The article “Basic Research Trumps Applied in Value Created” (Bulletin, January 2009) implies that applied research is by definition “commercially-driven.” This implication ignores the extensive applied research occurring in medicine, psychology, disability studies, applied behaviour ana­lysis and other applied health and social sciences, where the goal is not to feed the bottom line but to decrease human suffering and increase quality of life. Of course, there’s also tremendous cost savings to society to develop, scientifically verify and disseminate evidence-based interven­tions that I doubt were included in the “financial returns” described in the article.

Maurice Feldman
Professor & Brock Distinguished Researcher
Director, Centre for Applied Disability Studies
Brock University

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