Should Governments Fund Research?

Jeffrey Miron and Jacob Winter

The Trump administration sparked controversy this month by reducing grant funding from the National Institutes of Health. The move, currently blocked by a judge, caps the percentage of grant funds that can be used for indirect costs at 15 percent.

There are legitimate debates about a universal cap on funding for indirect costs, as well as about President Trump’s wrecking-ball approach to reforming government.

But it is also worth asking whether governments should fund research at all.

In a previous piece, we argued they should not. Read it here.