Data collection is more expensive, more time consuming, and usually more tedious than data analysis and paper writing. The people good at collection are not necessarily good at analysis and vice versa. More people enjoy analysis than collection. The results of the analysis are what is useful to the rest of society. Also, the people doing the analysis need to have very detailed input to its collection.

I was hoping stating it all together like that would make a solution more obvious, but I don't think it did. Having researchers commission data collection and every user having to pay would create barriers to entry we don't want.