How the Majority of Primary Research Science Is Supported

A scientific research is a technique for tentatively investigating and explaining a phenomenon, gaining new ideas, or adding new knowledge to previously conducted research through experimental data, formulation, and testing of well defined hypotheses.

The history of science research funding in the United States and other parts of the world, especially the United Kingdom dated back to World War II. In the pre World War II era, research was conducted only by University professors. The professors at the time had a number of students working as assistants, but funding for those researches were small, and as such went directly to the professors. Some of the funds came from private individuals and a handful of private companies. A few worthy people (e.g., Benjamin Franklin, Lord Rayleigh) financed their own research.

The era of the World War II, where through research, scientists developed a number of innovations to help fight the war, changed the government and public view of scientific research. For instance, the use of radar gave advanced warnings of missile attacks, the developments of atomic bombs and other nuclear weapons by scientists helped the war against Japan. Some of these and others, made it clear that scientists played a major role in winning the war. After the World War II (during the 1945s and 1960s), the US and the UK governments began to give support to science and engineering research, mostly through the military. This involved the establishment of specialized research institutions, provision of funds for in Universities, and grants for PhD students in area of science and technology.

However, research funding declined due to the Vietnam War, the retirement of World War II era officers who could not really insist on continuous research funding, and the Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act that was passed in 1985. The Act reduced the government's support for scientific and industrial research, because there was no politically powerful voice that defended the funding of research from the budget axe (Ronald B. Standler).

This reduction in support for scientific, industrial and engineering research resulted in unemployment, especially to individual researchers who were employed in private organizations. At the same time, universities also have increased the number of science faculty members, some to teach undergraduate and graduate level classes even as they conduct research. Professors received their contract salaries and research allowances through funding established between the government and the various universities. The reduction in research funding by the government resulted in financial crisis in the universities, because most of the professors have already attained tenured positions, and so was very difficult to terminate their appointments.

As far as I understand, as of today, research has been funded through the government, organizations, some well established foundations, and through colleges and universities- in the form of faculty professional development. As to how these funding are decided, and how individual research scientist get these supports, I believe, is quite a complex one. Since World War II to around 2005 in the United Kingdom for instance, infrastructure and projects had been the two modes of research funding. Infrastructure seems to be the basic one for any scientific research. Some of these include laboratory space, lighting and heating, basic equipments, and other technical support. Any additional requirements on top of the infrastructure, is determined by a specific research project that is conducted by an individual, and of course, that which further a specific goal of the funder. The additional may include consumables, skilled manpower, and travel funds. Below you will see the sketch of the funding tree up to year 2005.

Support is not only important, but very crucial to science and technology researchers.