Science

=== Funding and policies ===
[[File:NASA-Budget-Federal.svg|thumb|300x300px|[[Budget of NASA]] as percentage of [[United States federal budget]], peaking at 4.4% in 1966 and slowly declining since|alt=see caption]]
[[Funding of science|Scientific research is often funded]] through a competitive process in which potential research projects are evaluated and only the most promising receive funding. Such processes, which are run by government, corporations, or foundations, allocate scarce funds. Total research funding in most [[developed country|developed countries]] is between 1.5% and 3% of GDP.<ref name="OECD2008">{{cite web |url= http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/49/45/24236156.pdf |title= Main Science and Technology Indicators&nbsp;– 2008-1 |publisher= [[OECD]] |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100215172528/http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/49/45/24236156.pdf |archive-date= February 15, 2010 }}</ref> In the [[OECD]], around two-thirds of [[research and development]] in scientific and technical fields is carried out by industry, and 20% and 10% respectively by universities and government. The government funding proportion in certain fields is higher, and it dominates research in social science and [[humanities]]. In the lesser-developed nations, government provides the bulk of the funds for their basic scientific research.<ref name= oecd>{{Cite book |url=http://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/science-and-technology/oecd-science-technology-and-industry-scoreboard-2015_sti_scoreboard-2015-en |title=OECD Science, Technology and Industry Scoreboard 2015: Innovation for growth and society |publisher=OECD |year=2015 |isbn=978-9264239784 |page=156 |doi=10.1787/sti_scoreboard-2015-en |via=oecd-ilibrary.org |access-date=May 28, 2022 |archive-date=May 25, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220525063455/https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/science-and-technology/oecd-science-technology-and-industry-scoreboard-2015_sti_scoreboard-2015-en |url-status=live }}</ref>

Many governments have dedicated agencies to support scientific research, such as the [[National Science Foundation]] in the United States,<ref name="j2">{{cite journal |last=Kevles |first=Daniel |year=1977 |title=The National Science Foundation and the Debate over Postwar Research Policy, 1942-1945 |journal=Isis |volume=68 |issue=241 |pages=4–26 |doi=10.1086/351711 |pmid=320157 |s2cid=32956693}}</ref> the [[National Scientific and Technical Research Council]] in Argentina,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Argentina, National Scientific and Technological Research Council (CONICET) |url=https://council.science/member/argentina-national-scientific-and-technological-research-council-conicet/ |access-date=May 31, 2022 |website=International Science Council |language=en-US |archive-date=May 16, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220516220311/https://council.science/member/argentina-national-scientific-and-technological-research-council-conicet/ |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation|Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization]] in Australia,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Innis |first=Michelle |date=May 17, 2016 |title=Australia to Lay Off Leading Scientist on Sea Levels |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/18/world/australia/australia-to-lay-off-leading-scientist-on-sea-levels.html |url-status=live |url-access=limited |access-date=May 31, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210507080237/https://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/18/world/australia/australia-to-lay-off-leading-scientist-on-sea-levels.html |archive-date=May 7, 2021 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> [[French National Centre for Scientific Research|National Centre for Scientific Research]] in France,<ref>{{Cite web |date=October 20, 2021 |title=Le CNRS recherche 10.000 passionnés du blob |url=https://www.lefigaro.fr/flash-actu/le-cnrs-recherche-10-000-passionnes-du-blob-20211020 |access-date=May 31, 2022 |website=[[Le Figaro]] |language=fr |archive-date=April 27, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220427225305/https://www.lefigaro.fr/flash-actu/le-cnrs-recherche-10-000-passionnes-du-blob-20211020 |url-status=live }}</ref> the [[Max Planck Society]] in Germany,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Bredow |first=Rafaela von |date=December 18, 2021 |title=How a Prestigious Scientific Organization Came Under Suspicion of Treating Women Unequally |language=en |work=Der Spiegel |url=https://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/how-a-prestigious-scientific-organization-came-under-suspicion-of-treating-women-unequally-a-96da63b5-19af-4fde-b044-445f9cfd6159 |access-date=May 31, 2022 |issn=2195-1349 |archive-date=May 29, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220529004707/https://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/how-a-prestigious-scientific-organization-came-under-suspicion-of-treating-women-unequally-a-96da63b5-19af-4fde-b044-445f9cfd6159 |url-status=live }}</ref> and [[Spanish National Research Council|National Research Council]] in Spain.<ref>{{Cite web |date=May 12, 2022 |title=En espera de una "revolucionaria" noticia sobre Sagitario A*, el agujero negro supermasivo en el corazón de nuestra galaxia |url=https://www.elmundo.es/ciencia-y-salud/ciencia/2022/05/12/627cca26fdddff17068b4590.html |access-date=May 31, 2022 |website=ELMUNDO |language=es |archive-date=May 13, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220513185034/https://www.elmundo.es/ciencia-y-salud/ciencia/2022/05/12/627cca26fdddff17068b4590.html |url-status=live }}</ref> In commercial research and development, all but the most research-oriented corporations focus more heavily on near-term commercialization possibilities rather than research driven by curiosity.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Fletcher |first1=Anthony C. |last2=Bourne |first2=Philip E. |date=September 27, 2012 |title=Ten Simple Rules To Commercialize Scientific Research |journal=PLOS Computational Biology |volume=8 |issue=9 |pages=e1002712 |doi=10.1371/journal.pcbi.1002712 |issn=1553-734X |pmc=3459878 |pmid=23028299|bibcode=2012PLSCB...8E2712F |doi-access=free }}</ref>

[[Science policy]] is concerned with policies that affect the conduct of the scientific enterprise, including [[research funding]], often in pursuance of other national policy goals such as technological innovation to promote commercial product development, weapons development, health care, and environmental monitoring. Science policy sometimes refers to the act of applying scientific knowledge and consensus to the development of public policies. In accordance with public policy being concerned about the well-being of its citizens, science policy's goal is to consider how science and technology can best serve the public.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Marburger |first=John Harmen III|title=Science policy up close |date=February 10, 2015 |others=Crease, Robert P. |isbn=978-0-674-41709-0 |location=Cambridge, Massachusetts |oclc=875999943 |publisher=Harvard University Press}}</ref> Public policy can directly affect the funding of [[capital equipment]] and intellectual infrastructure for industrial research by providing tax incentives to those organizations that fund research.<ref name="bush1945" />