When you watch DNews, or other awesome science shows, people say: "this paper," "a new study,"
"researchers," or "a team from" -- but how much money do we have to spend to get that
science?
Sup nerds, Trace here for DNews.
Science and money have always had a contentious relationship.
Alexander Graham Bell borrowed money from the parents of a wealthy student to help create
the "harmonic telegraph."
Science needs capital, which can often mean a trip to the capitOl.
But, c'mon, who really PAYS for science?
First, how much are we talking?
It depends on your lab, the university or company, the type of science!
Getting telescope time is not the same as finding and tracking thousands of participants
for a 10-year study…
BUT here's one example.
Let's say you're hired at an average university's biology department.
You're going to be doing research there, so you negotiate what's called a "start up fund"
which could be 400,000 dollars.
"Wow," you think, "That's a TON of mulah!"
But we've just started!
From there, researchers need equipment, staff, consumable products like pipettes, petri dishes,
beakers, plus bits-and-bobs for every stage of the experiment.
To get money for that scientists have to apply for grants…
I asked Dr. Joe Hanson of PBS's It's Okay to Be Smart, a biologist, and he said, for
biomedical science the "gold standard of research grants" is the National Institutes of Health
R01 grant; which could be 4 or 500,000 dollars.
Looking into it, there were 2,100 applicants, and only 294 were awarded in 2015 (a 14 percent
award rate).
So, between start-up funds and a big grant you might have 8 or 900K.
That sounds like a lot, but even that can't cover everything!
Plus, the university takes a cut of whatever scientists win, sometimes as much as 50%.
This is why scientists spend so much of their time applying for grants.
Science is really expensive and time consuming, and funding has to be in place before a single
bit of research can be started.
As Scientific American wrote, "Scientists spend too much time raising cash instead of
doing experiments."
So, where does this money come from?
Most science is funded by governments.
In the U.S. it can come from the National Institutes of Health, the National Science
Foundation, Defense Department, Department of Education, or even the Fish and Wildlife
Service!
I mean, that's what the government does, it collects taxes and distributes that money
for the good of us all.
But since the 2008 Great Recession and 2010 Sequestration (remember that little diddy?)
science's funding has dipped significantly.
This can mean fewer studies, fewer discoveries, and fewer breakthroughs.
Government monies are dispersed through grants, offices, contracts and programmes… but though
most money comes from the gubment, they're not alone at the table when the bill for scientific
research and development gets dropped.
In 2013, the European community contributed over 19 percent of the world's science budget.
China contributed about 19 percent, by the way, and the US around 28 percent.
In fact, most major political consortiums in the world have interest in scientific research
(and not just because science is awesome).
Together, African countries contributed 1.3 percent of the continent's whole GDP to research
and development.
And while the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) is looking to establish scientific
integration in the near future, Brazil alone committed 2.2 percent.
Lately, private companies have been paying for more science, which can be controversial.
More than 75 percent of all clinical trials in medicine are funded by private companies.
The controversy comes, when the gal footing the bill has a vested interest in certain
results.
Think, drug or tobacco companies…
But not all private money is bad!
Some private studies are partnerships with government grants, public universities, nonprofits
or foundations!
And in an ideal world, it wouldn't matter who paid for it it would all just be science.
Since the 1970s, when it peaked at 2 percent of the GDP, the U.S. has spent less and less
on research and development.
According to the American Association for the Advancement of Science, we're now spending
zero-point-seven-eight percent of our GDP on research.
Most of that, is the government, but these days, some scientists are even looking to
the internet and crowdfunding to pay for their experiments -- which a whole other monster.
Think of all the stories about science we've done on DNews, and the number of times you've
been blown away by a new healthcare technology, advance in space travel, or paleontological
discovery -- those things were expensive and hard-fought… which just makes me love them
more.
The research to do this video was SUPER fun, I got neck deep into the budgets and excitement
of science around the world -- I dove wayyyy into it.
I like to say, the more I know about something, the more I WANT to know about something…
Take something we all love, Movies -- did you know: a preacher created flexible celluloid?
Or do you know why we use 24 frames per second?
What about how your brain sees all those still frames as one moving image?
That's what my podcast show is about.
Over there I go all-in on whatever science topic I can.
Last week, I looked at the history, science and future of movies.
Check it and lemme know what you think!
If you like the other channel, subscribe and I'll love you forever!
OR if you prefer to stick to DNews.
NASA moves money to contractors and grant winners all the time!
But what would happen if we doubled NASA's budget…
just… doubled it.
Or Tripled!!
I looked into more money moving on this video.