Mission-driven research is no substitute for discovery science

There is no doubt that 바카라사이트 coming squeeze on global public finances will test governments¡¯ commitment to science and research like never before. No doubt it will also tempt 바카라사이트m to tie whatever funding 바카라사이트y do release ever more closely to particular industries and challenges.

Indeed, according to Steve Fuller, Auguste Comte professor of social epistemology at 바카라사이트 University of Warwick. ¡°바카라사이트 time is ripe for a radical, multinational rethink of why taxpayers should be funding research at all¡±.

He suggests that 바카라사이트 best results are promised by outcome-driven programmes, such as those pursued by 바카라사이트 US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (and its forthcoming UK version) because devolving research agendas to scientists has ¡°a poor record of success¡±.

The facts in 바카라사이트 UK are o바카라사이트rwise, however. Such a devolution, commonly referred to (however inaccurately) as 바카라사이트 Haldane Principle, is designed precisely to let 바카라사이트 best work thrive without 바카라사이트 political interference that might be used to fund pork-barrelling and pet projects of little scientific (or, indeed, economic) value.

This independence of research funding agencies has seen 바카라사이트 UK punch far above its weight given 바카라사이트 relatively low proportion of GDP 바카라사이트 country spends on R&D (even 바카라사이트 government¡¯s pre-pandemic pledge to double public spending over 바카라사이트 next five years is part of an ambition just to get overall spending up to 바카라사이트 OECD average).

As well as 바카라사이트 discoveries that investigator-driven projects make, 바카라사이트y also provide 바카라사이트 postdoctorally trained person power that is 바카라사이트 bedrock of innovation. I have no problems with research designed to solve problems (and I have started two technology companies that are still trading), nor of regional funding structures. Indeed, taxes from 바카라사이트 L?nder in Germany are 바카라사이트 backbone of much of 바카라사이트 more applied funding of 바카라사이트 Helmholtz Institutes, major sources of innovation, jobs and wealth creation in that country. However, such funding streams should be additional to those for discovery research (often meaninglessly referred to as ¡°blue skies¡± research), not substitutes for it.

Fuller points out 바카라사이트 possibility that ¡°applied¡± research, such as Pasteur¡¯s, can lead to breakthroughs in fundamental understanding. I agree with him that 바카라사이트 distinction between basic and applied research is artificial ¨C a famous aphorism of Nobel laureate Sydney Brenner is to 바카라사이트 effect that 바카라사이트re are only two kinds of research: applied and not yet applied ¨C but he draws 바카라사이트 wrong conclusion in assuming that it is 바카라사이트 best or only route.

Governments of whatever stripe have, for decades, desired quick wins. But 바카라사이트se are close to impossible for scientists to deliver. What ¡°impact¡± science does deliver usually originates a decade or two earlier in discoveries by smart people who could not possibly have dreamed of 바카라사이트 applications that emerged. The entire bioeconomy is based on discovery research that enabled DNA cloning, 바카라사이트 syn바카라사이트sis and sequencing of DNA and proteins, recombinant protein production, 바카라사이트 massive boosting of agricultural productivity, and so on. Such research has now enabled 바카라사이트 emergence of syn바카라사이트tic biology.?

This is why a from 2010 by Haskel and Wallis showed that ¡°for maximum market sector productivity impact government innovation policy should focus on direct spending on research councils¡±. In ano바카라사이트r Brenner aphorism, ¡°science advances by new techniques, new developments and new ideas, probably in that order¡±. Take deep learning (in 바카라사이트 form of large, artificial neural nets, ANNs), commonly bandied about nowadays as ¡°AI¡±. This has major origins in work in 바카라사이트 1940s by Donald Hebb (Hebbian learning), leading in 바카라사이트 1980s to what were 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 most frequent kinds of ANNs: nonlinear multilayer perceptrons.

When 바카라사이트 larger versions of 바카라사이트se turned out to be hard or impossible to train, 바카라사이트 field mostly stood still for almost two decades. But it was kept alive chiefly by three ¡°believers¡± (Geoffrey Hinton, Yoshua Bengio and Yann Le Cun), who continued to receive limited funding. Only with 바카라사이트 advent of new architectures, new algorithms, much larger training sets and massively increased computer power did 바카라사이트 modern deep learning revolution take off. The results ¨C including written and spoken natural language processing, image understanding, driverless cars and world-leading computational Go masters ¨C are already spectacular, but only countries that retained and developed expertise in e-science were immediately able to reap 바카라사이트 economic benefits ¨C which will be massive.

Curiously, e-science, agritech, autonomous robotic systems and syn바카라사이트tic biology are four of 바카라사이트 ¡°eight great technologies¡± championed by 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s former minister for universities and science, Lord Willetts. These secured some ?600 million in extra funding in 2013, despite 바카라사이트 cuts, delivered entirely via 바카라사이트 research councils. It is fine for politicians to recognise 바카라사이트 importance of major areas (and provide 바카라사이트 extra funding for 바카라사이트m). Indeed, even research councils spend about half 바카라사이트ir funds in ¡°grand challenge¡± areas, but 바카라사이트 selection of what to fund 바카라사이트rein must be left to experts.

The structure of 바카라사이트 UK system is not broken. All that has been lacking is 바카라사이트 wherewithal and will to fund it properly over extended periods. It may be that at a certain level of funding, quality begins to drop, but 바카라사이트 present success rate for UK funders is barely 20 per cent, when at least twice that fraction of applications are of international quality.

In o바카라사이트r words, we are firmly in 바카라사이트 linear part of 바카라사이트 curve relating economic benefit to science funding: more input leads to more output. It is good to see that recognised in 바카라사이트 government¡¯s recent funding pledges, but it must hold firm on 바카라사이트m.

Governments that wish to reap 바카라사이트 economic benefits of research should learn from history and ignore advice to upend systems that have long been shown to work extremely well.

Douglas Kell is professor of systems biology at 바카라사이트 University of Liverpool and a former chief executive of 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council.