Page 179 - CW E-Magazine (6-8-2024)

Special Report

Balancing breakthroughs: Scientists navigate the

challenge of discovery and delivery

pon completing a Master’s or  The constant need for resource and DR. AKSHAY TIWARI

Ph.D. in any discipline, we step budget management. Concorde Biotech Ltd., Ahmedabad
Uinto the job market brimming  A strong desire to achieve fi nancial E-mail: dr.akstiwari@gmail.com

with ideas and aspirations. Eager to learn stability.
and innovate, we seek novel solutions  A lack of enthusiasm for exploring vance your project, while negative ones

to scientifi c challenges. Our theoretical novel outcomes. teach you valuable lessons about what
knowledge, shaped by education and  The evolution into a result-driven to avoid. Therefore, it is crucial to learn

enriched by sources like news and dis- professional. from mistakes and approach your tasks
covery channels, fuels our ambition to in a way that maximizes the likelihood
become exceptional scientists. Science for the greater good of success. Conduct a thorough literature
Discovery is always benefi cial for search before beginning your practicum
On the other side, industries eagerly humanity, but the key is how we utilize to understand the best practices and com-
welcome you, anticipating that your ex- this information for the greater good. For mon pitfalls. Utilising various database
pertise will boost R&D productivity and, instance, the discovery of nuclear fi s- search engines can save you time and
ultimately, enhance their annual balance sion led to the creation of nuclear reac- provide specifi c, relevant information.
sheets. Over time, you may fi nd your- tors, providing energy for several nations. Additionally, you can leverage artifi cial
self losing sight of your original goals, However, it also paved the way for the intelligence tools to assist in designing
gradually transforming into the kind of development of nuclear weapons capable your experimental work specifi cations
employee the company needs. This shift of catastrophic destruction. and achieving successful outcomes.
often means becoming profi cient at com- These tools can also streamline budget
pleting tasks assigned by your manager Such studies initially took place in calculations, making them more accurate
on time, while suppressing your curiosity university research institutes, where sci- and suitable for approval.
for new or creative ideas. Some scientists entists investigated novel ideas without
are fortunate enough to enjoy the freedom the constraints of budget or schedule Benchmarks and specifi c goals
to work independently in well-supervised pressures. After making discoveries, Scientists should set small bench-
labs, but such instances are rare. they evaluated the applications and uti- marks and specifi c goals aligned with
lity of their fi ndings. The growing trend managerial expectations in addition to
Contemporary defi nitions of greatness of collaboration between academia and designing their experiments. This ap-
Today, a great scientist is no longer industry is easing the burden of research proach enables them to complete pro-
defi ned as someone exceptionally know- and development (R&D) on industries. It jects on schedule while continuing their
ledgeable about a fi eld, capable of creating also enhances knowledge across various research to achieve advanced techno-
groundbreaking innovations, or dedicated fi elds and makes academic research more logical breakthroughs. However, it is
to relentless scientifi c inquiry. Instead, self-suffi cient with industry support. Uni- also crucial to include negative experi-
contemporary defi nitions emphasize versity research lab facilities are invalu- ments in your design to understand the
“knowledgeable individuals who can dis- able to MSME businesses and are crucial reasoning behind your optimism. In re-
cover and deliver projects within defi ned to the growth of new entrepreneurs. The search, unexpected or surpassing results
economic and targeted timelines.” government’s Atal Innovation Center can sometimes occur. These surprising
project is a signifi cant step toward help- outcomes may lead to groundbreaking
This shift begs the question: what has ing small businesses launch. solutions, potentially inspiring Nobel
led to these circumstances? Prize-winning discoveries.
Maximizing the likelihood of success
Several factors contribute to this trend: As scientists, we must always remem- Thus, for scientists, establishing a
 The race to develop technology rapi- ber that research is an ongoing process balance between delivery and discovery
dly within limited timeframes. with no end. There are always opportuni- is a major challenge. Scientists are under
 The use of AI and other databases, ties to generate new ideas or conduct ex- constant pressure to complete projects on
which can limit deep knowledge in periments, which can yield either positive schedule and within budget, while also
specifi c areas. or negative results. Positive outcomes ad- fostering scientifi c innovation.

Chemical Weekly August 6, 2024 179

Contents Index to Advertisers Index to Products Advertised