ABSTRACT
A definitional analysis of innovation is essential for getting the intended full benefit. The principles associated with innovation can be applied to organizations, individuals, and product development. All indicators point to general support for government funding of essential research. America's affluence grew in part from the capability to profit economically on groundbreaking developments from science and engineering research. The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an autonomous federal agency created by the NSF Act of 1950, as amended. Although there is strong evidence that the public supports the government's investment in basic research, few Americans are able to name the agencies that provide most of the federal funds for the type of research. Innovation applications are commonly applied to a product, a process, or a service. Although innovation and entrepreneurship are related, many caution against focusing too much on entrepreneurship in the initial stages of the creative aspect of innovation.
