Funding of societally relevant breakthroughs in biology

Abstract

Most biological research is supported by public institutions such as research councils, which are funded by taxpayers. This begs the question whether such publicly funded research should con- tribute to society and how such contributions can be stimulated. To provide insight into this issue, I studied how societally beneficial scientific breakthroughs have occurred. I traced the origins of several scientific breakthroughs and categorized the steps of their scientific backstory. I conclude with an analysis of the different developmental routes I identified and make recommendations for future research funding policies.