[logicallee]

so if you total the value of all of those grants combined (regardless of the "odds" of getting them) it's next to nothing in existence. it's really, really small when compared with the value under my analogy of the money-sprouting trees that those founders ('farmers') are asking to water (which obviously is the value of the resulting companies when successful). if you do know the sum of all of those grants combined it would be interesting to know that number.