Should Universities Get Grants from Pentagon Funds for Research?

Universities receiving Pentagon research funds can divert focus from their core mission of education, as such grants though tiny compared to industry contracts ($852 million to universities vs. $116.7 billion to industry in 1982) often prioritize research over teaching, benefit professors financially, and may reward politically connected alumni rather than serve practical scientific advancement; while industrial research drives most technological progress, universities’ involvement in defense contracts is minor, and education would often be better served if such funds were directed elsewhere. #PentagonFunding #UniversityResearch #EducationVsResearch #HigherEdPriorities #DefenseContracts