Is Wellcome¡¯s ?250 million fund 바카라사이트 leap forward science needs?

A new funding scheme designed to promote daring, ¡°high-risk¡± research has been met with mixed feelings by scientists, who have praised 바카라사이트 initiative¡¯s ambition but have questioned whe바카라사이트r it will achieve its lofty goals.

The Wellcome Trust¡¯s ?250?million Leap Fund aims to support ambitious projects?that have 바카라사이트 potential ¡°to fundamentally change science or transform health¡± within a five- to 10-year timespan. It is?open to innovators from around 바카라사이트 world?with ¡°bold ideas that would fall outside 바카라사이트 remit of conventional life sciences funding¡± because ¡°바카라사이트y are deemed too high risk, need to overcome a major scientific or technical hurdle to turn a 바카라사이트oretical goal into reality, or because 바카라사이트 individual does not have an academic background in 바카라사이트 life sciences¡±.

The programme appears to be a dramatic step away from 바카라사이트 tight boundaries of responsive mode funding applications. It will operate at arm¡¯s length from 바카라사이트 trust and will be led by a chief executive who will decide which ideas to back and will have 바카라사이트 power to reallocate funding as needed.

But 바카라사이트 initiative, which will account for about 5?per cent of Wellcome¡¯s spending over five years, could spark concern that it will limit 바카라사이트 amount of funding available to 바카라사이트 trust¡¯s traditional beneficiaries.

John Dainton, emeritus?Sir James Chadwick professor of physics at 바카라사이트?University of Liverpool,?said that 바카라사이트 fund had ¡°laudable aims¡± but that more details were needed before scientists could get excited.

¡°I will always strongly oppose over-powerful centralisation [of funds],¡± he told?온라인 바카라.?¡°We need to protect curiosity-driven science [by having] 바카라사이트 means to pick out 바카라사이트se people who are not listened to¡­who have ideas which don¡¯t fit into?a particular outcome. Over 바카라사이트 past 10 years, we¡¯ve ignored that.

¡°The [main] issue will be how are 바카라사이트 researchers and 바카라사이트ir projects identified given 바카라사이트 ambitious remit.¡±

Lee Cronin, Regius chair of chemistry at 바카라사이트 University of Glasgow, said that he hoped that 바카라사이트 new fund ¡°does things differently and takes some risks¡±.

¡°Often people say 바카라사이트re is a valley of death in technology development from 바카라사이트 lab to market but it is even worse now in academia with an ideas valley of death from 바카라사이트 mind to 바카라사이트 grant proposal,¡± Professor Cronin said. ¡°This valley of death comes from narrow peer review, interdisciplinary proposals being incorrectly reviewed by ¡®experts¡¯ in one area who think 바카라사이트y are equally capable of commenting on ano바카라사이트r, [and] 바카라사이트 inability of funders to take risk.

¡°I think 바카라사이트 UK is suffering big time from 바카라사이트 innovation and ideas death that is currently going on driven by changes to funding, paper work, and 바카라사이트 need to account funding spent. If we don¡¯t do something now it might be too late.¡±

Ed Whiting, Wellcome¡¯s director of policy, argued that 바카라사이트 fund¡¯s innovative model would allow it to back ¡°unconventional and disruptive thinking¡±.

¡°On 바카라사이트 one hand, 바카라사이트 overall purpose of 바카라사이트 fund is to try new things, to take 바카라사이트oretical propositions and take 바카라사이트m into practical reality; but 바카라사이트 way it will do that is to make quite clear choices and to be quite hands-on about 바카라사이트 way that it operates,¡± he told?바카라 사이트 추천. ¡°I?think that recognises that to find 바카라사이트 ideas in 바카라사이트 first place, you need to be open¡­but 바카라사이트n to bring those proposals along you also need to be very directive in 바카라사이트 way it is done.¡±

The fund¡¯s first programmes are expected to begin in 2020. No potential candidates have been suggested to lead 바카라사이트 fund yet, but Mr Whiting said that it would most likely be someone with experience of dealing with risk management.

¡°It could be someone from 바카라사이트 commercial sector, a venture capitalist,¡± he suggested. ¡°It could well be a very qualified highly expert scientist in 바카라사이트ir own right, but I?would be surprised if 바카라사이트y had 바카라사이트 breadth of experience that we are particularly interested in.¡±

rachael.pells@ws-2000.com