Challenges of Policy Making in the Realm of Basic Research

In this paper, basic science regarded as the output of basic research has been the subject of investigation. Basic research, i.e. research undertaken with the aim of developing a fundamental understanding of the phonamonon under investigation, has properties that make policy decisions about it challenging. The most important of these properties, all of which could have exceptions, are: conceptual ambiguity, uncertainty and high risk, impossibility of a comprehensive prediction of practical ends and precise quantitative assessment of the benefits gained, the mediums and time lags for realization of the practical ends, difficulties in approapriation of the findings and importance in the national innovation system. In this paper, the main themes in the scientific and policy literature on basic research, including the definition and characteristics, theoretical foundations, and some policy aspects, with an emphasis on a sciece policy perspective is reviewed and based on that, some lines for future research is proposed. The literature reviewed yields the following key 1) there is a consensus on the importance of basic research in development and the necessity that governments support it; the debate is on the limits; total elimination of basic research and using the findings of others is a rejected hypotheis; 2) there are sever criticisms about the governmental pressures on the scientific institution to represent the benefits gained from basic research; however, the absolute freedom of the scientific institution is not accepted as well; 3) the benefits from basic research are diverse and complete assessment of them is not possible.