> Today's 'big science' grant funding model is so far removed from the average citizen or constituent, that by the time they see or feel the impact, it's hardly

> Today's 'big science' grant funding model is so far removed from the average citizen or constituent, that by the time they see or feel the impact, it's hardly recognizable anymore. Because it's behind paywalls, or is too technical, or locked in IP, or anti-collaboration. To partially address this, those of us in the US should support the Fair Access to Science and Technology Research bill[0, 1]. FASTR would essentially mandate all journal articles resulting from federally funded research to be published in an open repository online after a short embargo period, as in NIH PubMed Central. To effect real change, we'll need to see senior researchers lead the way in publishing in open journals, and there just isn't buy-in among that crowd in some fields outside of math, physics, and CS. In addition, I think researchers need to do a better job personally engaging the public regarding their research. Fully addressing the gap between researchers and the general public may well require an educational component. 0: http://www.sparc.arl.org/advocacy/national/fastr/faq http://www.sparc.arl.org/advocacy/national/fastr/faq 1: https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/senate-bill/779 https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/senate-bill/779