 students have been asked to return home until the government reopens.

According to Politico, various classes have been cancelled at the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md.; the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Co.; the U.S. Naval War Academy in Newport, R.I., and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, N.Y.

Students at the Naval Academy can't access the library, while the media lab, tutoring centers and library have been closed at the Air Force Academy.

Also, the main hotline phone number used to respond to student veterans' queries has been disabled. Educational counselling will also limited, according to a guide released by the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs.

Another impact caused by the shutdown is the halt in scientific research at all public universities.

Scientists at the University of Hawaii were required to stop their research on a vaccination for rat lungworm disease as most of their experiments are conducted in a federal building, which is closed due to the partial shutdown. As a result, the researchers no longer have access to their work, the Huffington Post reports.

The University of Michigan which depends on $53 million in monthly federal grants is planning to cut research activities across all departments.

"We hope that this situation can be resolved as quickly as possible so that the processes of research won't slow down," said Stephen Forrest, vice president for research in an official statement.

"After all, university research is not only integral with our educational mission, but also a critical investment in the ideas and people that drive our economy and our quality of life."

Stephen Welter, the vice president of research at San Diego State University, said the shutdown would have a 'dramatic' affect on their scientific work.

"Over half of our funds are through federal sources," Welter told KPBS. "If this was a long-term process, then that would have a dramatic affect on our research. We'll certainly try to keep our programs moving forward as best we can with our own resources, but obviously there's a restriction on how much we can do and for how long."

Several federal sources of information that help scientists in research papers and academic work are not being updated due to the shutdown.

According to Drexel University Library, the websites for the U.S. Census, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Data.gov, Fedstats.gov and the Education Resources Information Center (ERIC); plus the Library of Congress, the Smithsonian Institute and the National Archives are closed.

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