ODT: Impossible to separate ‘good science from spin’

Neal Wallace writes in the Otago Daily Times about comments by a former science leader that the current science funding system is preventing science research being passed on to farmers.

He also criticised the propensity for CRIs to enter into commercial alliances, saying it, too, harmed technology transfer.

An excerpt: (read in full here)

“Jock Allison, the former director of the Invermay Research Centre, told the Clutha Agricultural Development Board annual meeting last week that scientists no longer talked to farmers and the competitive funding model for science did not allow for research results to be passed to farmers.

“”Often, useful technologies are not promoted to industry as there is no financial allocation to ensure that happens,” he said.”