Comment by btrettel
3 years ago
I've had a similar idea before.
I once was talking to someone who wanted to financially support independent scientific research. He had started a successful business (you may have heard of it, though I won't name it) and he wanted to put his money to good use.
He wanted to find people he could write a check to, basically. I suggested that if he wanted to advance science as much as possible, it would be far more efficient to run a dormitory for scientists with free room and board, as long as they do scientific research. I'm sure he could find many people who would accept a minimalist lifestyle for the opportunity to do research the system wouldn't otherwise support. (I'd be interested.)
He declined, stating that one major factor was the tax write-off he got from the donation, and I guess giving people a place to live doesn't have that benefit.
It is interesting to think that your definition of a "a dormitory for scientists with free room and board, as long as they do scientific research." is kinda-sorta what I think of when I consider the Institute for Advanced Study. If you squint hard enough, it is kinda-sorta what tenure in universities aims to provide.
I don't think those examples are similar.
A tenured professorship or position at a prestigious institution provides a lot of resources and status that the minimalist approach does not. I don't know a single professor who would accept living in the very modest setup I proposed.
Also, I don't know any research organization that provides room and board for long-term faculty/staff. IAS does not work that way. Surely there are universities that provide room and board for graduate students, and some summer research internships will provide room and board. But those cases are rare in my experience in the US, and are only be temporary at best.