Stupendous! Amazing! 'Astonishing!'
07/01/11 16:58 Filed in: GenomeWeb Daily Scan
Submitted by S. Pelech - Kinexus on Fri, 01/07/2011 - 16:58.
Nearly 60% of biomedical research in the U.S. is funded by industry, so the threat of contracting a major portion of this to organizations in other countries is a legitimate concern for American jobs. However, this international competition does allow for a much greater return on private investment in research and could significantly improve the prospects for commercial success from new products and services from American companies. The average American as well as citizens of other countries ultimately benefit when much better pharmaceutical and diagnostic products result.
At present, there is clearly a surplus of Ph.D. trainees and recent graduates for the biomedical research market in the U.S. and abroad. Government funding of even more academic research in university and government laboratories is not really going to solve this problem. It will exacerbate it further, as it will lead to the production of even more junior scientists with limited long term prospects.
One potential solution to this dilemma would be to markedly increase the number of fellowships awards available from government and charitable agencies for post-doctoral fellows to work in U.S. biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies. This would help to reduce labour costs for domestic research in American corporations and provide practical training for Ph.D. graduates in commercial environments that are actually dedicated to production of innovative services and products. The most talented of these new scientists will have much better prospects of being retained for future employment or starting their own enterprising companies.
Link to the original blog post.
Nearly 60% of biomedical research in the U.S. is funded by industry, so the threat of contracting a major portion of this to organizations in other countries is a legitimate concern for American jobs. However, this international competition does allow for a much greater return on private investment in research and could significantly improve the prospects for commercial success from new products and services from American companies. The average American as well as citizens of other countries ultimately benefit when much better pharmaceutical and diagnostic products result.
At present, there is clearly a surplus of Ph.D. trainees and recent graduates for the biomedical research market in the U.S. and abroad. Government funding of even more academic research in university and government laboratories is not really going to solve this problem. It will exacerbate it further, as it will lead to the production of even more junior scientists with limited long term prospects.
One potential solution to this dilemma would be to markedly increase the number of fellowships awards available from government and charitable agencies for post-doctoral fellows to work in U.S. biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies. This would help to reduce labour costs for domestic research in American corporations and provide practical training for Ph.D. graduates in commercial environments that are actually dedicated to production of innovative services and products. The most talented of these new scientists will have much better prospects of being retained for future employment or starting their own enterprising companies.
Link to the original blog post.