After WWII, the US dominant force in nuclear weapons development became the primary issue of disagreement between Washington and Moscow. In many ways, each country could claim a major influence over the decisions made by other countries on the planet, but on the nuclear question, the Soviets needed to catch up.
Major scientific careers, both here and in the Soviet Union, would be fashioned around R&D funding provided by these two governmental agencies. The study of advanced science and cutting edge technology became an attractive avenue to a rewarding lifetime for anyone, who was able to compete in such a highly technical marketplace.
World-famous Institutions of higher learning such as MIT, The University of Chicago, Cal-Tech and others became magnets for obtaining government grants to continue their research in specific areas of concern related to the national interest. Later on, LTI would also join other high-tech institutions in this national drive for technical excellence.
the study of science and technology
funding that came from