The Gates Foundation pursues a pretty innovative approach in awarding research grants. Here’s the key quote from the Financial Times:
To apply for a grant, the foundation requires only the outline of a hypothesis and a way of testing it: it does not need applicants to provide data to support their theory, a requirement that puts many researchers, especially those from the developing world, in a chicken-and-egg conundrum.
I’ve been urging our PI’s to think outside the box lately about funding sources. This looks like a pretty good idea, although it needs to be tied to world health.
Jim
Discoverers and Discoveries 