Money for postgraduate research is limited | Band 9 IELTS essay sample

Money for postgraduate research is limited. Some people, therefore, think that financial support from government should be only provided for scientific research rather than research for less useful subjects. To what extent do you agree or disagree with the opinion?

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Band 9 IELTS essay sample

The government cannot fund all research projects because its budget is limited; therefore, some people insist that only research pertaining to the field of science and technology should receive government funding. While I do admit that scientific research should receive maximum funding, I totally disagree with the argument that the government should stop funding research in less ‘useful’ fields like arts or history.

Scientific research certainly provides tremendous value because scientific innovations have the power to change our lives for good. Take, for instance, the invention of the antibiotic. This wonder drug saved the lives of millions of people and continues to be a major lifesaver even today. The computer is also the result of scientific research. This invention changed the way we work and store information. Today, it is impossible to imagine a world without computers. Other inventions like electricity, motor vehicles and home appliances have also revolutionized our lives.

However, just because scientific research provides more value it does not mean that research in other ‘less useful’ fields should be discouraged. Of course, archeological research or research into the origin of languages is unlikely to have a massive impact on our day-to-day life. Yet, this information is crucial for understanding how we reached where we are today. The truth is that there are still a lot of things we can learn from previous generations. These kinds of research may even lead us to a common ancestor and that might put an end to the hostility prevailing between many nations. Historical research also teaches us about mistakes we must not repeat. The World Wars and the Genocide are two examples. Research on these horrific incidents keeps reminding us about the extent of damage they caused. If future generations do not learn about them, they might be tempted to commit the same mistakes again.

To conclude, not only scientific research but research in other fields also provides great value. Therefore, the argument that only scientific research should receive government funding does not hold water.