Brief Introduction: The Pacemaker of Progress
As the country emerged from World War II, the director of the U.S. Office of Scientific Research and Development, Vannevar Bush, identified scientific research as an “essential key to our security as a nation, to our better health, to more jobs, to a higher standard of living, and to our cultural progress.”
Bush’s landmark 1945 report, “Science, the Endless Frontier,” sparked decades of innovation and growth by successfully advocating for the federal government to provide funding to American universities for the purpose of conducting basic research, which he called “the pacemaker* of technological progress.”
“A nation which depends on others for its new basic scientific knowledge will be slow in its industrial progress and weak in its competitive position in world trade, regardless of its mechanical skill.”
-Vannevar Bush in “Science, the Endless Frontier”
Today, the nation’s research enterprise is facing unprecedented, and possibly long-lasting, interruption. Through targeted attacks on research at high-performing institutions, including Cornell, as well as significant across-the-board funding reductions, the entire country’s ability to make progress in human health, national security, technology, and many other areas is now at risk.
Inside Look: Cornell Engineering Research
Come explore Cornell Engineering labs, meet the faculty and students who do research, learn how the system works, and find out what’s at stake when research is threatened. We’ve gathered some videos to make it easy. Start watching by selecting the topic that most interests you.
The Current Crisis: Research at Risk
Like many of the country’s top universities, Cornell has recently experienced the unexplained stoppage or termination of numerous federal research grants. These were projects the government previously committed to supporting in order to improve the security, economy, and health of Americans.
Here are representative examples of affected research projects at Cornell Engineering.
How Does Federal Research Funding Work?
Through federally funded research, universities act as contractors for the American people, tackling complex problems with an aim toward increasing knowledge and finding solutions. There are few alternatives for such funding. There is no commercial incentive for private industry to invest in basic research. College and university endowments are typically made up of funds given for specific purposes with strict usage rules, and they cannot be easily redirected.
In under six minutes, this animation — created by a consortium of higher education organizations — lays out key aspects of the process the federal government has used to successfully fund university research that makes a difference. As the video explains, while “complex and not always easy to understand, it is efficient and based on actual research costs.”
How Does Research Enhance the Student Experience?
Cornell undergraduates engage with and learn from leading researchers, and more than 50% of Cornell Engineering students actually do research as undergraduates. In this video, you’ll meet a small sample of our undergraduate researchers, who are developing valuable skills and actively expanding the frontiers of knowledge.
Cornell Engineering: Making a Difference
“Without scientific progress no amount of achievement in other directions can insure our health, prosperity, and security as a nation in the modern world,” Vannevar Bush observed.
Cornell Engineering is committed to developing the knowledge, capabilities, and people needed to forge a better future. Our research, fueled by unique collaborations and deep understanding of critical fields, advances the systems and technologies that affect all of our lives.
Here are a few examples.
See more examples of how Cornell Engineering research is changing lives and improving society.
Deeper Dives: Cornell Engineers in Their Own Words
If you have a bit more time on your hands, go deeper with these Cornell Engineering researchers as they share how their work builds on past breakthroughs, can be applied to a range of pressing societal problems, and pushes the boundaries of knowledge.
Watch more Cornell Engineering researchers explain how their work makes a difference and share how the research ecosystem at Cornell drives new discoveries.
Stay Informed
Take Action
Share this page and these stories on the social media platform of your choice.
You can follow Cornell Engineering on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, X, TikTok, and YouTube.
*Fun fact: The first practical implantable cardiac pacemaker was invented by Cornell Engineering alumnus Wilson Greatbatch ’50.