Republicans say the same thing about basic research being "underfunded, " so Congress, at this stage in history, is not an entity capable of fundamentally saying no to the new spending to be proposed.

FORBES: Magazine Article

Although Full did not set out to become a robotics expert, his basic research discoveries about how creatures--from cockroaches to people--move has become a cornerstone of much work.

FORBES: Magazine Article

In short, even prior to the 5 percent budget cut brought about last week by sequestration, our basic research enterprise has been in crisis.

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According to Jules Schaeffer, Merck's executive director of basic research, he remembers talk among Merck executives about doing work on Alzheimer's nine years ago.

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With public concerns about national security fading, global economic competition is being pressed into service as an alternative justification for basic research.

ECONOMIST: The knowledge factory

We now rely on government to fund our basic research enterprise, largely through universities, yet the latest figures show that federal support for research is about half that of 1985 in constant dollar terms.

ECONOMIST: A new blueprint needed

Research in massage therapy, for example, is in its infancy, and little is known about the basic physiological effects of various techniques on tissues such as capillary beds, connective tissue, chemical markers, etc, so basic science research is critical in advancing our understanding of the various physiological effects of massage therapy.

FORBES: Massaging Rabbits And 17 Other Questionable Taxpayer Funded Scientific Studies