How to break through the traditional linear scientific research paradigm and PI system?, Linear | Discipline | Traditional in the Era of Coexistence of Large and Small Sciences
Recently, under the guidance of the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Science and Technology, an interdisciplinary exchange activity was held at the Shanghai Institute of Science and Technology. Liu Xiaolong, director of the Center for Excellence and Innovation in Molecular Cell Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, led more than 20 young scientists studying life science, and had in-depth exchanges with more than 10 young scientists studying new generation information technology, such as artificial intelligence, high-performance computing systems, quantum computing, and so on, to explore the cooperation direction of applying the new generation of information technology to life science research.
The Third Plenary Session of the 12th Shanghai Municipal Party Committee proposed that there is currently a problem of paradigm lag in strengthening the function of science and technology innovation policy sources. Many scientific research organizations still adopt the traditional linear paradigm or PI system, which results in low collaborative efficiency of innovation across fields, levels, and disciplines.
How to break through the traditional linear paradigm or PI system and enhance the collaborative efficiency of cross-border innovation? Jiefang Daily's Shangguan News reporter interviewed young scientists from Shanghai Institute of Intelligence and Strategic Planning Experts from Shanghai Institute of Science.
Breaking through the traditional PI system and promoting interdisciplinary cooperation
According to Zhang Huanchen, an assistant professor at Tsinghua University and a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University, the PI system is a widely adopted research organization model internationally, particularly in the fields of natural sciences and basic research. It is an abbreviation for the term "Principal Investigator" in English, which can be translated as "academic leader" or "chief scientist".
PI first appeared in research project applications in European and American countries. The National Institutes of Health in the United States defines PI as "an individual recognized by the applicant institution who has certain powers and responsibilities to guide projects supported by the fund." Regardless of whether the applicant is a professor, associate professor, or assistant professor, as long as the project funding is obtained, the applicant can become PI. "In American universities, a PI often teaches several doctoral students. If he applies for a large amount of research project funding, he can also recruit several researchers." Zhang Huanchen said, "China's PI system comes from Europe and America, providing institutional guarantees for scientists to conduct independent research."
As a new research and development institution, Shanghai Jizhi Research Institute also adopts the PI system, and now has 34 PIs, including 3 academicians of the CAS Member and 31 young scientists. However, unlike the traditional PI system, Turing Award winner and director of the Shanghai Institute of Intelligence, Yao Qizhi, encourages cross disciplinary cooperation between PI and researchers from other disciplines both inside and outside the institute, and has established a cross intelligence direction. Three PIs lead the research in artificial intelligence biology, ancient DNA big data analysis and application of East Asian populations, and meteorological big data and artificial intelligence.
The PI team of Shanghai Qizhi Research Institute is researching reinforcement learning algorithms.
The reason for breaking through the traditional PI system is because in many scientific research fields such as artificial intelligence, the importance of interdisciplinary research is increasingly prominent. The "AI4S" that has become popular in the scientific community this year is an example. Zhu Xueyan, Director of the Strategic Planning Research Office of the Shanghai Institute of Science, said that "AI4S" is a new scientific research paradigm, different from previous research paradigms such as experiments, theory, simulation, and data-driven. It closely integrates artificial intelligence with various disciplinary fields and is expected to create a large amount of new scientific knowledge and technology.
Based on the new scientific research paradigm, the Basic Research Division of the Municipal Science and Technology Commission organized cross-border exchanges between the Shanghai Jizhi Research Institute and the Molecular Cell Science Innovation Center of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. This type of activity can break through traditional linear paradigms or PI systems, allowing researchers to break out of their research fields and collide with researchers from different disciplines to spark ideas. "Our cross-border cooperation can also involve humanities, social sciences, and arts, such as using AI technology to decipher ancient Chinese characters such as oracle bone script and Mayan script," said Chen Yilei, an assistant professor at Shanghai Qizhi Research Institute and Tsinghua University.
Disrupting linear paradigms and enhancing innovation synergy efficiency
In Zhu Xueyan's view, technological innovation is a complex system rather than a simple input-output relationship, so linear paradigms are no longer applicable to many current scientific research activities, and are replaced by systematic paradigms. "In this era of coexistence of big and small sciences, the PI system, a small scientific research organization model, is still effective. However, research activities that gather numerous researchers, invest a large amount of funds, and utilize large scientific facilities are becoming increasingly valuable. This is because the complexity of technological innovation has greatly increased compared to the past. To explore new scientific knowledge, it is necessary to adopt a systematic paradigm, organize big scientific research, initiate and implement big scientific plans, and seek breakthroughs at the boundaries of natural sciences such as material, information, and life."
Large scientific facilities: Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Light Source and X-ray Free Electron Laser Test Facility
In this context, it is particularly important to enhance the collaborative efficiency of innovation across fields, levels, and disciplines. "In terms of innovation collaboration, Shanghai still needs to vigorously strengthen its function as a source of science and technology innovation." Zhu Xueyan bluntly stated that the government and relevant institutions can start from the government's strategic layout, new national system, risk sharing mechanism, and other aspects to study and improve the system and measures to enhance the efficiency of innovation collaboration.
In terms of government strategic layout, it is necessary to optimize the system and mechanism for selecting fields, projects, and talents in basic research, strengthen the forward-looking, strategic, and systematic layout of cutting-edge science and technology projects, and more layout in interdisciplinary fields, especially in non consensus areas, in order to breed original and disruptive scientific and technological achievements.
In the new national system, it is necessary to focus on strategic products and tasks that have market failures and clear goals, organize cross domain, cross level, and cross disciplinary "big army operations" for key core technologies, research and develop scientific and reasonable funding allocation plans, and strengthen cooperation between participating units and research and development personnel through top-level design, so as to effectively unite different technological forces.
In terms of risk sharing mechanisms, new policies can be explored to loosen the constraints on state-owned asset management, encouraging state-owned assets to dare to "invest early, invest small, and invest hard", and work together with social capital to promote early projects in the field of hard technology and accelerate the growth of small enterprises; At the same time, by creating a better market environment and supporting more venture capital institutions to develop in Shanghai, the construction of Shanghai's science and technology innovation center will be better matched with the construction of the financial center.
