Funding

Politico Pro reporter Alex Guillén writes that David Goldston, director of government affairs for the National Resources Defense Council, has been selected to lead MIT’s Washington Office. 

President L. Rafael Reif speaks with Washington Post reporter Joel Achenbach about the potential impact of proposed budget cuts to federally-funded scientific research. Achenbach writes that Reif notes, “America’s leadership in science is at stake.”

Reporting for the PBS NewsHour, Nsikan Akpan highlights a new study co-authored by MIT researchers that examines how many NIH grants lead to new patents and medications. Prof. Pierre Azoulay explains that the study, “provides evidence that the research done in the public sector is useful — it’s relevant for the research done by private-sector firms.”

Newsweek reporter Jessica Wapner writes about a new study by MIT researchers that provides evidence that NIH funding contributes to a large number of patents in the field of biomedicine. The findings indicate that NIH-funded research “is not being done in an ivory tower,” explains Prof. Pierre Azoulay. “Companies use it as input in their own discovery efforts.”   

Nature reporter Elie Dolgin writes about Prof. Pierre Azoulay’s new research that shows NIH funding has a significant impact on innovation in the field of biomedicine. Azoulay explains that from an economic standpoint the U.S. is “under-investing overall” in biomedical research.

Los Angeles Times reporter Melissa Healy writes that a new study by Prof. Pierre Azoulay examining the impact of NIH-funded research shows that NIH funding, “fuels the kinds of innovations that drive the U.S. economy.” Azoulay explains, “NIH public funding expenditures have large effects on the patenting output of the private sector.”  

A study by Prof. Pierre Azoulay demonstrates the significant impact of NIH funding on biomedical patents, reports Carolyn Johnson for The Washington Post. Azoulay explains, “if your view was that the research done by academics...[has] no ramifications for the real world and the development of new medicines — well, that view is not correct.” 

President L. Rafael Reif writes for Foreign Affairs that funding for fundamental research is key to cultivating growth. “The breakthroughs today were built on the hard work and generous funding of past generations. If today’s Americans want to leave similar legacies, they need to refill the research pipelines and invest more in the nation’s scientific infrastructure.”

Calla Cofield writes for Scientific American that a grant will allow the HERA team to search for light from the universe’s first generation of stars. Prof. Jacqueline Hewitt, who is leading the grant, says it’s “remarkable we're designing instruments so we can detect what was happening 13 billion years ago.” 

Greentech Media reporter Julian Spector writes that during the Department of Energy’s ARPA-E Summit, President L. Rafael Reif made the case for the necessity of government funding for basic science.  Reif explained that support for scientific research is “an investment in our future.”

Boston Herald reporter Lindsay Kalter writes that Prof. Ed Boyden is working on a new effort to develop technologies that would allow doctors to explore tumors using virtual reality. Boyden explains that he and his colleagues hope to use virtual reality to explore “what a tumor’s weaknesses are, and what makes it thrive.”

On Reuters TV, President L. Rafael Reif emphasizes the importance of fundamental scientific research. On the need for federal support for discovery science, he explains that at “places like MIT, we want to make the world better, and to make the world better you have to try to answer the most fundamental questions.” 

The Media Lab will serve as one of the first anchor institutions for a new initiative, the Ethics and Governance of Artificial Intelligence Fund, which will “support research and development to make AI beneficial for humans,” reports Jordan Graham for the Boston Herald. 

The Media Lab will serve as a founding institution for a new effort focused on advancing artificial intelligence research for the public good, reports April Glaser for CNBC. Research will focus on everything from investigating how” socially responsible artificially intelligent systems can be designed” to fostering “understanding of the complexities of artificial intelligence.”

Wall Street Journal reporter Bob Davis writes about a study by Prof. David Autor that shows U.S. industries facing increased competition from China reduced R&D spending. Autor notes the findings show the importance of federal support for R&D.