Recently, William Brody mentioned that Singapore should invest in funding basic sciences rather than applied sciences in an interview. (see 'Tip to Singapore: Change R&D approach', Straits Times, Jan 11). A/Prof Lee Wei Ling, the executive director of National Neuroscience Institute (NNI), pointed out in a ST forum letter that the government needs to exhibit prudence in spending on biomedical research and advocate that funding should concentrate on improving human health and confined to areas of research specifically relevant to Asia. In principle, I agree with her reasoning on why government funding cannot be used to fund the basic sciences. The government should fund projects that can yield tangible returns that benefit the people in the short term.
However, that does not mean that there is no way to fund basic science in Singapore. The scientists working in basic sciences should look at other possible sources of funding. An alternative solution to government funding is to seek research grants from private foundations from philanthropists. For example, in the UK, basic science research pertaining to genome sequencing is funded by the Wellcome Trust, while in the US, the Sloan Foundation has funded fellowships and grants in the esoteric areas of astrophysics. The scientists dabbling in basic sciences should approach the various foundations or the rich & wealthy to secure new funds for their obscure research areas, for example, particle physics and string theory.
Ultimately, basic scientific research is essential to the development of Singapore as a knowledge based economy. The real challenge is whether the workers in the basic sciences are ready to walk out of their ivory towers and start lobbying for their own cause.
Related Links:
BL, Can Singapore support basic sciences and humanities?
Comments (2)
In the US, these foundations were almost always set up upon the death of someone who is wealthy. The foundations then manage their money as indicated by the deceased's wishes. You are mischaracterizing basic science researchers in Singapore. They are no more "leaving their ivory towers" than anyone in the West is. What is different is that Westerners tend not to leave so much richness to their children, and lop off big chunks for societies, charities, and foundations. The foundations have funding already in place, and scientists just apply for it. That's what I do. I just apply for it. I never left my office to "lobby" individuals.
Scientists should not have to go out and beg rich people for money, and your request that they do this would lead to less science and more fundraising. Why not keep the scientists busy doing science and research, rather than become lobbyists and fundraisers?
Posted by An american researcher | January 16, 2007 10:03 PM
An american researcher,
Sure, no one is asking the scientist to go out and constantly lobbying for cash. A scientist's first job is to do science and if he can contribute more to get funding for the whole group to research or set up an "Institute of Advanced Studies", that would be ideal. If you are doing basic research and want to build a group, you need funding to find your postdocs and PhD students.
First of all, there is a counter example to your claim about the US foundations. The Microsoft Research Centre with a few other centres in Cambridge is funded by the Gates Foundation. One of the catalyst to this funding is a famous meeting arranged through a former PhD student of a very prominent scientist (and it's a well known story) with Bill Gates, where the pitch for funding these institutes was done.
In Singapore, we don't have a foundation willing to fund science to start with. It might be easier to start to get it created first. In the old days of Singapore, there exist philanthropists like Lee Kong Chian and Tan Kah Kee, who gave part of their wealth to fund the building of schools and universities in Singapore. We need this kind of philanthropists in our society.
To be really honest, if you apply for a grant and get reviewed, is it that different from writing a business plan to get an investment?
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January 16, 2007 11:21 PM