Can scientists keep their hands clean?
Aurora Plomer - 02/12/2007
Sible, Sheffield
United Kingdom
What to do with warnings like:
"Biomedical Science has become every more tightly tethered to an industry, and a highly profitable one at that... The question is whether biomedical scientists, and genome researchers in particular, can keep their hands clean in an environment that consumes more and more resources and relentlessly increases in scope and scale..."
This is a great point...
If
Meredith Crosby - 03/12/2007
This is a great point...
If scientists were truly financially independent, this would not be an issue; hands would be clean. In the past, science was a hobby for most individuals of means. At this point in time, most scientists are not financially independent. Therefore, they must apply for funding from national and international (and private) organizations. Therefore, scientists are doing what they can in order to maintain a career path. (If money does not come in, they don't have a lab/company.)
For each grant submitted, there is usually a "call" for such applications. Scientists have a particular grant proposal that fits with a call and so they apply. They are fulfilling a so-called "need" or expectation set forth by a particular body. In the same way, such "calls" may come from industry. Interestingly, these "calls" or collaborations enable a scientist to continue doing research (and support his/her career). Without such funding, science (arguably and according to the present model) would not be possible. An interesting aspect of this is the fact that this funding goes to support research, which may then, if successful, be be patented, licensed, and or sold to industry. Perhaps all such funds, taxes, or endowments being raised and being used for investing in science are aimed at the prospect of achieving something. In some cases, there may be a new insight into human health, (which may lead to a return on the investment). So, the system that supports scientists-- whether it is industry, or another entity, is interested in the prospect of receiving a return on its initial investment. Such investment is risky and so are the careers in this field. See also: http://pharmalicensing.com/articles/disp/1149760117_4487f2759c2c5
Contributions
Can scientists keep their hands clean?
Aurora Plomer - 02/12/2007
Sible, Sheffield
United Kingdom
What to do with warnings like:
"Biomedical Science has become every more tightly tethered to an industry, and a highly profitable one at that... The question is whether biomedical scientists, and genome researchers in particular, can keep their hands clean in an environment that consumes more and more resources and relentlessly increases in scope and scale..."
Robert Cooke-Deegan (1995) The Gene Wars Norton
This is a great point... If
Meredith Crosby - 03/12/2007
This is a great point...
If scientists were truly financially independent, this would not be an issue; hands would be clean. In the past, science was a hobby for most individuals of means. At this point in time, most scientists are not financially independent. Therefore, they must apply for funding from national and international (and private) organizations. Therefore, scientists are doing what they can in order to maintain a career path. (If money does not come in, they don't have a lab/company.)
For each grant submitted, there is usually a "call" for such applications. Scientists have a particular grant proposal that fits with a call and so they apply. They are fulfilling a so-called "need" or expectation set forth by a particular body. In the same way, such "calls" may come from industry. Interestingly, these "calls" or collaborations enable a scientist to continue doing research (and support his/her career). Without such funding, science (arguably and according to the present model) would not be possible. An interesting aspect of this is the fact that this funding goes to support research, which may then, if successful, be be patented, licensed, and or sold to industry. Perhaps all such funds, taxes, or endowments being raised and being used for investing in science are aimed at the prospect of achieving something. In some cases, there may be a new insight into human health, (which may lead to a return on the investment). So, the system that supports scientists-- whether it is industry, or another entity, is interested in the prospect of receiving a return on its initial investment. Such investment is risky and so are the careers in this field. See also: http://pharmalicensing.com/articles/disp/1149760117_4487f2759c2c5