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True. Morgan could also end up running pipettes and 96-well plates in Foster City for $45000/yr.

Morgan (or someone else)

The hiring freeze stops everyone not just that one specific person. A 4 year pause on new researchers is meaningful even if this specific person wasn’t going to start a lab.

Well, he might be planning to set up a lab. Probably wouldn't, though, statistically.

> That seems a bit too optimistic to be a valid argument.

I think you misunderstood, since that's not about optimism. Years ago, smart students from all over the world could hope for a successful career in American research. Now, in the USA many doors are closing in most academic domains, and few (potential) researchers dare plan any success story.