Chris Szlenk: Basic research funding and the NSF

Basic science research benefits everyone and prepares our society for unforeseen crises. Throughout its history, the United States has been at the forefront of innovation and scientific progress that has led us to walk on the moon, find cures for diseases, stimulate the local and national economy, and in general educate the public on how to live a healthy, productive life. Unfortunately, funding for basic science research has not kept up with levels necessary for sustained growth, and every year lobbyists flock to Capitol Hill to advocate for increases in funding to federal agencies such as the National Science Federation (NSF) and National Institutes of Health (NIH), which are two of the most prominent agencies providing funding for basic research. In order to progress as a society, we need to increase funding for the NSF.

The NIH is the premier biomedical and public health agency in the United States providing grants and funding to thousands of researchers across the U.S. The NSF is the primary agency that funds and supports fundamental research and education in the non-medical fields of science and engineering. Both the NIH and NSF receive funding through Congress during the appropriations process each year, ultimately funded by taxpayers.

Funding from the NSF has led to some of the most integral and profound discoveries that are used by many people every day. Basic research funding provided by the NSF helped to establish technologies such as MRI, the internet, fiber optics, Doppler radar, computer visualization techniques, and computer aided design. These discoveries helped revolutionize our lives on a daily basis and are likely taken for granted nowadays. The NSF is also one of the leading funders for the Protein Data Bank (PDB), which is a database for hundreds of thousands of proteins that can be used in drug design. The earliest crystal structures of myoglobin and hemoglobin helped explain the oxygen-carrying/storing properties of the proteins and illuminated the molecular basis of sickle cell anemia and potential treatments for the disease. The determination of the amino acid sequence of insulin, and the 3-D structure of it, led to engineering slowly acting synthetic insulins for the treatment of diabetes. Computer aided drug design has resulted in various medication including the first protease inhibitor approved by the FDA to prevent HIV/AIDS, called saquinavir, and also dorzolamide, a medicine used to treat high pressure inside the eye .

Unfortunately funding for the NSF has not kept up with inflation and peaked in 2003. In addition, the current administration has proposed cuts to the NSF in the amount of $424 million. In order for the United States to remain at the forefront of innovation and scientific discovery, funding for NSF needs to be increased by $800 million, which would bring us back to the levels of funding seen in 2003. This funding will not only stimulate scientific discovery, but also will stimulate local economies, help early researchers secure funding for their research, and benefit everyone by providing a better understanding of the world around us.

Funding for basic research is often met with disdain and distrust by those who don’t see any return on their investment and question the legitimacy of the research conducted. Sometimes these concerns are legitimate, and each federal agency requires consistent oversight, and updates to policies to ensure that funding is going to the right researchers. The importance of basic research can not be understated, because from the most basic discoveries, come the most complex, beautiful solutions that people will use every day. In order for that to happen, the basic research must be done and understood first to see how it can apply to larger issues.

Bipartisan legislation was recently introduced that would rearrange NSF, change its name, and update their funding and mission. The Endless Frontiers Act (S. 3832) proposes to add an additional $100 billion over 5 years to the NSF, which would complement existing resources. The NSF would be restructured, and in this restructuring outside managers would have tight control over projects, and require monthly updates and could cancel projects if they weren’t meeting deadlines. This is in contrast to NSF’s previous policy of a less aggressive approach to overseeing grantees and their belief in the researcher as opposed to just the research. The bill features bipartisan support and would mean a huge influx of funds for the NSF, which would aid in funding more researchers nationwide in theory.

Funding for basic scientific research is integral for developing new technologies, improving people’s lives, and stimulating local economies. The levels of funding for major research agencies has not kept up with inflation and over time funding for research hasn’t been increasing as it should. If the United States wants to stay at the forefront of innovation and scientific discovery then they must fund more basic research for the benefit of everyone.

Chris Szlenk is a Ph.D. candidate at WSU Spokane in the pharmaceutical sciences department and was selected as an American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics Washington Fellow for 2020.