I've posted a lot on this blog so far about the areas of scientific research in which I've been involved in the past - stem cell biology and cancer research. One thing I haven't talked about, however, is where the money came from to fund that research. Almost all research funding is distributed in the form of grants or awards. A principal investigator (PI) - usually a professor and/or medical doctor - will apply for grant funding which can be used by their lab to purchase supplies and pay student and employee salaries. Undergraduate and graduate students, as well as post-doctoral fellows, can also apply for studentships/fellowships, which cover the cost of their salary over a certain number of months/years. This then frees up additional money in their PI's budget, which can be used to purchase additional supplies, run additional experiments, or hire additional staff. In return for the funding, the PI, student, or fellow is accountable to their funding agency. Usually this accountability takes the form of progress reports, which must be submitted at regular intervals, showing how the funds are being used, and what discoveries have been made using the money. In addition, in every publication that a lab produces (usually in the form of a journal article), there is an acknowledgement section which includes a list of all funding that supported the research being published.
