"Perhaps the most serious long-term problem for biomedical research," she went on, "is that the young seem to be shying away. Fewer scientists under the age of 40 are applying for NIH grants and the group under 45 is a fast-shrinking component of our total talent base. In immediate terms, talented postdocs are becoming harder to find, and young people trained in research are turning to other careers."
Apparently, becoming an independent investigator by virtue of current NIH funding practices has become too difficult and chancy for younger people. Some might contend that the problem lies in the nature of peer review--that it unfairly favors experienced scientists. However, I feel that attempts to improve the quality of peer review are beside the point: It makes sense, doesn't it, that since relatively few applications are being funded, peer reviews must rely on past productivity, thereby constricting the funding available for untried ...
