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I think the reality is that researchers justify themselves to grant writing organizations in whatever way they can but are often just doing science for it's own
by maxbond 6y ago
I think the reality is that researchers justify themselves to grant writing organizations in whatever way they can but are often just doing science for it's own sake.
Anecdotally, I watched a talk about how the structure of the ribosome was solved, and the researcher mentioned that they justified themselves to grant writing organizations by saying it would help develop antibiotics - which did turn out to be the case, but they described themselves as feeling amused rather than vindicated.
I believe it was this talk.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRIDCQM3d7I https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRIDCQM3d7I
- kaonwarb 6y agoBingo. While understandable, I fear the need to justify nearly all research by potential foreseeable gain limits our ability to invest in truly fundamental science.
- bonoboTP 6y agoWell, researchers have learned to play the game and with enough creativity you can make up potential applications for grant writing purposes.
- redis_mlc 6y agoThat's already a reality today. Try to get a follow-on grant after your previous grant didn't produce positive results. Science is both successful and failed experiments, but the latter isn't grant-worthy.
- wongarsu 6y agoYes, grant-style funding is really bad for basic research. For where larger institutes have the advantage: a few prestigious findings can bring the funding to do a lot of less glamorous stuff on the side.
- MaxBarraclough 6y ago> often just doing science for its own sake Or trying to advance their careers, which isn't the same thing, as it's self-interest without regard for whether science is being meaningfully advanced.
- nicoburns 6y agoI mean sure, but people don't generally go into a career in science unless they're genuinely interested in it.
- MaxBarraclough 6y agoI've read horror stories about toxic careerism in science where real scientific progress is only ever a by-product.
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- bonoboTP 6y agoYou'd be surprised. Some really enjoy the status game and the power dynamics.
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