ABSTRACT
The view from the research laboratory is bleak. The prospect of a steady-state university is fraught with dangers, not the least of which is the loss of vitality of the basic research process. According to National Science Foundation figures released recently, the real dollar support figure for basic research actually declined over the past year. Combined with ever increasing government regulation, a dismal prospect for the 1980's emerges. It is difficult to see how the situation can be improved. Increased research support from university sources does not appear to be a viable alternative in the face of increasing fiscal constraints for both private and public institutions. A feasibility study of institutional research and development programs for universities has been undertaken by the Office of Management and Budget. The support for research in the US in real dollars is barely adequate. The decline of funding for basic research is set in an atmosphere of public mistrust and suspicion.
