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Federal spending accounts for 44% of basic research spending. at one point, it was as high as 70%. https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/03/data-check-us-gover
by empath75 8y ago
Federal spending accounts for 44% of basic research spending. at one point, it was as high as 70%.
https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/03/data-check-us-government-share-basic-research-funding-falls-below-50 https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/03/data-check-us-govern...
Generally, the pattern has been that government and university funded researchers make the early discoveries, and then corporations do the research towards applying them. Universities benefit from patents, but the federal government doesn't.
- JackFr 8y agoOne of the things that makes research "basic research" is that there isn't an obvious financial incentive for it. IBM, AT&T and Xerox at the height if their monopolies could afford to do some, but in general it's a financial loss on the timescale of a human or a corporation. But what we see sometimes (alternative energy, drug research, e.g.) is government funding of applied research, and that isn't good for the market or the science, and should be called out.
- Retric 8y agoLocking up applied research at companies often creates a lot waste as several companies do the same research and don’t share their results outside of patents/products.
- sjg007 8y agoFeds get income tax revenue. They/we benefit.
- DATACOMMANDER 8y agoThey would have gotten that revenue even if the research had been privately funded.