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. 2014 Apr 22;111(16):5773-7.
doi: 10.1073/pnas.1404402111. Epub 2014 Apr 14.

Rescuing US biomedical research from its systemic flaws

Bruce Alberts  1 , Marc W Kirschner, Shirley Tilghman, Harold Varmus
Affiliations

Rescuing US biomedical research from its systemic flaws

Bruce Alberts et al. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. .

Abstract

The long-held but erroneous assumption of never-ending rapid growth in biomedical science has created an unsustainable hypercompetitive system that is discouraging even the most outstanding prospective students from entering our profession--and making it difficult for seasoned investigators to produce their best work. This is a recipe for long-term decline, and the problems cannot be solved with simplistic approaches. Instead, it is time to confront the dangers at hand and rethink some fundamental features of the US biomedical research ecosystem.

Keywords: federal funding; graduate education; peer review; postdoctoral education.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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