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I don't doubt for a minute that these budget cuts are awful but I was struck by the following passage and I'm hoping someone can answer my questions: >"Univers
by bogomipz 9y ago
I don't doubt for a minute that these budget cuts are awful but I was struck by the following passage and I'm hoping someone can answer my questions:
>"Universities perform more than half of all basic research in America, and public research universities in particular account for nearly 60 percent of the $63.7 billion allocated annually by the federal government for research. That spending, in turn, produces more than 2,600 patents and 400 companies a year, according to the National Science Board."
The US Federal Government allocated funding that produces "2,600 patents and 400 companies a year"?
Does revenue from those patents and companies not funnel into the University's endowments?
Or is this a case of where its the public's money when it comes to funding but private money when that funding produces successful patents and companies and profits? For instance the article mentions Gore-Tex and references, presumably the Mosaic Web Browser. Did profits from those not flow back into the schools? Is there something in their charger that prevents that?
- AlexCoventry 9y agoI don't know about your specific examples, but yes, royalties from spin-offs absolutely do flow back to the supporting institution.
- kapauldo 9y agoThe problem is 1/1000 patents makes substantial revenue for universities.
- mjevans 9y agoWould it be more cost effective overall to just put those discoveries directly in to the public domain and not worry about the administrative overheads? Further, would the private sector benefit from such crucial hard-research discoveries being public knowledge and thus open for all to benefit from? (Possibly in exchange for a requirement of a minimum number of workers in that field in this country, and an import tariff on products if they aren't locally employing? I could see extending mutual tariff free exchange status among other nations with similar public domain enriching efforts.)
- bogomipz 9y agoI was wondering similar, for instance what is the proximity of those 400 companies to the Universities that their research produces?
- wuliwong 9y ago$63 billion to produce 400 companies seems like a statistic someone would cite if they wanted to argue against this funding. That is roughly $150 million per each new company. That seems like a very high number, particularly when their is no qualifier as to the success of any of these companies.
- bogomipz 9y agoBut the article is citing them as a net positive. no? And its just not 400 companies but also 2,600 patents.
- torpfactory 9y agoDon't forget that you also help to fund quite a few PhDs, masters students and undergraduate research assistants, many of whom go on to work in private industry....
- maksimum 9y agoAnd hopefully those students acquire skills that let them earn more (create more value to society) and hence pay more taxes than if they had only had a bachelors.
- tertius 9y agoThe problem with this argument is that the 400 companies are not all that are created.
- Fomite 9y agoKeep in mind that's 400 companies produced essentially as an ancillary outcome of research. Very little research $ is actually spent deliberately toward commercialization (SBIR grants come to mind) and in many cases, the incentives are against it. Universities are also major employers and economic engines in their own right.
- throwawayjava 9y agohttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bayh%E2%80%93Dole_Act https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bayh%E2%80%93Dole_Act