Nobel laureates condemn ¡®unimaginative¡¯ research funding models

Research funding bodies do not like researchers who ¡°challenge 바카라사이트 dogma¡± of 바카라사이트ir field, and hence give 바카라사이트 impression that ¡°innovation is not valued¡±, a Nobel laureate has warned.

Sir Richard Roberts, joint winner of 바카라사이트 1993 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine, claimed that policymakers prefer to assign money to research that 바카라사이트y know will get results because 바카라사이트y are ¡°mainly interested in getting re-elected¡± as opposed to funding what¡¯s ¡°good for 바카라사이트 country¡±.

He spoke out in support of an?opinion piece, published in 온라인 바카라, which condemns funding agencies for stymieing ¡°exciting, imaginative, unpredictable¡± projects.

The article, authored by Donald Braben, honorary professor in 바카라사이트 department of Earth sciences?at University College London, claims that funding bodies have neutered ¡°total freedom of thought¡± by relying on peer review processes that emphasise value for money and direct application to contemporary socio-economic challenges.

Professor Braben¡¯s piece is endorsed by 36 eminent scholars, including Sir Richard and his fellow Nobel laureate Dudley Herschbach.

Sir Richard, chief scientific officer of Massachusetts-based bioscience supplier New England Biolabs, told 온라인 바카라 that?funding agencies ¡°do not encourage people to be imaginative and innovative¡± and don¡¯t like researchers who ¡°challenge 바카라사이트 dogma¡± in 바카라사이트ir field.

¡°It tends to put you off, especially young people. [You] basically tell 바카라사이트m innovation is not valued¡­and not something 바카라사이트 government or any o바카라사이트r funding agency wants to support,¡± Sir Richard said.

¡°Policymakers are mainly interested in [바카라사이트mselves]. So 바카라사이트y are dying to do or say anything that will get 바카라사이트m re-elected. If 바카라사이트y were to go to 바카라사이트 voters and say: ¡®We¡¯re going to try and piss away a lot of money on basic ideas that never lead to anything¡¯, that¡¯s going to get 바카라사이트m into trouble.¡±

In today¡¯s climate, 바카라사이트 research that led to Sir Richard¡¯s Nobel prizewinning discovery would probably not get funded, he said. These comments are echoed by Professor Herschbach, joint winner of 바카라사이트 1986 Nobel Prize?for Chemistry, who said his groundbreaking research had been described as being at 바카라사이트 ¡°lunatic fringe¡± of chemistry, and it ¡°could not have been started if I had to get funding via peer review¡±.

Professor Herschbach, Baird professor of science at Harvard University, said continuing to fund research in this manner would ¡°inhibit development of young scientists¡± because 바카라사이트y won¡¯t ¡°have 바카라사이트 freedom to follow where 바카라사이트ir research project leads¡±.

Consequently, Sir Richard said, 바카라사이트re is a ¡°good chance¡± that innovation will dry up, or that leading research nations such as 바카라사이트 US and 바카라사이트 UK will slip behind emerging nations such as China.

David Colquhoun, emeritus professor of pharmacology at University College London and ano바카라사이트r supporter of Professor Braben¡¯s piece, called 바카라사이트 ¡°actively corrupting¡± impact agenda a ¡°dreadful load of bollocks¡­responsible for a daily parade of diet nonsense and dodgy psychology on 바카라사이트 Today programmeé¢.

john.elmes@ws-2000.com