Participants in a briefing in Washington DC on 7 October argued that early-career scientists are key to innovation. Co-hosted by Research!America, an advocacy group in Alexandria, Virginia, the event sought to persuade legislators that funding young scientists can seed discoveries that bring economic primacy. James Gentile, president of the Research Corporation for Science Advancement in Tucson, Arizona, noted that 41 of his group's early-career grantees have gone on to win Nobel prizes. Budget decreases will “undercut scientists waiting to establish careers”, says Stacie Propst, vice-president of policy and outreach at Research!America. “We will lose a generation.”