Governments often fund scientific research in order to support the development of their nation. Scientific research can be divided into two categories: those with immediate practical applications and those that are more theoretical and basic. This begs the question which of the two is more important, or are they equally important. To answer this, we must take into consideration the short-term and long-term effects of the two.
Scientific research with real-life applications provides a direct pathway that materialises theoretical breakthroughs into actionable changes. These have a clear purpose and mission, which not only helps in the implementation stage, but also during the research as it gives researchers direction and motivation. Specifically for governments, their aim is to improve the citizen’s lives; thus, practical research suits their purpose perfectly. One example is the research into electric vehicles that has supported many countries shift away from fuel-based vehicles. In countries like Singapore, the government has spend large amounts of money studying this market and its feasibility. Subsequently, they were able to make policy decisions and construct the necessary infrastructure to support electric cars. However, some downsides of focusing solely on applications-based academia is that your country will often lose out on more innovative and creative research opportunities. Real-life applications is something that stems from theory, however, if the theory portion is minimised, then researchers have to resort to using existing papers to support them. As a result, the researchers will be less likely to have their own breakthrough.
Theoretical scientific research places more emphasis on the ideating and exploration aspect of academia. There often needs to be a lot of abstract reasoning and research before an individual finds something that could be applicable to real life. Therefore, the benefits are not immediately visible. Basic research yields results in the long-term as it sets the foundation for future researchers. One key example would be the field of pharmaceuticals, where one cannot simply skip to the making the medicines directly. Understanding chemical structures, analysing reactions between substances, and studying the human body are just some of the numerous steps before a pharmacist can even begin formulating a medicine. The real-life application, the medicine itself, needs to be preceded by great amounts of theoretical scientific research. Hence, basic research is also crucial. Yet, governments may be less keen on this because of its long return on investment.
Ultimately, any country’s government needs to understand its goals and priorities. These objectives will differ based on the country’s gross domestic product, the state of education, urban development and more. Accordingly, they can fund the type of research that their budget allows and that suits their purpose.