(1) The Legislative Assembly finds and declares that basic research is fundamental to the continuation and expansion of applied research and is thus a necessary ingredient in economic growth. The Legislative Assembly further finds that basic research is itself an important activity which should be promoted.

(2) It is the policy of this state that basic research is an appropriate and necessary activity of our public universities. Further, the State of Oregon has an obligation with other states and the federal government to encourage and finance basic research if the state and nation are to be active participants in a future which will require ever increasing levels of knowledge and understanding.

(3) The Legislative Assembly acknowledges that a characteristic of basic research is that no defined result can be guaranteed and asserts that only through scholarly investigation can knowledge be advanced to be later developed and applied.

(4) The Legislative Assembly believes that moneys for basic research should be regularly appropriated and that such moneys should be used for support of qualified investigators and funding of research projects. [Formerly 351.870]

[2009 c.839 § 1; 2011 c.637 § 246; 2013 c.460 § 1; 2014 c.28 § 1; 2015 c.210 § 1; renumbered 350.290 in 2015]