New article in Nature (March 11, 2010 issue) examines the notion of ‘translational research’ as a way of fast-tracking HIV vaccines to ensure they reach those that need it. The article challenges conventional approaches to funding research which tend to be short term and focused on upstream basic research activities which fail to pull in the public and/or private sector actors that are capable of bringing valuable innovations to the market.

“These [models establish] practices that emphasize long-term (eight years or more) institutional commitment. They reward proven scientific leadership and track records rather than project-specific proposals; they try to link researchers with those from outside … R&D; and they limit major project reporting and reviews of laboratories to multi-year cycles, increasing time for [innovations to reach the market].”

http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v464/n7286/full/464161a.html