Blue-sky research

The electric light did not come from the continuous improvement of candles - Oren Harari

Fundamental research, also basic or blue-sky research, is curiosity driven, explores the unknown and results in knowledge of nature and its laws. Usually, it does not provide immediate practical applications to people’s life. Here, we will answer some questions that we have been frequently asked.

What is the difference between Applied and Fundamental Research?

While Applied Research aims at solving specific problems, which are usually specified by companies or governments, Fundamental Research aims at understanding the world without a clear goal. Importantly, Fundamental Research is the foundation of any Applied Research, and Applied Research often poses new Fundamental Research questions. This close interaction may not always be obvious given that usually several decades lay in between a scientific discovery and its application. Still, Applied and Fundamental Research are interdependent and interconnected. In practice, they are often rather a continuum than two separate disciplines that complement each other.

Who funds Fundamental Research?

In contrast to Applied Research, which is traditionally funded by companies and governments, Fundamental Research is largely funded by governments alone. The funding amount varies between countries and over time. Based on the uncertain future applicability, funding is generally low in comparison to Applied Research and the amount is decreasing in many countries (UNESCO Science Report, 2015). For example, countries of the EU devote usually less than 2% of their Gross domestic product to Fundamental Research. Researchers can apply for such money by submitting a project proposal in which they explain the relevance and potential impact of their project. These proposals will be reviewed by experts who will judge the general interest, practicality and feasibility of every project. Depending on the funding scheme, the success rates vary tremendously. For EU funding, for instance, the average success rate is about 12.6% (Horizon 2020 Facts).

What can we gain from Fundamental Research?

It is impossible to predict the utility of a particular discovery in Fundamental Research and not all findings will have a major impact on us. However, all important discoveries have resulted from undertakings in Fundamental Research. Such findings have dramatically changed our society and philosophy of life. Think about the consequences of learning that we are an animal with a shared evolutionary history with many other animals!

In more detail, Fundamental Research allows us to:

- improve our knowledge and understanding of the physical, social and cultural world,

- challenge established thinking,

- introduce entirely new fields of study,

- make informed political or societal decisions (e.g. see here for Evolutionary Theory),

- raise the level of international exchanges because science is a global undertaking,

- disseminate and train critical thinking,

- develop applications or methods that benefit us or other organisms.

There are many more exciting examples of how Fundamental Research has changed our life, such as the discovery of antibiotics, DNA, mRNA vaccines, X-Ray or the development of the World Wide Web…

Is Fundamental Research worth the money?

It is not an easy task to assess how much countries benefit from investing into Fundamental Research because benefits are so diverse. But estimates of the return rate of Fundamental Research investment range from 30 to 700% of the Gross domestic product, dependent on the discipline (Max Planck Institute, 2009).

Why does Manon care about why the sky is blue?

I am proud to be a Fundamental or Blue-sky researcher. I think it is thrilling to be at human’s knowledge frontier and to produce fundamentally new knowledge that has not been here before. I strongly believe that if we only think in terms of applicability or efficiency, humans stand still. Scientific freedom means thinking about something that has never been thought before. Thereby, scientists generate new knowledge, which I find highly exciting. New knowledge is the foundation of societal development and thus a valuable investment in the future.

For further information, please have a look at these great resources