Episode 7. A scientist’s social contract
- Dan Salvail
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
I was reminded last week of the extraordinary circumstances which allow scientists to pursue a life’s passion – the generation of new knowledge, in all fields of research; Aside from talent and interest -thanks for the genes, Mom & Dad!-, the location of our birth and upbringing, the patience and devotion of our teachers, and a fair chunk of cash led us all to the labs where we labor today.
In addition to parental support, the public’s financial contribution to the education of all scientists should not be underestimated: In addition to undergraduate scholarships and loans, most graduate students in science benefit from full scholarships worth on average US$ 26 027 per year in 2021 1. Grad students learn in laboratories wherein public funds cover the cost of disposables, instruments, salaries, travel stipends, even the cost of publishing the results of their research work.
Upon accepting her/his first grant, a budding scientist enters an informal social contract, a recognition that the paying public should benefit somehow from the investment made in one’s education, and later, career. This tacit agreement ensures the publication of the results of one’s research, so that the knowledge thus shared can be used by society to alleviate pain, generate energy, or feed the masses. The current grant system, with its over-reliance on publication in peer-reviewed journals, nonetheless achieves the ultimate purpose of publicly-funded research: to benefit society through the dissemination of new knowledge.
Once knowledge is made available, public and private organizations transform it into practical solutions to enhance human well-being. The social contract guiding those organizations is different: rather than financing their activities with public grants, they generate revenue by selling their solutions, services and products. Upstream, governments can steer the flow of innovations where the population needs it most by prioritizing specific fields of research in their granting programs. In the USA, for instance, the majority of the 1.2 trillion dollars in grant were directed toward health-care programs in 2022 2.
The social contract between scientists and the public fails sometimes; last week, I ordered knock-out animals from a popular breeding facility, with the intention of advancing the development of a drug against hypertension. I was told that the animals were for “not-for-profit” organizations only and that the private company I work for could therefore not use them. I got nowhere by pointing out the irony that the organization was selling the genetically-modified animals -for a profit- to non-profit organizations only.
I then invoked the social contract between the public and the Scripps academic who had created the animals with parts of the 216 million dollars in government funds awarded to the Scripps Research Institute in 2011, when the animals were created.
To date, my efforts to benefit society through the development of a novel drug against hypertension remain obstructed; apparently, the public should pay for the salary and expenses associated with the creation of unique research animals, but their use can be legally limited to specific activities. And thereby, my own social contract with society can not be fulfilled: my publicly-funded training can only go so far when I’m denied access to the tools necessary for my work.
The situation obviously reaches beyond my team and our mission to create a drug against hypertension; how many physicists, engineers, and chemists are denied access to publicly funded technology because they work for “for-profit” organizations? If the US government clearly can steer the direction of innovation by allocating public funds, the private sector remains the engine that drives research, with 75% of R&D expenditures in the USA in 2019 4.
It is time for the taxpayers to keep an eye on their investments in education, technology, and research. The public must demand that we scientists live up to the social contract we accept when we continue our training as young adults. Educated scientists must communicate their knowledge through presentations and publications aimed at both the scientific community, and the general public. Finally, the highly skilled researchers working in public and private institutions must encourage the transformation of new knowledge into solutions which benefit society.
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