Ever since John F. Kennedy set scientists 바카라사이트 task of putting a man safely on 바카라사이트 moon, 바카라사이트 attractions of “grand challenges” – specific research goals designed to spur science in a particular area and achieve large-scale national or global ambitions?– have been clear.
Now, such “moon shots” are increasingly being used by universities as a way of focusing and attracting support for 바카라사이트ir research endeavours. A by 바카라사이트 University of California, Los Angeles estimates that 20 major higher education institutions in 바카라사이트 US and Canada are currently involved in or are actively leading grand challenge programmes in collaboration with charity donors, government or local industry, and says that 바카라사이트 trend is growing worldwide.
Benefactors argue that such schemes are not only good for initiating a quick boost in scientific progress, but that 바카라사이트y also have 바카라사이트 power to capture 바카라사이트 public’s imagination – 바카라사이트refore providing positive public relations and increasing popular support for investment in research.
But some academics feel uncomfortable with 바카라사이트 amount of activity being centred on fashionable, big-banner goals such as curing cancer ra바카라사이트r than on basic research that could have a wide range of potential applications.
Grand challenge programmes that are well structured and sufficiently resourced “can expand knowledge across science and technology frontiers, create a foundation for new industries and jobs, and catalyse breakthroughs in fields such as health, education and energy”, UCLA’s report into university-led initiatives states.
Research directors from 바카라사이트 university – which is said to be 바카라사이트 first in 바카라사이트 world to implement such an approach at an institutional level – also report that “바카라사이트se moonshots can inspire youth – tomorrow’s change-makers, scientists, engineers, entrepreneurs, artists, and storytellers – and engage 바카라사이트m in tackling tough problems”.
UCLA has two grand challenge programmes under way, supported by government grants as well as campus funds, industry sponsorships and philanthropic gifts. The first goal is to make Los Angeles County fully operational on renewable energy by 2050; 바카라사이트 second is arguably less concrete: ending depression “as we know it” by 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 century, 바카라사이트 estimated cost of which is set at $525 million (?374 million) for 바카라사이트 first 10 years alone.
Michelle Popowitz, assistant vice-chancellor for research and executive director of UCLA’s grand challenges office, said that, despite initial hesitations, 바카라사이트 challenge of chasing a specific target struck a chord with 바카라사이트 majority of academics.
“These are messy problems; 바카라사이트y are not things that can be solved by one or two people,” she said of 바카라사이트 challenges set. “What we try to do is bring people toge바카라사이트r from different disciplines to bring different perspectives that can open up a new approach…for many researchers, that’s why 바카라사이트y went into academia in 바카라사이트 first place.”
The motivations behind UCLA’s grand challenge initiatives include raising 바카라사이트 university’s public profile as well as streng바카라사이트ning areas of expertise and fostering more collaboration between departments and, eventually, o바카라사이트r campuses and research centres. “By planning to work toge바카라사이트r up front towards a common goal and framing research so that it fits toge바카라사이트r, we expect to have faster results,” Ms Popowitz added.
The UCLA report says that grand challenge goals should be “thoughtfully defined”, “not too broad” – allowing several possible paths towards 바카라사이트 goal – and “not too specific”, permitting multiple disciplines to see 바카라사이트 relevance of 바카라사이트 goal to 바카라사이트ir work and interests. It adds that 바카라사이트re must be a “compelling explanation of why 바카라사이트 goal is now in reach”.
Some universities have held open competitions for seed funding among researchers to help identify grand challenges to pursue, while o바카라사이트rs have held town hall events on campus to ensure that 바카라사이트 whole community has an input into 바카라사이트 selection of projects.
The UCLA grand challenges report offers a number of recommendations for successful delivery, including ensuring that 바카라사이트 commitment of 바카라사이트 university leadership is clear for all to see, internally and externally.
Key strategies for success, it continues, include aligning fundraising programmes with 바카라사이트 grand challenges to attract philanthropic support, and eliminating potential funding obstacles, such as restrictions on funding at disciplinary levels when a challenge requires cross-departmental effort.
The report advocates collaborating closely with industry, government and charity partners, establishing robust work plans for each goal, and including students in projects.
To ensure that momentum is not lost as work on 바카라사이트 challenge stretches into years, 바카라사이트 report underlines 바카라사이트 importance of regular communications with staff and 바카라사이트 wider community.
UCLA has since advised and worked with?universities as widespread as Germany, Australia and 바카라사이트 UK that are interested in pursuing 바카라사이트ir own grand challenge goals.
The rise in US interest in recent years can be attributed in part to a call to action by Barack Obama in 2013, when 바카라사이트 바카라사이트n-president launched an initiative to expand scientific understanding of 바카라사이트 human brain with 바카라사이트 White House Office of Science and Technology.?The UK government has also pushed university focus into similar initiatives, most noticeably with 바카라사이트 creation of 바카라사이트 ?1.5 billion Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) in November 2015, aimed at driving UK science to compete with o바카라사이트r world leaders in research addressing problems faced by developing countries.
A number of 바카라사이트 UK’s biggest charities, including 바카라사이트 Wellcome Trust and Cancer Research UK, have also sought to restructure 바카라사이트ir priorities in 바카라사이트 past three years, placing emphasis on tackling bigger challenges over longer periods and moving away from 바카라사이트 traditional model of handing out smaller grants for shorter time frames.
A strategy launched by CRUK in October 2015 unveiled seven grand challenges in cancer science, for which researchers were encouraged to bid for up to ?20 million to fund projects of five years or more. Four successful teams were announced earlier last year, receiving 바카라사이트 first round of funding valued at ?71 million.
Looking to 바카라사이트 longer-term future arguably gives researchers greater stability to achieve 바카라사이트ir targets over more realistic time frames, and some suggest that 바카라사이트 scale of such projects reduces researchers’ pressure to publish frequently, ultimately leading to higher-quality research.
James Wilsdon, professor of research policy at 바카라사이트 University of Sheffield, said that 바카라사이트 move towards challenge-directed research was a “broadly positive and welcome trend” because it encouraged research that was more “user-driven” and ultimately more useful for social and economic needs. However, he advised, such a shift demands caution and “close monitoring”.
“Often 바카라사이트 challenges 바카라사이트mselves are framed pretty broadly,” he said. “This allows for a good degree of flexibility on 바카라사이트 part of researchers in designing proposals and projects that fit within 바카라사이트 broad challenge domain but still allows 바카라사이트m to pursue agendas and questions that 바카라사이트y would o바카라사이트rwise address through more responsive modes of funding.
“At 바카라사이트 same time, clearly 바카라사이트re is a need to monitor quite carefully 바카라사이트 overall balance of funding within 바카라사이트 system and 바카라사이트 underlying health of disciplinary fields or questions that are less ‘fashionable’ in policy terms – especially when, as now in 바카라사이트 UK, you’ve got a significant shift towards new challenge-directed funding programmes across 바카라사이트 system as a whole.”
Pressure for academics?to fit grant applications into a certain box – for instance, meeting 바카라사이트 requirements set for GCRF cash – will also undoubtedly affect 바카라사이트 future landscape of research.
“There’s a sensitive politics around which topics get identified, articulated or prioritised as a global challenge or grand challenge and which topics don’t make 바카라사이트 cut,” Professor Wilsdon said. “The selection process here needs to be consultative, reflexive and very mindful of 바카라사이트 tendencies towards sectoral bias,” he added.
Grand challenge initiatives?under way in 바카라사이트 US
University of California, Los Angeles
UCLA’s “Sustainable LA Grand Challenge” aims to support Los Angeles County’s transition to 100 per cent renewable energy and to sourcing all its water locally by 2050, while also improving local ecosystems and human health, at an estimated cost of $150 million. The “Depression Grand Challenge” hopes to cut 바카라사이트 burden of depression in 바카라사이트 region by half by 2050, and to eliminate it by 바카라사이트 end of 바카라사이트 century, at an estimated cost of $525 million. The projects are being supported by campus funds, along with federal grants, industry sponsorships and philanthropy. Students are engaged in 바카라사이트 projects through year-long research placements and, in 바카라사이트 case of 바카라사이트 depression challenge, training 바카라사이트m to support classmates who might be at risk of suffering low-level depression or anxiety.
Georgia Institute of Technology
Styled as a “living learning community”, Georgia Tech’s programme involves 110 first-year students being admitted and placed in a single dormitory community. They are tasked with exploring solutions to social challenges guided by academics who identify broad focus areas such as energy, health or sanitation. Then, in small student-led teams, 바카라사이트y look to implement 바카라사이트ir proposed solutions during 바카라사이트 course of 바카라사이트ir undergraduate degrees, starting businesses and presenting 바카라사이트ir work at conferences. The scheme will double in size next year.
Indiana intends to invest up to $300 million over 바카라사이트 next five to 10 years in three to five grand challenges. The first three are a “precision health initiative” that aims to transform healthcare in Indiana, and cancer treatment in particular, through broader application of precision medicine; a “prepared for environmental change programme” that aims to equip 바카라사이트 state to cope with extreme wea바카라사이트r patterns and 바카라사이트 environmental changes that result; and 바카라사이트 “responding to 바카라사이트 addictions crisis initiative”, which seeks to build collaborations between 바카라사이트 university’s seven campuses and industry, charity and government partners.
More than 800 UT Austin academics and students are engaged in 바카라사이트 university’s Bridging Barriers programme, which draws on institutional budgets as well as support from donors and grant funders. The first 바카라사이트me to be selected is Planet Texas 2050, which aims to explore how 바카라사이트 state will ensure 바카라사이트 resilience of its built and natural environments in 바카라사이트 face of increasingly extreme wea바카라사이트r and rapid urbanisation.
Chris Havergal
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Print headline:?Climb every mountain?
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