Spotlight on Science Educators

It's the beginning of a new school year for K through 12ers across America and that means sharpened pencils, piles of books, and extracurricular activities galore. Each fall as we prepare for the new school year, the focus is almost always on the returning students. Sales on backpacks and school clothes, extra physicals and check-ups, and stories about changes to standardized testing abound.

As we concentrate on the next generation of doctors, lawyers, office workers, and more, it can be easy to forget the other population that is also going back to school: the teachers.

Here at New Voices, we know we wouldn't be anywhere if it weren't for the amazing teachers who helped guide us to where we are now. To show our thanks, we're going to spend the next few days highlighting some of the science educators who helped create the foundation for us to become the science communicators and advocates we are today.

We invite you to join us with your personal stories too. Leave a comment, or send your story to hbenson at researchamerica.org to guest post about a science educator in your life.

Financing A New Business in the Life Sciences

Welcome back to our entrepreneurship series. In last week’s post, I discussed the importance of research funding to the business development (and economic development) pipeline. As promised, I’ll provide more information today about the critical step of acquiring financing—or money to run the business.

It’s nearly impossible to do anything these days without it costing money. The same holds true for starting a life sciences business. In fact, life sciences business takes a long time and a lot of money before they become successful. Unlike starting a pizza restaurant, for example, a life science entrepreneur may need to spend several years conducting additional research and testing their product before they can turn a profit (unless you’re conducting lots of chemistry research at your pizza parlor to create the perfect sauce).

For this reason, state governments have realized that they need to implement strategies to help life science entrepreneurs get access to the money they need to start their businesses. In fact, 35 states plus Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia have implemented strategies to facilitate growth in the life sciences. Some local governments have also implemented strategies, but usually to a lesser extent.

Table 1 (below) shows some of the main sources of financing available to entrepreneurs.
Let’s go through a few of these.

If you are sitting on a huge pile of cash, great! You can probably self-finance your new business. But if you’re not, you’ll likely need to rely on one or more of these other sources of financing.

Private sources are heavily relied on by new life sciences businesses. For example, when my fellow blogger Ilse becomes a multi-millionaire, she could chose to invest her money in new life sciences businesses; she would be an angel investor. When my fellow bloggers Ilse, Heather, Emily and I all become multi-millionaires, we could pool our money together to invest in multiple businesses. We would create a venture capital fund (also referred to as VC), and would expect a higher return in a shorter time frame. Basically, you (scientists with venture capital funding) need to pay up a lot, and pay it sooner than later!

One of the most interesting sources of public financing is silent-equity partnerships. A silent-equity partnership is when a state or local government takes a silent role in supporting a new business by investing public funds in the business. For example, Minnesota recently tried to use a state pension fund to support new life science businesses. Some state leaders wanted to take $200 million from the state pension fund to invest in life science businesses. If the businesses made money, so would the state pension fund. But the converse is also true; if the businesses lost money, so would the state. Using pension funds is risky gamble, but can be an effective way to help new life science business get access to the money they need.

A great resource to learn about the financing options for life science businesses in your states is the State Biosciences Initiatives report by Battelle Memorial Institute and BIO. This report provides detailed information about new state initiatives aimed to help life science entrepreneurs.

Next week, we’ll look at how three states implemented policies to help life science entrepreneurs gain access to financing. In the mean time, I’m curious to gauge your opinion about states that are “life science industry leaders.”

In your opinion, what are the top 5 “leading life science states?”

This is Part 3 of 8 in our Entrepreneurship series.
Part 1 - Science and Entrepreneurship: An Introduction
Part 2 - It's All About the Ideas (and Money)
Part 3 - Financing a New Business in the Life Sciences
Part 4 - Leading Life Science States
Part 5 - Life Sciences in North Carolina
Part 6 - Life Sciences in Minnesota
Part 7 - Life Sciences in Kansas
Part 8 - Life Science Industry Overall

The Need for Federal Support for Research

In 1945 Vannevar Bush wrote to President Roosevelt:

"New impetus must be given to research in our country. Such impetus can come promptly only from the Government. Expenditures for research in the colleges, universities, and research institutes will otherwise not be able to meet the additional demands of increased public need for research."

from Science the Endless Frontier

Today, the federal government plays an important role in providing an impetus for scientific research in the United States. The most recent and very significant example of federal support for research is the $10.4 billion reinvestment that was made in the National Institutes of Health as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which has provided funding for health-related research throughout the country.

However, many Americans think more needs to be accomplished: Your Congress Your Health poll data indicates that many Americans think our national commitment to research should be higher and that they would like more funding for the NIH, CDC, FDA, and AHRQ.

How much of a role do you think the government should play in providing the impetus for research?

Are there any other organizations, agencies, or institutions that are capable providing an impetus for research?

Are there any other components, apart from funding, that you believe are important for providing an impetus for research?


Image Credit: Grant McCracken


This is Part 4 in our ongoing discussion of Science the Endless Frontier.
Part 1 - Introduction
Part 2 - Flowing Scientific Knowledge
Part 3 - The Importance of Basic Research
Part 4 - The Need for Federal Support for Research

President Obama's Health Care Reform Speech

Image credit: CBS News

Last night, President Obama addressed a joint session of Congress (and the nation) about health care reform. Pundits from everywhere have put in their two-cents about what the speech means, who it was for, and the merits of specific policy points.

Today on New Voices, we'd like to hear you be the pundits (we'll join in the fun too).

What sections of the speech stood out to you?

How is this like/different from the president's other national addresses?

Do you think the plan has any hope?

The comments section is open for discussion.

News Round Up: Culture Edition

Flu in the News
H1N1 is making news around the globe. The CDC is having a contest to decide the best public service announcement about swine flu prevention. Public awareness about H1N1 is important to help avoid the spread of the disease and encourage those who have come in contact with it to be treated.

In France, the government has taken a slightly different approach. Kissing, or "bises" of both cheeks is a common greeting that puts everyone in close contact. So, the government is officially discouraging kissing. There's a fairly humorous BBC story about it, but to keep it in perspective: in the U.S. bans like those in some French schools and businesses would be the equivalent of forbidding handshakes.

Science Around the World
Interested in science and science communication abroad? Check out what’s happening at the British Science Festival, one of Europe’s largest science festivals. Festival activities include lectures, chances to interact with the UK’s top scientists, and hands-on events for themes ranging from “medicine and health” to “the environment” and “what makes us human?” And because it offers events targeted for youth, adults, adults with some knowledge of the topic, and even families, this really is a prime example of how science can be fun and accessible.

For more about the fair and the scientists involved, check out the official website. Or, for the inside scoop, try BBC reporter Sue Nelson’s log. She includes anecdotes about scientists and even this equation (below) for a good science communicator, which we found pretty humorous.

What's so special about 09/09/09?
Finally, a random but interesting piece of news. As you might have noticed, today is 09/09/09. That may or may not mean much to you, but the Chinese think it is an especially lucky day because “nine, nine” in Chinese sounds like the word for “long-lasting.” As a result, tens of thousands of couples throughout China registered to get married today. Read more here.

It's All About the Ideas (and the Money)

Last week, I showed the steps to starting a spin-off company. Remember, ‘spin-off’ is the term used to describe a new company that is created based upon research from a university, hospital, or research center. (Think of the CSI and CSI: Miami analogy.) I will refer to all of the steps together, from start to finish, as the business development pipeline or Pipeline. Here is the Pipeline again as a refresher:
Someone once told me, you always have to start from the beginning. So, that's where we'll start. The beginning of the the Pipeline is to identify new opportunities from research. But as you know if you're a researcher, this research has to be funded somehow, usually by governments, universities and/or non-profit organizations.

I need to squeeze in my academic quote for this blog. Bear with me for three truly academic--but important--sentences (from my forthcoming thesis):

Studies have shown that research funding directly affects the Pipeline by increasing the number of spin-offs created at the end. Adams & Griliches (1996) and Siegel et al (1999) found a positive relationship between research funding and the number of university spin-offs created. DeGregorio & Shane (2005) found a direct, empirical relationship between research funding and the number of spin-offs created.

(Whew . . . that wasn't too bad, was it?)

In other words, as research funding increases, so does the number of spin-offs that can be created. This is good news for research funding advocates—not only does research funding lead to better health, it also leads to new businesses. Creating those new businesses can be referred to as ‘economic development’—two buzz words that any elected official loves to hear.
The next step in the Pipeline is to secure intellectually property (IP) rights, usually in the form of patents or licenses. Many research institutions have specialists who will help researchers secure IP rights. These IP specialists usually work in Technology Transfer Offices within the research institutions. IP is a relatively complex topic, and an entire series could be devoted to IP alone. At this point, all you need to know if that IP rights are important to start a spin-off, so visit your institution’s Technology Transfer Office soon if you have questions.

After securing IP rights, it’s time to secure funding to start the new business. Surprise, surprise--you need more money to make your idea work. The next post in this series will focus solely on possible sources of financing through the different stages of business development.

With the right people, policies and resources in place, an entrepreneur will be able to develop his or her technology into a successful market product. There are a lot of resources that state and local governments can provide to help entrepreneurs. Future posts in this series will discuss those resources as well.


This is Part 2 of 8 in our Entrepreneurship series.
Part 1 - Science and Entrepreneurship: An Introduction
Part 2 - It's All About the Ideas (and Money)
Part 3 - Financing a New Business in the Life Sciences
Part 4 - Leading Life Science States
Part 5 - Life Sciences in North Carolina
Part 6 - Life Sciences in Minnesota
Part 7 - Life Sciences in Kansas
Part 8 - Life Science Industry Overall

Happy Labor Day

We at New Voices are headed out for the weekend and will be back on Tuesday with more exciting posts about science communication and advocacy.

Have a wonderful holiday weekend!

Using Comedy to Share Science

One great means of communication - for any topic - is comedy. Today, we want to share a couple of short videos that approach science using humor.

The first comes from THE science comedian, Brian Malow, who by his stand-up style, makes it clear that the audience is in for some laughs. At the same time, there is no question that science will be taking center stage.


This is intentionally educational, but the story they use lightens the mood enough for people to stick around and absorb the facts.


Finally, we have Norm Goldblatt, a scientist turned comedian.


Which is the most effective at engaging you? Which would be best for a non-scientific audience?What other comedic ways have you seen/heard science presented?

Signing Off but Not Out

"At such a difficult moment, there are those who say we cannot afford to invest in science, that support for research is somehow a luxury at moments defined by necessities. I fundamentally disagree. Science is more essential for our prosperity, our security, our health, our environment, and our quality of life than it has ever been before."

~U.S. President Barack Obama speaking to the National Academies of Sciences

President Obama has it exactly right. Science and research are more essential to our quality of life than ever before. From finding a cure to debilitating disease and conditions, to developing technologies to make our lives easier (and in many cases, more enjoyable), to developing energy sources to keep our country prosperous, science and research will continue to be the driving force behind American innovation and quality of life for years to come.

Like many of you, science and research is a cause that’s deeply personal to me. Since 2004, one of my parents has been living with Parkinson’s disease. The disease affects my family—and an estimated 1.5 million other American families—every day. We’ve come to rely on science and research to making living with Parkinson’s disease easier. And along with those 1.5 million families, we continue to hope for a cure.

Matt (right), his mom Sharon (middle), and sister Gina (left) meeting with US Congressman Ron Kind (WI-3) to discuss the importance of Parkinson's disease research.

The Parkinson’s disease diagnosis compelled me to take an active role in accelerating the search for a cure. With minimal scientific ability, I realized I would be most effective as an advocate for research. I was fortunate enough to have an opportunity to work with the New Voices for Research project this summer where I was able to take a small role in promoting a cause I feel very strongly about.

As I look back on the summer, I’m impressed by all that New Voices for Research, and our sponsoring organization, Research!America, was able to accomplish. We were able to do so because it’s our professional job.

But now that my internship here is over, and I’m heading back to the reality at the University of Minnesota—classes, projects, research, term papers, repeat, repeat, repeat—advocating for research won’t be my primary employment. However, it’s important for me to make sure that speaking out for research remains a priority. I know how easy it is to say “I’m just too busy to do that right now” because I say it all the time. But after this summer, I’ve realized how important it really is to actively speak out for research. If we, the people most closely involved in and dependent on research, don’t, then who will?

At a briefing I attended this summer, CNN political contributor Paul Begala made a statement that reaffirmed why we need to be advocates for research (I’m paraphrasing here):

"Politicians don’t lead—they follow the public."

Coming from a former White House advisor, this is all the more a reason to make our voices for research louder.

If you’ve spoken out for research, thank you! If you’ve yet to take the first step, now is the time! New Voices has provided you with some impeccable tools to making speaking out easier than ever (and New Voices will continue to do so in the future). The first step is always the hardest, and it always gets easier, and more rewarding as you go.

Thank you to New Voices and Research!America for a great opportunity this summer. And thank YOU for reading this blog!

Best wishes for your future endeavors as a New Voice for Research.

Matt Hanzlik starts his senior year at the University of Minnesota next week, and New Voices was thrilled to have him as a regular blogger this summer. We look forward to hearing from him as a guest blogger and advocate in the future. Matt's entrepreneurship series will continue throughout the coming weeks.

Science and Entrepreneurship: An Introduction

Which of these statements is true?

Science = Mmm . . . this frozen pizza sure tastes good. *Sigh.* Wish I could afford something else for dinner.
Science = I'm glad I spent a gagillion hours on that research project, just to put someone else's name on it. *Sigh.* I wish I were my own boss.
Science = A business opportunity to create high paying jobs, keep what you earn, and be your own boss.

The answer: All of the above. I reluctantly admit the first two are true, but let's focus on the last one. . .

Science = A business opportunity to create high paying jobs, keep what you earn, and be your own boss.

In other words,

Science = Entrepreneurship

By now, it’s clear that science has had some significant benefits on human health and well being. But have you thought about science as the starting point for new businesses? Because of my background in business and entrepreneurship, I decided to research the process of starting a science-related business. Over the course of a few posts, I’ll share some of my research findings with you. Consider this the first in our series on entrepreneurship. If you’ve ever thought about starting your own science-related business, listen up!

Over the next few posts, I’ll explain what exactly it is that an entrepreneur—someone that starts a new business—needs to start a new life sciences company. When you think of entrepreneur, think of William H. Gates III, the man we know as Bill Gates. (For those of us living on intern/student salary--or the comparable--this may not be something you want to hear: Mr. Gates is estimated to be worth $57 billion. And his net worth went down last year.)

Do you want to be in the same position as Mr. Gates? If so, you'll need to know what entrepreneurs and new businesses need to be successful. You'd probably also like to know what state and local governments can do to help new businesses get started.

Note: My project focuses specifically on life sciences businesses, but much of this will be relevant to any scientist who has discovered a great idea that they want to turn into a business. (‘Life sciences’ is the umbrella term for the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical devices and the agricultural/industrial biology industries.)

But first things first—what are the different ways you can start a life sciences business? Here are two common options.

• First, you could create a new company. A good example of creating a new business is Medtronic. Sixty years ago, two relatives who were operating a medical device repair service realized that they could make improvements to the devices they were repairing. The relatives recognized an opportunity, and created a new company to fulfill a need.


• Second, you could create a company out of research from a university or research center. ‘Spin-off’ is the term used to describe a new company that is created based upon research from a university, hospital, or research center. Think of this like a TV spin-off, for example. Create a hit TV show, like CSI, and then create a spin-off, CSI: Miami, for example.

Same applies to research (with some obvious technical differences, of course.) A researcher who discovers a brilliant idea literally takes that research and, with help, spins it off in to a business. Once the research becomes a business, the researcher becomes an entrepreneur.

To whet your appetite, here is a grossly oversimplified diagram that shows the steps to starting a spin-off.

Savor on this for a bit. In future posts in this series, I’ll explain more about the steps in this diagram, focusing on the steps that I think are most important—identifying new ideas from research and acquiring funding. Check back for the rest of this series!


This is Part 1 of 8 in our Entrepreneurship series.
Part 1 - Science and Entrepreneurship: An Introduction
Part 2 - It's All About the Ideas (and Money)
Part 3 - Financing a New Business in the Life Sciences
Part 4 - Leading Life Science States
Part 5 - Life Sciences in North Carolina
Part 6 - Life Sciences in Minnesota
Part 7 - Life Sciences in Kansas
Part 8 - Life Science Industry Overall