[Radim]

I agree. Some projects will get less funding than others.

But I think that's alright -- and that is the core of our disagreement, I suppose. Plus, I think you're underestimating the numbers of what various people would find interesting/fund-worthy. It's a big, connected world, these days.

By the way, I gave several counter-examples of "esoteric enough that the benefits of the study are not immediately understandable, and without the potential of enormous impact" in my other replies in this thread, including the comment you're replying to.

In the extreme, when only one person is interested in a project (the researcher himself!), then only one person will devote energy/time/money to it. Fine by me.