Iron Rice Bowl - Other Uses

Other Uses

In the Western society, the term has a similar usage. It has been popularized by Richard Lindzen in reference to government funded scientists and labs that use their research results to justify continued government funding. Lindzen's thesis is that the intrinsic link between reporting and funding provides incentives to report research results in such a way as to ensure continued funding. The related term rice bowl often refers to a military project which is being protected in the interests of a particular department rather than wider needs.