Private money cannot replace public funding of science | Science

Who should pay for American science? In the current political climate, many are turning to the private sector to compensate for cuts in public funding. At the Harvard School of Public Health, particularly affected by the Trump administration’s budget cuts, a working group was created to foster “strategic public-private partnerships” with pharmaceutical companies to combat major health threats. Some have even argued that private financing is superior, saying it is more flexible, less prone to groupthink, and reduces the “burden” on taxpayers. But can the private sector really replace public financing? History suggests not.