Stability and the United States ‐ What Are We Doing? A Historical Summary of Financial Support for Steel Structural Stability Research

Abstract Since the early 1900s, supporters of steel structural stability research in the United States have consisted of a broad cross‐section of public, private, and nonprofit entities, with federal and state governments financing most of the activity. However, the model for future government support of science and engineering research in the U.S. is currently highly uncertain, irrespective of focus. To help frame strategic discussions about future of financial support for U.S. steel stability research, a historical perspective on who has financially backed efforts is provided along with a summary of the current research support environment and some speculations about the future.