To the Editor: We strongly support the proposal1 that it is time to create a special grant category for curiosity-based research proposals. Having been in biomedical research for over 50 years, we have experienced a period when most research was curiosity based. We can thus compare with the present situation — research aiming for a rapid, practical and commercial outcome has become almost a necessity for survival because of the increasingly severe reduction in government funding for universities and research institutes. We would like to illustrate the value of curiosity-based research with a few Australian examples from our own fields.
The full article is accessible to AMA members and paid subscribers. Login to read more or purchase a subscription now.
Please note: institutional and Research4Life access to the MJA is now provided through Wiley Online Library.
- Division of Immunology and Cell Biology, The John Curtin School of Medical Research, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT.
- 1. Van Der Weyden MB. Curiosity, creativity and research grants [From the Editor's desk]. Med J Aust 2001; 175: 393.
- 2. Fenner F. The pathogenesis of acute exanthems. Lancet 1948; 2: 925-920.
- 3. Fenner F, Fantini B. Biological control of vertebrate pests. The history of myxomatosis — an experiment in evolution. Wallingford: CABI Publishing, 1999: 306-326.
- 4. Burnet FM. A modification of Jerne's theory of antibody production using the concept of clonal selection. Aust J Sci 1957; 20: 67-69.
- 5. Doherty PC, Zinkernagel RM. A biological role for the major histocompatibility antigens. Lancet 1975; 1: 406-409.
- 6. Parish CR. Immune deviation: a historical perspective. Immunol Cell Biol 1996; 74: 449-456.