Scientists Propose ‘Discovery Compact’ to Reinforce U.S. Basic Research Funding

In a perspective piece published on Phys.org, physicist Sergio Carbajo and a team of colleagues argue that the United States needs a new social contract – dubbed the “Discovery Compact” – to restore a stable foundation for basic scientific research that has been eroding in recent years.

The post‑World‑War‑II era created a de‑facto agreement between the federal government, universities and the private sector that channeled substantial, long‑term resources into exploratory science. Agencies such as the National Science Foundation and the Department of Energy built a pipeline that produced everything from the transistor to the human genome, cementing America’s leadership in innovation for decades.

The authors contend that this historic compact is now destabilized by fluctuating budget priorities, heightened partisan debates over research funding, and a growing reliance on short‑term, mission‑oriented projects. Their proposal outlines a set of shared principles: a bipartisan commitment to multi‑year funding streams, a transparent merit‑based evaluation system, and mechanisms for broader public engagement that convey the societal value of discovery‑driven work.

Renewing a durable funding framework matters because basic research remains the engine of long‑range technological progress, economic growth and national security. Without a reliable base, the pipeline that turns laboratory insights into commercial products can dry up, leaving the United States vulnerable to lag behind emerging scientific powers.

Carbajo and co‑authors call on legislators, agency leaders and the research community to convene a dialogue around the Discovery Compact and to explore concrete policy steps, such as legislation that earmarks stable percentages of the federal budget for fundamental science. They suggest that a renewed social contract could re‑establish the confidence needed for universities and labs to pursue high‑risk, high‑reward investigations that have historically reshaped the world.