nih, foundations, and corporations: different agendas, different proposals ivo abraham, phd

© Ivo L. Abraham, All rights reserved, 2004

NIH, Foundations, and Corporations:

Different Agendas, Different ProposalsIvo Abraham, PhD

Research Colloquium11 February 2004


Introduction

Diversification of funding base for clinical

Overview Different Agendas

Taking the NIH mission as basis Rephrasing as it would sound for industry and

foundations Different Proposals

Comparison


Different Agendas

National Institutes of Health“Simply described, the goal of NIH research is to acquire new knowledge to help prevent, detect, diagnose, and treat disease and disability, from the rarest genetic disorder to the common cold. The NIH mission is to uncover new knowledge that will lead to better health for everyone. NIH works toward that mission by: conducting research in its own laboratories; supporting the research of non-Federal scientists in universities, medical schools, hospitals, and research institutions throughout the country and abroad; helping in the training of research investigators; and fostering communication of medical and health sciences information.”


Different Agendas

Paraphrasing Industry: How Would Industry Rewrite the NIH Mission Statement to Reflect its Priorities and Approach“Simply described, the goal of industry research is to extend and apply new and existing knowledge to develop marketable products to detect, diagnose, and treat disease and disability (possibly prevent [secondary & tertiary]) from the rare(st genetic) disorders (if it is given some protection) to the common cold. The industry mission is to apply and commercialize knowledge that will lead to better health for everyone and provides a return to its shareholders. Industry works toward that mission by: conducting basic and applied research in its own laboratories; commissioning research by non-industry scientists worldwide; and fostering audience-targeted communication of medical and health sciences information.”


Different Agendas

Paraphrasing Foundations: How Would Foundations Rewrite the NIH Mission Statement to Reflect its Priorities and Approach“Simply described, the goal of foundation research is to give innovative ideas a platform for development and exploration to better the health and life of individuals and communities – even if at times it is not totally clear whether and how one prevents, diagnoses, and treats. Unless we are a highly specialized and targeted foundation, we are unlikely to zoom in on one particular health/illness condition. We are interested in results, but may not always require rigorous scientific design and analysis. The philanthropic mission is to innovate through thinking and action that will lead to better health for everyone and provides name recognition to the sponsoring foundation. Foundations work toward that mission by sponsoring the development, exploration, and implementation of ideas by a variety of people.


Different Proposals

NIH Foundations Corporations

Funding scope highly specialized conceptual targeted & functional

Proposal focus towards the singular towards the integrated what is needed

Funding innovation? done the thinking, on to

the doing

doing the thinking,

doing more thinking,

then doing something

we think, you think,

then we get together to

tell you what we need

Methodological rigor highly technical from rigorous to

tolerant

from GCP to tolerant

Balancing Methodology vs. Focustechnical at expense of

focus?

Focus-driven but

increasing demands for

technical

From R&D to Marketing

& Sales= from highly

technical to embedding

some technical


Different Proposals

NIH Foundations Corporations

Scientific tolerance minimal some flexibility study-dependent

Time-frame flexible flexible rigid

Investigator control complete (nearly) complete to be negotiated

Budget from tight to under flexible commensurate

Tone of Proposal highly technical,

anticipatory if not at

times defensive

arguing ideas depending on sponsor,

from higly technical to

conceptual

Format technical and structured narrative and technical from technical to the

power of powerpoint

nih, foundations, and corporations: different agendas, different proposals ivo abraham, phd

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