"Nonetheless, the research budgets of the Department of Defense are under enormous stress-and they are extremely important because they support more than 40 percent of all federal funding for engineering schools across the country. So the threat was and is real"

This quote by Charles Vest is describing the danger of decreased study budgets for the Department of Defense. This is a major concern since the Department of Defense gives a large section of the federal funding for engineering colleges throughout the country. This indicates that if the study spending plans are under tension, then the design colleges will endure because of this. This can cause a decrease in the quality of education as well as research study chances for trainees and also faculty. The quote is emphasizing the relevance of the Department of Defense's research study budgets and the prospective consequences of lowered funding. It is clear that the hazard of decreased research study spending plans is genuine and also must be taken seriously.