What is the future of academic research?

[sella.turcica]

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Given that most if not all labs that aren't working on COVID-19 have closed (except those essential things like animal maintenance etc.), I wonder what lies ahead of academic researchers? When can these labs expect to run again? What about NIH funding in the next years? Is starting in a lab going to become much harder due to funding issues?

 

[deleted915325]

Good question. For example, a large number of animal labs at MD Anderson were shut down and all the animals sacrificed to create more space for patient care. Some of this is includes years of work and millions of wasted dollars that was destroyed on the spot. Who knows how much this will set cancer research back

 

[Goro]

Given that most if not all labs that aren't working on COVID-19 have closed (except those essential things like animal maintenance etc.), I wonder what lies ahead of academic researchers? When can these labs expect to run again? What about NIH funding in the next years? Is starting in a lab going to become much harder due to funding issues?

This will be a good time to be interested in ID, if anything. Funding for researchers has been difficult for the past 20 years.

When can the labs run again? When the crisis blows over.

Everybody is in the same boat, so I can't see NIH screwing people over because of it. Time will tell.

 

[Dr G Oogle]

I actually think academics will see a renaissance after all this. For decades there has been this insidious rise of the ignoramus and discounting of scientific pursuits and slashing of public and private research funding. And whether true or not the above is being associated with the utter lack of preparedness for the current very forseeable problem. So I think there will be substantial public support for science and experts instead of politicians and influencers. Even though active experiments are not going on, as far as I know at my own university where i am an active research community member is still doing essential things like maintaining cell lines and taking care of any animals that may be in the lab. I’m sure this varies from institution to institution but this stoppage is not a death knell. I’ve submitted a grant to PCORI this year (kind of line NIH but for patient outcomes) and as recently as today they reassured us that current funding is still on track if we get funded by them, but award announcement are pushed back 2 months. Obviously subject to change.

TLDR; COVID-19 may actually revitalize academics

 

[Dro133]

I actually think academics will see a renaissance after all this. For decades there has been this insidious rise of the ignoramus and discounting of scientific pursuits and slashing of public and private research funding. And whether true or not the above is being associated with the utter lack of preparedness for the current very forseeable problem. So I think there will be substantial public support for science and experts instead of politicians and influencers. Even though active experiments are not going on, as far as I know at my own university where i am an active research community member is still doing essential things like maintaining cell lines and taking care of any animals that may be in the lab. I’m sure this varies from institution to institution but this stoppage is not a death knell. I’ve submitted a grant to PCORI this year (kind of line NIH but for patient outcomes) and as recently as today they reassured us that current funding is still on track if we get funded by them, but award announcement are pushed back 2 months. Obviously subject to change.

TLDR; COVID-19 may actually revitalize academics

I hope you're right. The cynic in me worries that, a few years from now, the public will go back to placing less importance on research and public health. But I really hope you're right.

 

[OnePunchBiopsy]

Basic science research may have come to a halt, but clinical research is still going strong where I am. All the cancelled surgeries have led to more work being poured into research projects.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

I actually think academics will see a renaissance after all this. For decades there has been this insidious rise of the ignoramus and discounting of scientific pursuits and slashing of public and private research funding. And whether true or not the above is being associated with the utter lack of preparedness for the current very forseeable problem. So I think there will be substantial public support for science and experts instead of politicians and influencers. Even though active experiments are not going on, as far as I know at my own university where i am an active research community member is still doing essential things like maintaining cell lines and taking care of any animals that may be in the lab. I’m sure this varies from institution to institution but this stoppage is not a death knell. I’ve submitted a grant to PCORI this year (kind of line NIH but for patient outcomes) and as recently as today they reassured us that current funding is still on track if we get funded by them, but award announcement are pushed back 2 months. Obviously subject to change.

TLDR; COVID-19 may actually revitalize academics

I want to believe this, but the number of people I see posting about how this is all a conspiracy and that the medical and political establishments are conspiring to scare us are just really disturbing.

 

[Dr G Oogle]

I think this

I want to believe this, but the number of people I see posting about how this is all a conspiracy and that the medical and political establishments are conspiring to scare us are just really disturbing.

Trust me I’m as super cynical and negative as the rest of you . That being said these sorts of large global events that reverberate for years are exactly what spurs innovation and promotes scientific and academic pursuits. The 1918 flu, ww2, Cold War have all led to significant Public health, economic, political, scientific advancements. This will probably last for 10-20, maybe 30 years, before the human race inevitably disappoints itself yet again, but maybe there’s a whisper of a chance that it want. At any rate our own careers will be at or near their twilight so it won’t bother any of us none.