@article{872ee2c3483b4cdaaa1256800bffef38,
title = "Basic science under threat: Lessons from the Skirball Institute",
abstract = "Support for basic science has been eclipsed by initiatives aimed at specific medical problems. The latest example is the dismantling of the Skirball Institute at NYU School of Medicine. Here, we reflect on the achievements and mission underlying the Skirball to gain insight into the dividends of maintaining a basic science vision within the academic enterprises.",
author = "Agnel Sfeir and Gord Fishell and Schier, {Alexander F.} and Dustin, {Michael L.} and Gan, {Wen Biao} and Alexandra Joyner and Ruth Lehmann and David Ron and David Roth and Talbot, {William S.} and Deborah Yelon and Arturo Zychlinsky",
note = "Funding Information: We call on the government as well as philanthropists and academic institutions to renew Bush{\textquoteright}s vision of science as an endless frontier and act in support of basic science institutes that foster fundamental discovery biology that embody the Skirball pillars ( Figure 1 ). First and foremost, basic science needs funding agencies, including National Institutes of Health (NIH) and National Science Foundation (NSF), to act. The NIH Director{\textquoteright}s Fund was developed to instigate investigator-driven and innovative science. This mechanism is a step in the right direction but is not enough, especially when the modular budget for R01 grants, designed to foster research in basic science, has seen no increase since 1999 (see web resources ). Various branches within NIH fund extramural program projects and centers, including a mechanism that supports National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated cancer centers. One idea would be for the NIH to establish a similar funding program that recognizes basic science institutes that foster fundamental discovery without being defined or confined to a particular disease. Similar funding challenges are being faced abroad, as the Wellcome Trust has decided to increase its focus on global heath, including health impacts of climate change, and European Union leaders imposed significant cuts in the European Research Council (ERC) budget in favor of applied research (see web resources ). Philanthropy also seems to be shifting away from endowment-based support for medical schools and universities in favor of launching theme-focused institutes that have minimal ties to academic institutions. While these new endeavors will certainly advance science, their dedication to specific diseases and therapies limits insights and cross-fertilization from other disciplines. Moreover, a serious knock-on effect is that their structures do not typically include a paired mission for graduate and postgraduate education and training. This last point highlights the need for medical schools and universities to strengthen their commitment to fundamental discovery biology, where science is pursued with no disease or particular endpoint in sight. To that end, now and more than ever, academic institutions need visionary leaders who can navigate challenging funding climates while preserving curiosity-driven basic science. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2022 Elsevier Inc.",
year = "2022",
month = mar,
day = "3",
doi = "10.1016/j.cell.2022.02.008",
language = "English (US)",
volume = "185",
pages = "755--758",
journal = "Cell",
issn = "0092-8674",
publisher = "Cell Press",
number = "5",
}