Urban Air Quality — Recent Advances: Proceedings of the Third International Conference on Urban Air Quality — Measurement, Modeling and Management Loutraki, Greece, 19–23 March 2001

Funding Science: An Immense Challenge The real challenge in science should be hypothesis formation, experimental design and conducting the actual research under rigorous control and experimental condi­ of tions with the best available equipment/infrastructure. However, in many parts the world, the real challenge in science is trying to obtain some minimal amount of funding to initiate research. Every country in the world is challenged with an im­ mense number of interconnected environmental and health problems. Examples in­ clude biologically and chemically contaminated water and soil, air pollution, waste and sewage treatment, a multitude of infectious diseases in humans, animals and plants, global change, population growth, alternate energy sources, deforestation, floods, crop production and so on. Solutions to these national and international problems require training and re­ search to ensure the best available people and knowledge are available to man­ age and/or solve these problems. This can only be accomplished if the research community has the funding to conduct priority research and apply the knowledge globally. The challenge in science should be discovering the unknown and col­ laborative research/training of new scientists. Too often the challenge is how to conduct research without proper support. Many scientists are likely of the opinion that it is not their jobs/careers that is stressful, but the inability to do their research properly, that is stressful. Good research in a knowledge based economy requires proper funding.