Friday July 17, 2009
Why federal research spending needs cranking up
Federal backing for scientific studies has been insufficient in recent years. And that is why the Obama administration is pushing to increase spending for scientific research. A recent National Science Foundation report finds that federal spending on research and development declined in real terms from 2007 to 2008 and that 2008 funds for basic research dropped to the lowest level since 2002 in constant dollars. Spending on basic research declined by an average of 1.9 percent a year from 2005 to 2008. The proportion of total research and development spending directed to basic research fell to 24.4 percent in 2008, down from 26.3 percent in 2002.
For details of the NSF report, go to http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/02/06/research.
Copyright UW Oshkosh
