This is rught up there with Fox News' "Nobel nominee expert" claiming Terry Schiavo could be rehabilitated.
Steve is right. It's a long-term investment. One that won't pay off for over 10 years. Private investors want payback with interest in 6-18 months, and can get it other places.
Here's a fairly unbiased (lay) commentary on the status of ES research:
http://www.townhall.com/columnists/GuestColumns/Swenson20050708.shtml