Why does the government fund research at universities?
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May 28, 2025
Explore the vital role of government funding in university research and the looming crisis posed by significant cuts. Discover how billions have fueled innovations like drone technology and inhalable Covid vaccines. Hear insights from a key advocate for research funding and the chancellor of a major university, revealing the precarious balance between academic success and political pressures. Delve into the global competition for research dollars, particularly against China's ambitious investments, and understand the historical roots of this essential funding.
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Researcher Faces Funding Crisis
Mike Mears, a DNA researcher at WashU, feels panic over looming federal research funding cuts.
He needs a $300,000 grant for essential lab expenses and salaries to keep his research alive.
insights INSIGHT
Post-War Funding Model Insight
After WWII, the US government started funding university research to become a global scientific leader.
The model promoted independent, scientist-driven research fostering innovation and competition with the Soviet Union.
insights INSIGHT
Vannevar Bush's Vision for Research
Vannevar Bush pushed for federal funding of university research after WWII, emphasizing taking risks on uncertain but potentially transformative projects.
He saw universities as best suited for producing new knowledge and training future generations.
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This book features Vannevar Bush's seminal report, which was prepared for President Franklin D. Roosevelt to recommend a national approach towards science and research after World War II. The report advocates for the establishment of the National Science Foundation and emphasizes the importance of basic research. Rush D. Holt's introduction provides historical context and highlights the ongoing relevance of Bush's vision, stressing the need for science to be integrated into democratic society and public policy. The report covers key subjects such as the war against disease, science and public welfare, renewal of scientific talent, and the problem of scientific reconversion[1][3][4].
American universities are where people go to learn and teach. They're also where research and development happens. Over the past eight decades, universities have received billions in federal dollars to help that happen. Those dollars have contributed to innovations like: Drone technology. Inhalable Covid vaccines. Google search code.
The Trump administration is cutting or threatening to cut federal funding for research. Federal funding for all kinds of science is at its lowest level in decades.
Today on the show: when did the government start funding research at universities? And will massive cuts mean the end of universities as we know them?
We hear from the man who first pushed the government to fund university research and we talk to the chancellor of a big research school, Washington University in St. Louis. He opens up his books to show us how his school gets funded and what it would mean if that funding went away.
This episode is part of our series Pax Americana, about how the Trump administration and others are challenging a set of post-World War II policies that placed the U.S. at the center of the economic universe. Listen to our episode about the reign of the dollar. Find more Planet Money: Facebook / Instagram / TikTok / Our weekly Newsletter.
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