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How the US can best support the careers of promising young biomedical scientists

Year: 2018

Type: preprint

Abstract: A vibrant American biomedical research enterprise requires a constant infusion of young scientists proposing and conducting important, innovative research. Demographic analyses indicate that the biomedical research workforce has been aging, with scientists launching independent academic laboratories much later in their lives than previously. In addition, those starting new laboratories encounter strong pressures discouraging novel, potentially groundbreaking research. These two factors represent a major threat to the vitality of biomedical research in the U.S. Based on recent analyses demonstrating the success of such programs, we propose that the NIH expand by ten-fold its use of the New Innovator award—an award available only to young scientists proposing innovative research. We argue that this action, accompanied by two related policy changes, would dramatically improve the U.S. biomedical research enterprise.

DOI: 10.7287/peerj.preprints.26465v1

Authors: Bruce Alberts, Tony Hyman, Chris Pickett, Shirley Tilghman, Harold Varmus

Institutions: University of California, San Francisco, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Princeton University, Cornell University, Weill Cornell Medicine

Language: English

Topic: Health and Medical Research Impacts

Subfield: Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

Open Access status: green

OpenAlex ID: W2784495310

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