Good Science Isn't Free

There was a great article in yesterday’s New York Times about the post oil spill scientific studies being done in the Gulf Coast.  Significant discoveries have been made.  Unfortunately the money for independent research is running out.  According to the Times,

The only federal agency to distribute any significant grant money for oil spill research, the National Science Foundation, is out of money until the next fiscal year begins Oct. 1. The Environmental Protection Agency, which has only $2 million to give out, is still gearing up its program. A $500 million initiative for independent research promised by BP, which was to be awarded by an international panel of scientists, has become mired in a political fight over control.

The research that is now being funded is either being done to determine BP’s liability or to support BP’s defense.  According to some scientist, because the money is scarce, the basic knowledge about the spill is being lost.  Long term investigation of the spills impact will also suffer.

My take away from this article is that if we want independent analysis of the gulf spill’s impact then we must fund the research not just assume that scientists have the personal financial resources to complete research projects.