Rupert Sheldrake

  • About
  • Books
  • Essays
  • Research
  • Take Part
  • Reactions
  • Video
  • Audio
  • Deutsch
  • Español
  • Events
  • Courses
  • Search
  • Facebook Twitter Instagram Youtube Researchgate Contact
  • About
    • Biography
    • Curriculum Vitae
    • Scientific and Technical Publications
    • Interviews
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • The Perrott-Warrick Project
    • Rupert's Links
    • Newsletter Signup
  • Books
    • Ways to Go Beyond
    • Science and Spiritual Practices
    • The Science Delusion / Science Set Free
    • A New Science of Life / Morphic Resonance
    • The Presence of the Past
    • The Rebirth of Nature
    • The Sense of Being Stared At
    • Dogs That Know When Their Owners Are Coming Home
    • Arguing Science
    • Seven Experiments That Could Change the World
    • Chaos, Creativity and Cosmic Consciousness
    • The Evolutionary Mind
    • Natural Grace
    • The Physics of Angels
    • Sheldrake and His Critics
    • Boy's Best Friend
    • Books in Other Languages
    • All Books
    featured book image
  • Essays
  • Research
    •  
    • Morphic Resonance
    • Consciousness Studies
    • Telepathy
    • Animal Powers
    • Linking Minds Through Attention
    • Experimenter Effects
    •  
    • The Sense of Being Stared At
    • Plant and Cell Biology
    • Form from Sound *NEW*
    • —
    • Related Research by Others
    • All Scientific Papers
    • Glossary
  • Take Part

    Take Part

    Experiments for Citizen Scientists

    Grab a friend or two and have fun with these simple experiments. No experience necessary. Perfect for student projects, classrooms, friends and families. Your participation is greatly appreciated!

    • All Experiments
    • —
    • Joint Attention Test
    • Staring Detection Test
    • UK Research Internships
    • Submit Your Observations
  • Reactions
    •  
    •  
    • TED "Bans" the Science Delusion
    • Wikipedia Hijacked by Dogmatists
    • Morphic Resonance, Heretical or Visionary?
    • Magicians Attack Research on Dogs
    • All Reactions
    • —
    • Trouble With Telepathy
    • Debates
    • Commentary on Rupert and His Work
    • About the Skeptics
  • Video
    Latest Featured Video
    After Skool
    • Video Topics
    • —
    • Special Features
    • Morphic Resonance
    • Telepathy
    • Experiments
    • Trialogues
    • Sheldrake Talks With...
    •  
    •  
    • Ways to Go Beyond and Why They Work
    • Science and Spiritual Practices
    • The Science Delusion
    • Debates with Skeptics
    • FAQ
  • Audio
    Podcasts
    Navigating Consciousness Podcast The Sheldrake-Vernon Dialogues
    • All Audios
    • —
    • Talks by Rupert
    • The Trialogues
    • Debates with Skeptics
    • Philosophy for our times
    • Animals
    •  
    • Ralph Abraham
    • David Abram
    • Marc Andrus
    • Razi Berry
    •  
    • Charles Eisenstein
    • Matthew Fox
    • Bruce Lipton
    • Terence McKenna
    • Dean Radin
    • Douglas Rushkoff
    • Rupert Spira
    • Amie Thomasson
    • Alex Tsakiris - Skeptiko
    • Mark Vernon
    • Andrew Weil
  • Deutsch
    • Bücher
    • —
    • Die Wiederentdeckung der Spiritualität
    • Der Wissenschaftswahn
    • Das Gedächtnis der Natur
    • Das schöpferische Universum
    • Der siebte Sinn der Tiere
    • Der siebte Sinn des Menschen
    • Engel - die kosmische Intelligenz
    • Denken am Rande des Undenkbaren
    • Die Seele ist ein Feld
    • Sieben Experimente, die die Welt verändern könnten
    • Rupert Sheldrake in der Diskussion
    • Aufsätze von und über Rupert Sheldrake
    • —
    • Morphische Felder
    • Wirklich populäre Wissenschaft
    • Richard Dawkins zu Besuch
    • Hört auf die Tiere
    • Bringt den Schülern bei, in der Ichform zu schreiben
    • Theodor Itten: Das ferne Gefühl
    • Astrologie, Familienstellen und das Morphogenetische Feld
    • Über
    • —
    • Biografie
    • Häufige Fragen (FAQ)
    • Glossar der Fachausdrücke
    • Nützliche Verweise
  • Español
    • Introducción
    • Biografía de Rupert Sheldrake
    • Resonancia mórfica - una introducción
    • Libros
  • Português
Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube ResearchGate Contact
  • Events
  • Course
  • Search
  1. Home
  2. Essays
  3. Public Engagement in Science Funding

Public Engagement in Science Funding - Letter to Nature

Photo Sérgio Valle Duarte

Nature, 18 November 2004

Sir - Your editorial "Going Public" (Nature 431, 883; 2004) makes a persuasive case for upstream public engagement in science funding. No doubt setting up committees of non-scientists to advise the existing funding bodies is a step in the right direction. But there is also a more radical possibility, namely to set aside a small proportion of the public science budget, say 1%, for research proposed by lay people.

What questions would be of public interest? Why not ask? Organizations such as charities, schools, local authorities, trades unions, environmental groups and gardening associations could be invited to make suggestions. Within each organization, the very possibility of proposing research would probably trigger off far-ranging discussions, and would lead to a sense of involvement in many sections of the population.

To avoid the 1% fund being taken over by the science establishment, it would need to be administered by a board largely composed of non-scientists, as in many research charities. Funding would be restricted to areas not already covered by the other 99% of the public science budget.

This system could be treated as an experiment, and tried out for, say, five years. If it had no useful effects, it could be discontinued. If it led to productive research, greater public trust in science and increased interest among students, the percentage allocated to this fund could be increased.

Essays

  • Fields of Being: On Morphic Resonance
  • Prayer: A Challenge for Science
  • The Hill Effect as a Test for Morphic Resonance
  • Sacred Song, and Where to Find it
  • The Replicability Crisis in Science
  • Epigenetics and Soviet Biology
  • Family Orchards
  • Wikipedia Under Threat
  • Setting Science Free from Materialism
  • Thinking of Someone and Then Meeting Unexpectedly
  • The Active Voice
  • Rat Learning and Morphic Resonance
  • How the Universal Gravitational Constant Varies
  • The New Scientific Revolution
  • Liberating Science from Pervading Materialism
  • The Crop Circle Making Competition
  • Answers to the Edge Annual Question
  • Public Engagement in Science Funding
  • The Unbearable Brightness of Being Right
  • Public understanding of science: Rupert Sheldrake's letter about Richard Dawkins' chair
  • Set Them Free - New Scientist

Newsletter

Stay updated on the latest developments from Rupert

Return to the top

Scroll to Top
  • About
    • Biography
    • Scientific and Technical Publications
    • CV
    • FAQ
    • Rupert's Links
    • Interviews
  • Books
    • Ways to Go Beyond and Why They Work
    • Science and Spiritual Practices
    • The Science Delusion / Science Set Free
    • A New Science of Life
    • The Presence of the Past
    • The Rebirth of Nature
    • The Sense of Being Stared At
    • Dogs That Know When Their Owners Are Coming Home
    • Seven Experiments That Could Change the World
    • Chaos, Creativity and Cosmic Consciousness
    • The Evolutionary Mind
    • Natural Grace
    • The Physics of Angels
    • Arguing Science
    • Books in Other Languages
  • Essays
    • Essays by Rupert
  • Research
    • All Scientific Papers
    • Morphic Resonance
    • Plant and Cell Biology
    • Animal Powers
    • The N'kisi Project
    • Telepathy
    • Telepathy with the Nolan Sisters
    • Sense of Being Stared At
    • Form from Sound
    • Joint Attention
    • Experimenter Effects
    • Related Research by Others
    • Glossary
  • Take Part
    • Joint Attention Test
    • Staring Detection Test
    • UK Research Internships
    • Submit Your Observations
  • Videos
    • Special Features
    • Morphic Resonance
    • Telepathy
    • Experiments
    • Trialogues
    • Sheldrake Talks With...
    • Science and Spiritual Practices
    • The Science Delusion
    • Debates with Skeptics
    • FAQ Videos
  • Audios
    • Talks by Rupert
    • Debates with Skeptics
    • The Trialogues
    • Mark Vernon
    • Marc Andrus
    • Matthew Fox
    • Andrew Weil
    • Alex Tsakiris
    • Charles Eisenstein
    • Dean Radin
    • Douglas Rushkoff
    • Philosophy for our times podcast
  • Reactions
    • TED "Bans" the Science Delusion
    • Commentaries
    • Morphic Resonance, Heretical or Visionary?
    • Magicians Attack Research on Dogs
    • Wikipedia Hijacked by Dogmatists
    • Trouble With Telepathy
    • Debates
    • About the Skeptics
  • Deutsch
    • Morphische Felder
    • Biografie
    • Bücher
    • Mehr auf Deutsch
  • Español
    • Introducción
    • Biografía de Rupert Sheldrake
    • Resonancia mórfica - una introducción
    • Libros
    • Contact
    • Upcoming Appearances
    • Online Courses
    • Subscribe to Newsletter
    • Search / Sitemap
Facebook Twitter Instagram Youtube Researchgate Contact
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
© Rupert Sheldrake, All rights reserved.