White House Eyes Cutting University Research Funding

U.S. science leaders are pushing back against a White House plan to move research funding away from universities and toward private industry. They warn the shift could cause a drought in basic research — the early-stage science that often leads to major breakthroughs. Basic research is the study of fundamental questions, without a specific product or profit in mind. Universities have long been its main home. Science leaders say private companies tend to fund applied research, which targets near-term commercial products. Without universities, they argue, the pipeline of new discoveries could run dry. The White House has not announced final details of the plan.