--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We benefited from an enlightened post-war…" description: "\"We benefited from an enlightened post-war period in the United States: Our National Institutes of Health have enthusiastically and generously supported..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa2/michael-rosbash-30056_health_we-benefited-from-an-enlightened-post-wa_1795178.jpg" --- # We benefited from an enlightened post-war period in the… ![“We benefited from an enlightened post-war period in the United States: Our National Institutes of Health have enthusiastically and generously supported basic research.” quote by Michael Rosbash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa2/michael-rosbash-30056_health_we-benefited-from-an-enlightened-post-wa_1795178.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa2/michael-rosbash-30056_health_we-benefited-from-an-enlightened-post-wa_1795178.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa2/michael-rosbash-30056_health_we-benefited-from-an-enlightened-post-wa_1795178.jpg) > “We benefited from an enlightened post-war period in the United States: Our National Institutes of Health have enthusiastically and generously supported basic research.” [Michael Rosbash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-rosbash/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The statement praises the post‑war era’s generous support for basic research by the NIH. **In simple terms:** NIH funded basic science generously after WWII. Key Takeaway Support basic research for long‑term innovation. Themes science policy history Mood optimistic reflective Type informative appreciative When to use this quote - grant writing - academic careers - policy advocacy - science education Key Concepts funding public health research infrastructure Questions to Reflect On - How can researchers diversify funding sources? - What role does public support play in scientific progress? A Different Perspective Funding can be subject to political shifts. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Basic research](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/basic-research/) [Benefited](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/benefited-402094/) [Benefited Enlightened](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/benefited-enlightened-1981751/) [Health](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/health/) [Health Enthusiastically](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/health-enthusiastically-1981752/) [National](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/national/) [Our](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/our/) [Period](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/period/) [Post war](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/post-war/) [Research](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/research/) ## Related quotes > [It was basic research in the photoelectric field-in the photoelectric effect that would one day lead to solar panels. It was basic research in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/it-was-basic-research-in-the-photoelectric-field-in-the-photoelectric/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Exploration, of course, is going to new places, but I don't think we go to new places just solely to say: "Well, we've been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-glenn/exploration-of-course-is-going-to-new-places-but-i-don-t-think-we-go/) [John Glenn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-glenn/) > [In basic research, intellectual rigor and sentimental freedom necessarily alternate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-vasarely/in-basic-research-intellectual-rigor-and-sentimental-freedom/) [Victor Vasarely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-vasarely/) > [Basic research is not the same as development. A crash programme for the latter may be successful; but for the former it is like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-doll/basic-research-is-not-the-same-as-development-a-crash-programme-for/) [Richard Doll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-doll/) > [If you don't invest in basic research at some stage you start losing the basis of applied research.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rolf-dieter-heuer/if-you-don-t-invest-in-basic-research-at-some-stage-you-start-losing/) [Rolf-Dieter Heuer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rolf-dieter-heuer/) > [Basic research is like shooting an arrow in the air and, where it lands, painting a target.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/homer-burton-adkins/basic-research-is-like-shooting-an-arrow-in-the-air-and-where-it/) [Homer Burton Adkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/homer-burton-adkins/) > [This is an appropriate role for the federal government - to invest in basic research.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-young/this-is-an-appropriate-role-for-the-federal-government-to-invest-in/) [Todd Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-young/) > [I like to get paid for doing basic research, so it's pleasant to write some nonfiction about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-sterling/i-like-to-get-paid-for-doing-basic-research-so-it-s-pleasant-to-write/) [Bruce Sterling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-sterling/) > [The companies that can afford to do basic research (and can't afford not to) are ones that dominate their markets. ... It's cheap insurance,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-x-cringely/the-companies-that-can-afford-to-do-basic-research-and-can-t-afford/) [Robert X. Cringely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-x-cringely/) > [Basic research is very useful, but it should be more geared toward application than it was before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luc-montagnier/basic-research-is-very-useful-but-it-should-be-more-geared-toward/) [Luc Montagnier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luc-montagnier/) > [It's basic research: shoot an arrow in the air. Where it lands, paint a bullseye.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-streb/it-s-basic-research-shoot-an-arrow-in-the-air-where-it-lands-paint-a/) [Elizabeth Streb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-streb/) > [When it comes to the budget, we know that we shouldn't be cutting more on core investments, like education, that are going to help…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/when-it-comes-to-the-budget-we-know-that-we-shouldn-t-be-cutting-more/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Why do we do basic research? To learn about ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-gilbert/why-do-we-do-basic-research-to-learn-about-ourselves/) [Walter Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-gilbert/) > [Government support is not only investing in upstream areas like basic research, but also in downstream areas like applied research and early-stage financing for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariana-mazzucato/government-support-is-not-only-investing-in-upstream-areas-like-basic/) [Mariana Mazzucato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariana-mazzucato/) > [It is when physicians are bogged down by their incomplete technologies, by the innumerable things they are obliged to do in medicine when they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-thomas/it-is-when-physicians-are-bogged-down-by-their-incomplete/) [Lewis Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-thomas/) ## More by Michael Rosbash > [It's been overlooked for a long time as a real public health problem. All of western society is a little bit sleep-deprived, and when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-rosbash/it-s-been-overlooked-for-a-long-time-as-a-real-public-health-problem/) [Michael Rosbash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-rosbash/) > [I don't drink alcohol too late in the evening; I read a good book.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-rosbash/i-don-t-drink-alcohol-too-late-in-the-evening-i-read-a-good-book/) [Michael Rosbash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-rosbash/) > [I am grateful to my colleagues at Brandeis and to the unusual environment here that allows researchers to explore without boundaries while also engaging…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-rosbash/i-am-grateful-to-my-colleagues-at-brandeis-and-to-the-unusual/) [Michael Rosbash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-rosbash/) > [I was a difficult kid and a somewhat indifferent student but realized somehow that a new start at a good place, and far from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-rosbash/i-was-a-difficult-kid-and-a-somewhat-indifferent-student-but-realized/) [Michael Rosbash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-rosbash/) > [Most important for the circadian field was the pioneering work of Ron Konopka in Seymour's lab.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-rosbash/most-important-for-the-circadian-field-was-the-pioneering-work-of-ron/) [Michael Rosbash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-rosbash/) > [I try not to take sleep medication.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-rosbash/i-try-not-to-take-sleep-medication/) [Michael Rosbash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-rosbash/) > [Scientific careers rely on inheritance, environment, and random events, like all biological phenomena.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-rosbash/scientific-careers-rely-on-inheritance-environment-and-random-events/) [Michael Rosbash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-rosbash/) > [You've got to go for what you love and not look back 30 years, 40 years later and say, 'I never tried.' You got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-rosbash/you-ve-got-to-go-for-what-you-love-and-not-look-back-30-years-40/) [Michael Rosbash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-rosbash/) > [The same biological clock ticks away in humans and fruit flies, which underscores the importance of circadian timing to life on this planet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-rosbash/the-same-biological-clock-ticks-away-in-humans-and-fruit-flies-which/) [Michael Rosbash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-rosbash/) > [Immigrants and foreigners have always been an indispensable part of our country, including its great record in scientific research.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-rosbash/immigrants-and-foreigners-have-always-been-an-indispensable-part-of/) [Michael Rosbash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-rosbash/) > [It was always intriguing that flies had two peaks of activity, in the morning and evening, with a siesta during the day and not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-rosbash/it-was-always-intriguing-that-flies-had-two-peaks-of-activity-in-the/) [Michael Rosbash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-rosbash/) > [I stand on the shoulders of giants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-rosbash/i-stand-on-the-shoulders-of-giants/) [Michael Rosbash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-rosbash/) > [This is the western world; if somebody can make a buck, they're going to try to do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-rosbash/this-is-the-western-world-if-somebody-can-make-a-buck-they-re-going/) [Michael Rosbash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-rosbash/) > [Shift work, where the body clock is continuously changed, is really deleterious on many levels - from psychology to physiology.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-rosbash/shift-work-where-the-body-clock-is-continuously-changed-is-really/) [Michael Rosbash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-rosbash/) > [The circadian neurons are one of the few circuits in neurobiology where we have a chance to understand at multiple levels how different sets…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-rosbash/the-circadian-neurons-are-one-of-the-few-circuits-in-neurobiology/) [Michael Rosbash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-rosbash/) [Explore all 17 Michael Rosbash quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-rosbash/) ## More Basic research quotes > [It was basic research in the photoelectric field-in the photoelectric effect that would one day lead to solar panels. It was basic research in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/it-was-basic-research-in-the-photoelectric-field-in-the-photoelectric/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Government support is not only investing in upstream areas like basic research, but also in downstream areas like applied research and early-stage financing for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariana-mazzucato/government-support-is-not-only-investing-in-upstream-areas-like-basic/) [Mariana Mazzucato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariana-mazzucato/) > [Why do we do basic research? To learn about ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-gilbert/why-do-we-do-basic-research-to-learn-about-ourselves/) [Walter Gilbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-gilbert/) > [When it comes to the budget, we know that we shouldn't be cutting more on core investments, like education, that are going to help…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/when-it-comes-to-the-budget-we-know-that-we-shouldn-t-be-cutting-more/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [It's basic research: shoot an arrow in the air. Where it lands, paint a bullseye.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-streb/it-s-basic-research-shoot-an-arrow-in-the-air-where-it-lands-paint-a/) [Elizabeth Streb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-streb/) > [Basic research is very useful, but it should be more geared toward application than it was before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luc-montagnier/basic-research-is-very-useful-but-it-should-be-more-geared-toward/) [Luc Montagnier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luc-montagnier/) > [The companies that can afford to do basic research (and can't afford not to) are ones that dominate their markets. ... It's cheap insurance,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-x-cringely/the-companies-that-can-afford-to-do-basic-research-and-can-t-afford/) [Robert X. Cringely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-x-cringely/) > [I like to get paid for doing basic research, so it's pleasant to write some nonfiction about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-sterling/i-like-to-get-paid-for-doing-basic-research-so-it-s-pleasant-to-write/) [Bruce Sterling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-sterling/) > [This is an appropriate role for the federal government - to invest in basic research.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-young/this-is-an-appropriate-role-for-the-federal-government-to-invest-in/) [Todd Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-young/) > [Basic research is like shooting an arrow in the air and, where it lands, painting a target.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/homer-burton-adkins/basic-research-is-like-shooting-an-arrow-in-the-air-and-where-it/) [Homer Burton Adkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/homer-burton-adkins/) > [If you don't invest in basic research at some stage you start losing the basis of applied research.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rolf-dieter-heuer/if-you-don-t-invest-in-basic-research-at-some-stage-you-start-losing/) [Rolf-Dieter Heuer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rolf-dieter-heuer/) > [Basic research is not the same as development. A crash programme for the latter may be successful; but for the former it is like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-doll/basic-research-is-not-the-same-as-development-a-crash-programme-for/) [Richard Doll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-doll/) > [In basic research, intellectual rigor and sentimental freedom necessarily alternate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-vasarely/in-basic-research-intellectual-rigor-and-sentimental-freedom/) [Victor Vasarely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-vasarely/) > [Exploration, of course, is going to new places, but I don't think we go to new places just solely to say: "Well, we've been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-glenn/exploration-of-course-is-going-to-new-places-but-i-don-t-think-we-go/) [John Glenn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-glenn/) > [It is when physicians are bogged down by their incomplete technologies, by the innumerable things they are obliged to do in medicine when they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-thomas/it-is-when-physicians-are-bogged-down-by-their-incomplete/) [Lewis Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-thomas/) [Browse all 35 Basic research quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/basic-research/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We benefited from an enlightened post-war period in the United States: Our National Institutes of Health have enthusiastically and generously supported basic research.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Michael Rosbash" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-rosbash/we-benefited-from-an-enlightened-post-war-period-in-the-united-states/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Basic research" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-rosbash/we-benefited-from-an-enlightened-post-war-period-in-the-united-states/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa2/michael-rosbash-30056_health_we-benefited-from-an-enlightened-post-wa_1795178.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa2/michael-rosbash-30056_health_we-benefited-from-an-enlightened-post-wa_1795178.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/aa2/michael-rosbash-30056_health_we-benefited-from-an-enlightened-post-wa_1795178.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We benefited from an enlightened post-war period in the United States: Our National Institutes of Health…” — Michael Rosbash", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Michael Rosbash", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-rosbash/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "We benefited from an enlightened post-war...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-rosbash/we-benefited-from-an-enlightened-post-war-period-in-the-united-states/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-rosbash/we-benefited-from-an-enlightened-post-war-period-in-the-united-states/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```