Memorandum submitted by Christopher Connolly
(FC 12)
Please remove the requirement for "impact"
in your future assessment of scientific research.
1. IMPACT IS
A POOR
DRIVER OF
SUCCESS
Following strong leads to get answers is a reliable
and dispassionate (professional) approach with clear value. Moreover,
this process is peer-reviewed. Clearly there are urgent issues
that need to be promoted by additional resources, but this mustn't
replace fundamental research. We have come a long way in the past
50 years thanks to this approach. Scientists are devoted
to their quest and subsequently work many additional hours free
of charge. They are self-motivated and there is no better driver
than this.
What evidence exists that "achieving impact"
will be an equally motivating incentive? I very much doubt it
will achieve any more than forcing scientists to deliver spin
and killing their enthusiasm.
2. IMPACT IS
HARD TO
MEASURE
In the simplest scenario, a study on a particular
disease may provide a vital piece of evidence, without actually
curing the disease. How will this be measured by some quantitative
value? What with "translational", "Impact",
high-throughput and "Multi-disciplinary" there will
be no more high quality, detailed research in the future, just
vagueness, spin and abstract impact all delivered by the new generation
of 'scientific story-telling'.
3. BRAIN RESEARCH
The next frontier is brain research. How can
this revolution ever occur without a strong basic understanding
of the biology of neurons, glia and networks. How much basic cell
biology has underpinned our advances in cancer research? Would
this success have been possible without it?
Impact is important and should be an important
part of scientific research, but it should not be everything.
My personal opinion is that, perhaps, 10% could be directed towards
impact, this would maintain one eye on focus and the other on
the immediate future.
Please reconsider by circulating a poll/questionnaire
of active scientists. "But they're all biased"—No
we are not, that's the point.
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