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...
On Tue, 23 Feb 2010 21:36:30 -0800, "nom=de=plume"
wrote:

wrote in message
. ..
On Tue, 23 Feb 2010 15:11:45 -0800, "nom=de=plume"
wrote:

Private companies do a lot more than NIH. I only have to point to the
human genome project where a private company cracked the code in
months and NIH dunced around for years on it.

No they don't. The NIH is not tasked with things in so narrow of a
focus.
Go
to their website and read their mission statement.

I worked at NIH for several years (IBM). I know the culture


But, the NIH doesn't have as it's mission to make a profit.

"The National Institutes of Health (NIH), a part of the U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services, is the primary Federal agency for conducting
and
supporting medical research. Helping to lead the way toward important
medical discoveries that improve people's health and save lives, NIH
scientists investigate ways to prevent disease as well as the causes,
treatments, and even cures for common and rare diseases. Composed of 27
Institutes and Centers, the NIH provides leadership and financial support
to
researchers in every state and throughout the world."

There are several here, perhaps you included, who would rather have it be
either a profit center or be for profit. I think I'll stick with them the
way they are, all faults included.


OK so you got the Wikipedia spin. The real answer is the NIH is a
conduit for federal grants. Most of what they do is to distribute
money around to anyone who can write a decent grant request.
Unfortunately that is not the most efficient way to actually do
research. People who write grant requests keep score based on how big
a grant they can get.
BTW that is what my son in law did for many years (writing grant
requests). Now he is in law school.
The phrase "sister in a whore house" does pop up now and then ;-)


Actually, that's from their own website. If you have a problemw with their
mission statement, you should complain to them.

I always hated writing grant requests. I did that pro bono for a non-profit
but never like it. Law school is tough but doable, esp. if you read fast.

--
Nom=de=Plume