Farmer Op-ed: the art of science and politics

Chair of our biological sciences division in the Franklin College Mark Farmer is a regular contributor to public debates on support for science in the classroom and lab. Yesterday in the pages and pixels of the Athens Banner Herald he weighed in on the creeping politicization of the NSF:

Over the past 60 years, the NSF has paid dividends that far outweigh the relatively modest investment of taxpayer support. Doppler radar, magnetic resonance imaging, fiber optics, highway protective barrels, speech recognition technology, tumor detection and the Internet itself are among those things that had their start or major development supported by the NSF.

The NSF also had a role in the success of more than 200 Nobel laureates, most of them receiving funding in the formative stages of their careers when the most significant discoveries are made. Perhaps the most important contribution the NSF has made in maintaining the U.S. technological advantage is in the training and support of young scientists and engineers.

A large portion of nearly every NSF grant goes to support the salaries of the researchers, graduate students and professional staff involved in the funded project. The economic impact is significant, but more importantly, it is often through federally funded research projects that undergraduates get their first real taste of what it means to be a scientist. Many of these young scholars go on to become the physicians, engineers and researchers on whom our nation will depend in the decades to come.

Be sure to read the whole thing. We appreciate Dr. Farmer's willingness to speak up on these matters of great importance to society.