Over the past four months, I have spoken to dozens of biomedical researchers in NIH, other grant government agencies or to various American research institutions that receive subsidies from the United States government. During this period, I developed at least a very rudimentary understanding of Nitty-Gritty mechanics of the grant relationship between agencies and research institutions. What I learned is a fascinating dynamic and of critical importance according to the surface of the whole war of biomedical research of the White House specifically and universities in general. The world of biomedical research has in fact an immense latent political power, although largely unexploited. Researchers have a much stronger hand and the position of the White House, in terms of public opinion, is relatively low.
The problem is that the world of biomedical research has almost no experience operating in a political context and in particular in the context of mass policy. A large part of the world of biomedical research works through examination and financing channels connecting some government institutions to make subsidies to the national archipelago of research institutions and universities. Operating in these channels is so fundamental for customs and experience of the world of research and university that researchers have in many cases which have continued to try to operate in them (by restarting them, by checking them for unknown hooves) long after the White House broke and evolved. The White House relied on the ignorance of researchers with political fighting, using their only dependence on bureaucratic funding and examination channels – that universities and the federal government set up a century ago – against them. The only other ways through which researchers tend to assert themselves are professional organizations, very non -mass political entities which, in ordinary times, would speak to the members concerned of the Congress.
Do you want to continue reading?
Join TPM and get the newsletter from Backchannel members as well as unlimited access to all articles and features of TPM members.
