We define a self-sustaining field as “an academic research field that is capable of attracting the necessary funds and expertise for future work without reliance on a particular small group of people or funding sources” (see the next subsection for more on this definition).
I think that another aspect that is important to consider here is the goals of the funders. For example, an academic field may get huge amounts of funding from several industry actors that try to influence/bias researchers in certain ways (e.g. for the purpose of avoiding regulation). Such an academic field may satisfy the criterion above for being “self-sustaining” while having lower EV than what it would have if it had only a small group of EA-aligned funders.
I think that another aspect that is important to consider here is the goals of the funders. For example, an academic field may get huge amounts of funding from several industry actors that try to influence/bias researchers in certain ways (e.g. for the purpose of avoiding regulation). Such an academic field may satisfy the criterion above for being “self-sustaining” while having lower EV than what it would have if it had only a small group of EA-aligned funders.