Research in the field of drying should include aspects of bask or fundamental research and applied research related to the product and process as well as development to meet the needs of the customer. Research might be better categorized as government, industry, and university, with each organization defining the approprlate role for its mission, The linear model of research is not appropriate for engineering. It should be recognized that ideas can come from many different sources and should be sought by the researcher. The single most important need is ideas. Instruments, equipment, and laboratories stimulate the generation and experimentation of pertinent ideas. Several suggestions for ‘new’ ideas are made that illustrate the expanding opportunities in an ‘old’ field.