> Is it expensive or require their resources? You have a major knowledge gap here. Other than for literal lab start up funds for brand-new professors universit

> Is it expensive or require their resources? You have a major knowledge gap here. Other than for literal lab start up funds for brand-new professors universities typically don't grant much money, if any at all, to their professors for research. The professors are expected to seek outside funds, of which a good chunk then goes to the university for the university's costs. This may not be the same at Harvard, I genuinely don't know. But it's typical at most research universities.