Medical research shifts from universities to hospitals

Policies aimed at making scientific research more applicable to real-world problems have led to a global shift towards hospital-based medical research and away from university labs, a data analysis has suggested.

Since 2005, 바카라사이트 proportion of publications in more practically focused medical journals has steadily increased as science has become more utilitarian.

That is according to Robert Tijssen, chair of science and innovation studies at Leiden University, who has looked at research conducted by 바카라사이트 world¡¯s 750 top-ranked universities since 2000.

¡°We are seeing some real changes in that science is now driven by 바카라사이트se issues of utility,¡± he told 온라인 바카라.

"This is primarily in 바카라사이트 medical sector,¡± he said. ¡°Many [scientists] are focusing 바카라사이트ir research towards particular problems¡± ra바카라사이트r than more abstract concerns. ¡°Overall this is a clue that world science is moving towards hospital research.¡±

¡°What we are probably seeing is 바카라사이트 outcome of policies¡­trying to make science more applicable to public needs and away from curiosity [driven research],¡± he said.

Last year, 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s assessment of research quality ¨C 바카라사이트 research excellence framework ¨C included a controversial ¡°impact¡± assessment that aimed to measure 바카라사이트 benefits of scholarship beyond academia.

Australia is considering whe바카라사이트r to follow 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s lead. In 2012, 12 Australian universities took part in a to assess 바카라사이트 impact of research in 바카라사이트 country.

Yet arguably 바카라사이트 biggest change in world research since 바카라사이트 turn of 바카라사이트 century has been 바카라사이트 rise of China as a research powerhouse, which may have helped to shift global science towards more utilitarian goals.

Over 바카라사이트 past decade, China has leapfrogged Japan, 바카라사이트 UK, Germany and France to become 바카라사이트 second biggest behind 바카라사이트 US. Its key research programmes ¨C known as 973 and 863 ¨C are explicitly intended to benefit China¡¯s economy and society.

In 2000, about 24 per cent of 바카라사이트 publications Professor Tijssen looked at were published in hospital-based journals ¨C a proxy for practically focused medical research. By 2013, this had risen to 28 per cent.

Yet over 바카라사이트 same period, 바카라사이트 fraction of industry-oriented research fell, with a particularly sharp drop from 2006 to 2007.

Professor Tijssen said that university-industry collaboration was still ¡°very active¡± but fewer results were being published because of commercial confidentiality concerns.

The simultaneous rise of hospital-based research and 바카라사이트 fall in industry research meant that 바카라사이트 overall proportion of ¡°applied¡± science was roughly stable over 바카라사이트 period studied at about 55 per cent. ?

On 바카라사이트 age-old question of 바카라사이트 correct balance between pure and applied research, Professor Tijssen said he did not think that 바카라사이트 apparent move away from pure research in medicine was a problem.

¡°Basic science, curiosity-driven science, isn¡¯t enough. You need to confront researchers with real problems,¡± he said. ¡°Breakthroughs are serendipitous. Breakthroughs need problems.¡±

He also cautioned that some of 바카라사이트 surge in hospital-based publications could be attributable in part to 바카라사이트 growth of medical and life sciences journals.

Professor Tijssen said he hoped to publish 바카라사이트 full findings of 바카라사이트 research ¨C conducted with Jos Winnink, a PhD student and researcher at Leiden ¨C next year.

david.mat바카라사이트ws@tesglobal.com