Grand Theories: How Far Have We Come and Where Will We Go?

Lawmakers heeded his call during the construction of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009: upon passage, the act included more than $17 billion for scientific research and infrastructure, intended in part to "secure America's role as a world leader in a competitive global economy... [by] renewing America's investments in basic research and development." The study points out that many principles in the theoryrich discipline of biology - such as evolution - blur disciplinary boundaries, and it encourages biologists in all subdisciplines to "examine the theoretical and conceptual framework that underlies their work and identify areas where theoretical advances would most likely lead to breakthroughs in our understanding of life."