Seventy-five years ago, Vannevar Bush, director of the U.S. Office of Scientific Research and Development, submitted his landmark report “Science, the Endless Frontier” to President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Along with sweeping structural and operational recommendations, the report elevated a key conceptual dichotomy that would have profound consequences for the future of American science: the distinction between ‘basic’ research and ‘applied’ research, thereby setting the tone for modern U.S. science policy. Concepts of ‘basic’ research and ‘applied’ research loosely can translate to the notions of ‘bench’ research and ‘bedside’ research. Yet, the road from fundamental biological insight to patient care (or vice versa) can be strewn with many obstacles that hamper the efforts of even the most qualified clinicians. Overcoming these roadblocks demands that the many aspects of the life sciences–medicine continuum be addressed.
According to a paper appearing in the April 2020 issue of the journal Nature Medicine, Congress subsequently approved funding for the Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) to bridge gaps between the domains of ‘basic’ research and ‘applied’ research in the biomedical context, effectively creating a new type of career: the dual-degree, MD/PhD physician-scientist. In the nearly 60 years since the creation of the MSTP, much has been learned about the complex terrain between bench and bedside and the institutional ingredients needed to realize this vision. By 2016, it was being argued that research activities might be understood better in the context of ‘discovery–invention cycles’ rather than a basic/ applied dichotomy. Building on a wealth of historical knowledge, this argument holds that research exists in virtuous cycles in which some periods are dominated by knowledge creation (discovery) and others are dominated by the creation of new tools or processes (invention). A suggestion is that a boundary be drawn, and even then, a fluid one between research and development, rather than between basic sciences and applied sciences. Instead, research should be thought of as an ‘unscheduled activity’ in the pursuit of new knowledge and inventions. Development is viewed as a ‘scheduled activity’ directed at converting the fruits of research into new products and services.
More May 2020 TRENDS Articles
RESEARCH AND EDUCATION AFTER THE PANDEMIC
Indicates the importance of recognizing how “confounding” as a source of bias threatens the process of causal inference in research practice. Read More
PRESIDENT’S CORNER
ASAHP President Phyllis King presents information about the Association’s five strategic objective areas and associated success measures. Read More
HEROES ACT PASSED IN HOUSE
Contains details about a proposed piece of legislation to furnish additional financial assistance to deal with economic consequences resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Read More
HEALTH REFORM DEVELOPMENTS
Points out how the federal-state Medicaid program is being augmented to provide insurance coverage and paid sick leave benefits for individuals negatively affected by job loss. Read More
DEVELOPMENTS IN HIGHER EDUCATION
Describes how Mad magazine’s Alfred E. Neuman’s motto of Quid Me Anxious Sum serves as a motivational factor for enjoying life once governmental lock-down provisions are relaxed and also how coronavirus stimulus funding is being distributed to colleges and universities. Read More
QUICK STAT (SHORT, TIMELY, AND TOPICAL)
Births: Provisional Data for 2019
Effects Of The COVID-19 Pandemic On Routine Pediatric Vaccine Ordering And Administration
Non-Invasive And Reversible Modulation Of Neuronal Activity To Diagnose And Treat Brain Disorders
Cracking Nature’s Most Common Chemical Bond To Improve Drug Effectiveness Read More
AVAILABLE RESOURCES ACCESSIBLE ELECTRONICALLY
What COVID-19 Epidemiologic Models Can And Cannot Tell Us
Supporting Student Health And Mental Well-Being
Caregiving In The United States 2020 Read More
RETHINKING THE “BENCH” AND “BEDSIDE” DICHOTOMY
Mentions how research activities might be understood better in the context of “discovery-invention” cycles rather than a basic/applied dichotomy that translates loosely to notions of bench and bedside research. Read More
ADDRESSING THE 60-30-10 CHALLENGE
Refers to a study that discusses how 60% of health care adheres to guidelines; 30% is represented by care that is waste, duplication, or low value; and 10% accounts for iatrogenic harm or adverse events. Read More