Funders Guide Have Always Guided Scientific Discovery

(UND archival photo via UND Today)

(By Ryan Summers) – Scientists have always needed someone to help foot the bill for their work.

In the 19th century, for example, Charles Darwin made an expensive voyage to the southernmost tip of the Americas, visiting many other places en route, including his famous trek through the Galapagos Islands. The fossil evidence Darwin collected over his five-year journey eventually helped him to think about an infinite variety of species, both past and present.

The HMS Beagle and its crew traversed these places while testing clocks and drawing maps for the Royal Navy, and the voyage was funded by the British government. Darwin’s position as a naturalist aboard the ship was unpaid, but, fortunately, his family’s private assets were enough to cover his living expenses while he focused on his scientific work.

Today, government and private funding both remain important for scientific discoveries and translating knowledge into practical applications.