Sept. 11 changed science, too

Follow the money, they say. Well, in the case of the Bush administration, the federal money for scientific research has followed the priorities of this wartime president: toward projects related to defense and counterterrorism, according to the nonprofit American Association for the Advancement of Science. And because the overall research funding shared by more than a dozen agencies hasn’t risen much, biodefense’s 48 percent funding gain since 2001 has coincided with only a 14 percent increase in nondefense research. Obviously, if these dollars end up helping deter terrorists and win wars, America will benefit tremendously. But less funding in other areas could send those scientists in search of dollars elsewhere, putting our nation’s once-unrivaled reputation for cutting-edge science at further risk.
Posted by Rhonda Holman

2 Comments

  1. Joe Williams
    Posted November 21, 2005 at 8:58 am | Permalink

    Well! There are plenty of other souces to get funding for research than trying to tape the taxpayers.

    Corporate R&D, non-profits, endowments, and etc.

    Government money into research is only a fraction of what is being paid in the search understanding of science.

  2. Brian
    Posted November 21, 2005 at 4:49 pm | Permalink

    The government’s investment in science R&D has more than paid for itself over the years. It’s been one of the best investments the government has made. Too bad our representatives see benefit in a miltary budget that is greater than the next 4 largest in the world combined, but they can’t seem to cough up a cent for programs like R&D.