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\ scientific research requires substantial funding, especially when it
involves the use of expensive equipment. this funding often comes directly
from governments. in the u.s., for example, it is the federal government
that sponsors most national defense and space exploration projects.
funding for science can also come from science foundations. in
1950, the u.s. congress passed an act that established the national science
foundation¹. this independent federal agency develops a national science
policy and supports scientific research and education. two other well-
known foundations that are involved in disease research are the american
cancer society² and the national heart association.
research is also conducted and supported by private-sector
industries that employ scientists — especially from the applied sciences —
who work at the development of industrial or commercial processes and
products. scientific research is also supported by universities through
professorships. most professors do not just give classes but also conduct
scientific research. indeed, what many professors are looking for is the
opportunity to work at a university where they can continue their own
research. these are the professors whose students have the chance to
observe real research at firsthand. most universities specialize in certain
fields and they are frequently judged on the achievements of their research
professors. scientists whose research findings are published and talked
about in scientific circles bring prestige to the institution where they work.
laypeople often think of r& d (research and development) scientists
as solitary figures working in a laboratory on some abstract problem.
though this may be true for a handful of scientists working on basic
research, the vast majority work on r& d projects in teams. these project
teams include not only scientists from various disciplines but also
representatives from diverse functional groups within a company, for
example, marketing, manufacturing, and human resources.
formerly, r& d projects were passed from one group of specialists
to another in serial fashion. the term “throwing it over the wall” was often
used to describe this way of working, in which each stage of the process
was isolated from the others. research evidence showed that this method
was neither efficient nor cost-effective because it was very time-
consuming.
companies now bring together representatives from each stage of the
process and, in this way, they try to achieve more cross-functional
communication and participation. the goal is to coordinate processes better
and to identify and avoid problems that otherwise might only be covered
later. in order to work effectively in cross-functional project teams,
scientists must have up-to-date knowledge of their technical fields and also
skills in communication, problem-solving, and group decision-making —
all necessary for successful teamwork. as a result, universities are now
giving more importance to the development of these skills, and companies
are looking for ways to foster these attributes in training programs for their
employees.