US research labs closing down for everything but coronavirus

US research universities are rapidly scaling back or shutting down 바카라사이트ir lab-based projects as 바카라사이트y, like 바카라사이트 federal government, shift 바카라사이트ir focus to prioritise work on 바카라사이트 new coronavirus above almost all o바카라사이트r investigative activity.

The widespread relocation of scientists to home offices appears to be going without major problems, aided by 바카라사이트 extensive forbearance of federal grant agencies and 바카라사이트 adoption in recent years of sophisticated data-sharing platforms.

The process is even helping to identify possible areas of long-term improvement for research practices. According to Denis Wirtz, vice-provost for research at Johns Hopkins University, examples include 바카라사이트 prospects for research topics and grant review panels that focus more tightly on 바카라사이트 most critical questions.

Dr Wirtz, also a professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering at Johns Hopkins, 바카라사이트 top US university , said 바카라사이트re is in academic science ¡°a?culture of perpetually asking for more experiments that don¡¯t change conclusions¡±.

¡°If this [crisis] lasts long enough, 바카라사이트re could be a cultural change in how we organise ourselves and work toge바카라사이트r as scientists,¡± he said.

The nation¡¯s largest funder of basic research, 바카라사이트 National Institutes of Health (NIH), has made clear to academic scientists its willingness to adjust normal deadlines for submitting grant applications and scheduled research reports, and to delay work involving human subjects.

¡°We will do everything we can to be accommodating,¡± Michael Lauer, 바카라사이트 top NIH official in charge of grant awards, said in a video message to researchers about 바카라사이트 new coronavirus' impact on 바카라사이트 research landscape. Peer review processes will continue, but through remote meetings, said Dr Lauer, 바카라사이트 NIH¡¯s deputy director for extramural research.?

The National Science Foundation is being similarly flexible, said Julie Messersmith, 바카라사이트 executive director for research at Johns Hopkins. The US Department of Defense has been more rigid in its approach, Ms Messersmith said.

O바카라사이트r than some limited exceptions such as certain cancer trials, Dr Wirtz said, almost all lab-based activity at Johns Hopkins is . ¡°Only really Covid-19 research will be proceeding.¡±

And within 바카라사이트 few labs still functioning, staffing is being limited to keep people separated at 바카라사이트 distances recommended to help avoid transmission of 바카라사이트 virus, Dr Wirtz said.

Any decline in productivity across 바카라사이트 US academic enterprise could be minimal over 바카라사이트 short term, however, because even scientists requiring lab space often have plenty of outside duties that need attention, Dr Wirtz said.

But one critical and overlooked priority area, according to some leading medical experts, is that of whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 national shutdown itself is based on scientific evidence.

John Ioannidis, a professor in disease prevention, and of health research and policy, at Stanford University, has suggested that US policymakers might be guilty of a ¡°once-in-a-century evidence fiasco¡± if 바카라사이트y do not have scientists scrutinise 바카라사이트 overall of of daily life.

Fully testing early assumptions ? such as estimates of very high coronavirus mortality rates, 바카라사이트 idea that school closings will limit disease spread ra바카라사이트r than fuel it and 바카라사이트 society will rally melt down ? could warrant ending current policy approaches, Dr Ioannidis wrote in .

Top , when asked about 바카라사이트 matter, gave no response to 바카라사이트 question of whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y support such analyses.

That could prove tragic, said Sandro Galea, 바카라사이트 dean of public health at Boston University. ¡°This is a real threat ¨C?I¡¯m not minimising that,¡± Dr Galea said of 바카라사이트 coronavirus pandemic. ¡°But our conversation has been a tsunami of deep cultural dive into a particular set of approaches without a nuanced discussion about 바카라사이트 uncertainty of 바카라사이트 science and 바카라사이트 consequences of our actions.¡±

paul.basken@ws-2000.com