Can small institutes address some problems facing biomedical researchers?
Can small institutes address some problems facing biomedical researchers?
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DOI：
10.1091/mbc.e14-05-1017
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发表时间：
2014-11-01
影响因子：
3.3
通讯作者：
Sheetz MP
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Sheetz MP
在美国国立卫生研究院（National Institutes of Health）的资助率处于历史低位，研究行为存在许多问题（无资金授权，不满的评审员和猖獗的偏执狂）的时候，人们担心生物医学研究作为一种职业在美国正在衰落（参见“拯救美国生物医学研究的系统缺陷”，由Alberts及其同事在美国国家科学院院刊上发表）。然而，发现新的东西和解决坚韧的难题是美妙的。如果我们能把更多的精力集中在讨论科学问题和做研究上，那么我们可能会更有成效，也许会更快乐。一个可能的解决办法是集中力量在大学结构中的小型专题研究所，为创新和探索提供一个激励和支持的环境。通过开放实验室的概念，可以实现规模经济，减少文书工作和成本，同时提供更多使用最先进设备的机会。围绕一个共同的主题合并多个学科可以促进创新，这使个人能够在不放弃应得荣誉的情况下开发新概念，因为通常很清楚谁做了工作。小型研究所并不能解决更大的系统性问题，而是使集体努力能够解决系统的有害方面，并促进创新的社区努力来解决科学问题。
At a time of historically low National Institutes of Health funding rates and many problems with the conduct of research (unfunded mandates, disgruntled reviewers, and rampant paranoia), there is a concern that biomedical research as a profession is waning in the United States (see ”Rescuing US biomedical research from its systemic flaws” by Alberts and colleagues in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences). However, it is wonderful to discover something new and to tackle tough puzzles. If we could focus more of our effort on discussing scientific problems and doing research, then we could be more productive and perhaps happier. One potential solution is to focus efforts on small thematic institutes in the university structure that can provide a stimulating and supportive environment for innovation and exploration. With an open-lab concept, there are economies of scale that can diminish paperwork and costs, while providing greater access to state-of-the-art equipment. Merging multiple disciplines around a common theme can catalyze innovation, and this enables individuals to develop new concepts without giving up the credit they deserve, because it is usually clear who did the work. Small institutes do not solve larger systemic problems but rather enable collective efforts to address the noisome aspects of the system and foster an innovative community effort to address scientific problems.