A 'reforestation plan' for biomedical research
Kondro, W.
Science 274(5287): 492
1996
ISSN/ISBN: 0036-8075 PMID: 8927998 Document Number: 456701
At a recent conference in Ottawa, Canada, to discuss innovative ways of funding medical research, an idea suggested by Canadian physician and entrepreneur Calvin Stiller became perhaps the hottest topic of debate. Stiller outlined an astonishing plan that would turn Canadian universities into venture capitalists. He proposed that universities, armed with government funds and assisted by tax shelters, would invest in companies that would commercialize their researchers' findings, and revenues would later be plowed back into medical research. His idea clearly resonated with the leaders of Canada's hard-pressed biomedical research establishment, which is in the process of absorbing a staggering 13 percent, four-year cut in government funding. The impact of implementing such a proposal is discussed.