Interesting article here about the ossification in US scientific research:-
“"We have developed an incentive system for young scientists that is much too risk-averse," Bruce Alberts, president of the National Academy of Sciences, said in a speech last year. Alberts, whose organization advises the federal government on scientific and technical matters, was basing his comments on biological research. But, he said, "I suspect that similar considerations also apply in many other areas of science."
As usual the article goes on to argue that various reforms to government research proposals need to be made. In reality it seem that in the sciences what we’re observing is just regulatory capture, the scientific community is more geared towards playing the system than developing research:-
“One feature of the existing research system is that scientists are getting older before they pin down funding of their own to pursue experiments, Alberts said in his speech. "Almost no one finds it possible to start an independent scientific career under the age of 35," he said. "Even the most talented of our young people seem to be forced to endure several years of rejected grant applications before they finally acquire enough 'preliminary data' to assure the reviewers that they are likely to accomplish their stated goals. Weinstein said the current situation differs from a time when young people were allowed to publish highly speculative, even wrong assertions, on their path to major discoveries. This applies to both Albert Einstein and Nobel prize-winning physicist Paul Dirac, he said. The system effectively discourages scientists from doing excellent work, Weinstein said.