-
(单词翻译:双击或拖选)
Washington
27 May 2008
A private U.S.-based philanthropic group has announced it will spend more than half a billion dollars to fund groundbreaking medical research in a multitude of fields. From Washington, VOA's Michael Bowman reports.
The Howard Hughes Medical Institute says the $600-million initiative will focus on high-risk, high-reward areas of study where there is little or no guarantee of success, but where breakthroughs could lead to significant advances in fields ranging from epidemiology to genetics.
The institute, based outside Washington, says it will fund research into vexing1 questions such as the effect of global climate change on the spread of infectious diseases, as well as unconventional ideas such as the correlation2 between computer engineering and the human immune system.
The funds will be dispersed3 to 56 scientists from more than two dozen American universities and research institutions.
Every year, the U.S. government devotes tens of billions of dollars to scientific research. But observers note that federal funding has remained flat in recent years, boosting the need for other sources of grant money. Scientists say private funding is ideal for riskier4 ventures that might not gain government approval.
David Clayton is the medical institute's vice5 president for research operations.
"Our style of doing research does give people the courage to do things that are of higher risk," he explained. "We will accept the fact that something that takes a big change scientifically is, by definition, more likely to fail. So, if there is a high risk taken on a problem that can be agreed was a problem worth tackling, and the individual fails, he will probably get renewed [for more funding]. It is a more forgiving system than one that has a lot of detailed6 reporting requirements and expects more steady-as-you-go progress."
The Howard Hughes Medical Institute, named after the pioneering American aviator7 and filmmaker who died in 1976, is the largest private backer of biomedical research in the United States. More information can be found at HHMI.org.
1 vexing | |
adj.使人烦恼的,使人恼火的v.使烦恼( vex的现在分词 );使苦恼;使生气;详细讨论 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
2 correlation | |
n.相互关系,相关,关连 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
3 dispersed | |
adj. 被驱散的, 被分散的, 散布的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
4 riskier | |
冒险的,危险的( risky的比较级 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
5 vice | |
n.坏事;恶习;[pl.]台钳,老虎钳;adj.副的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
6 detailed | |
adj.详细的,详尽的,极注意细节的,完全的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
7 aviator | |
n.飞行家,飞行员 | |
参考例句: |
|
|