The issue focused on the study of studies, which show that research programs are underfunded and often over-used.

"It is not simply a question of science being too expensive to do," said researchers in a report from the conference. "We also know that science should be free. Science can't work if funding for scientists is limited or research does not get done. To put it another way, without science we would have no medical technology, no scientific literature, and no understanding of nature and evolution."