If second-year physics graduate student John Alison were a few years older, he would have studied at Fermi, a famous physics lab in Chicago.
Instead he will head to Switzerland this summer to study particle physics.
Geneva, Switzerland boasts the world's premier particle accelerator thanks to a 1990s budget cut that halted construction of a similar model in the U.S.
"There's going to be a big influx of physics grad students going to Geneva instead of the other way around," he said.
This is just one illustration of what some call America's slipping grasp on science and technology.
The National Science Board reported this month that the U.S. is at risk of losing its dominance in these fields due to economic development abroad.
Stagnant federal funding makes it difficult to attract and sustain research, experts say.
While countries such as China and India increase their investments in science and technology, U.S. funds are at a standstill.
Research universities like Penn receive most of their science funding from government sources, primarily the National Institutes of Heath, according to Vice Provost for Research Steven Fluharty.
Federal pledges for more money fall through each year, he said.
Scarce funding hampers projects, increases competition and lowers morale, Biology Department undergraduate chair Eric Weinberg said.
It also makes it harder to draw new talent to the profession.
Associate Dean of the College and Director of Academic Affairs Kent Peterman said the "disproportionately high" number of international students in science and technology graduate programs reflects the US's declining edge.
"We're not graduating as many students who are competitive to go on in the sciences," Peterman said.
He attributed the trend to schools that don't cultivate ample interest and a culture that values more financially lucrative professions.
Weinberg said potential scientists may be discouraged when they see their colleagues facing challenges in the field, such as meager support.
And increasing materialism makes the US less conducive to research careers, he said.
"Twenty or thirty years ago, the crŠme-de-la-crŠme of students would consider science research," Weinberg said.
"Now people who would have gone into something like biomedical research or some creative humanities area are lured [away] by huge salaries."
He said Penn can continue to improve the research climate with facilities that attract top researchers, such as the new medical school complex.
The University can also offer grants to start new projects and sustain current ones, he added.
But the bulk of funding must come from the government.
"The amount of money a university can put into research is just a drop in the bucket compared to what's needed," Weinberg said.
Fluharty said Penn looks for alternative aid from private corporations and foundations, and collaborates with peer institutions to lobby for more support.
"We need to ensure the government understands these kinds of cuts strike the heart of the nation's strength in science and technology," he said.
