The National University System was established in 2001 to meet the emerging challenges and demands of education in the 21st century. The System is uniquely aligned to connect a diverse population of students to a network of innovative educational programs that are relevant to their lives, careers, and the marketplace and are delivered in a format that respects competing life priorities.
The Trump administration’s initial proposals for the fiscal 2018 budget appear to propose sweeping cuts in research grants in numerous agencies and programs. (Getty Images)
Kelly Cunningham, National University System
NO: Philanthropy alone is not likely enough, but profit motive could be. Government may be good at certain things advancing technology — peer-reviewed funding of basic research, pre-commercial development -- but rarely leads technological innovation and is not good at choosing which commercial products are promising or deserving of funding. Government recreates at best, and at worst misallocates, private financial behavior. Federal subsidies largely benefit upper-income, well-connected people at the expense of those with more modest levels of income.