PhilosophyIn 1997, we chose the name The Science Advisory Board because it is a familiar term to those who work in the life sciences and medical fields. The role of a scientific or medical advisory board in industry is to serve as the link between corporate decision-makers and the end-users of the company's products. At many companies, the advisory board consists of a handful of prestigious scientists or physicians who are flown in several times a year to advise on R&D and product development. These individuals generally have impeccable credentials, a long history of accomplishments, and their opinions are in great demand. They are also richly rewarded for their services.But not all scientific and medical professionals enjoy the same stature or "marketability." The young resident in the ER who needs a broader test panel on his blood gas analyzer; the nurse manager whose patient monitors continually fail due to a software glitch; or even the post-doc trying to isolate both DNA and RNA from the same sample -- all have unmet needs and valuable opinions. The accomplished scientists and physicians that sit on corporate boards undoubtedly have a valuable perspective. Simply put, many corporate advisors have reached a point in their distinguished careers where they no longer have to deal with the common frustrations that arise from inappropriate technology, poorly designed products or sub-standard performance from vendors. It is our contention, therefore, that the traditional concept of a scientific/medical advisory board fails to accurately reflect the experiences, preferences and unmet needs of those who have to actually use the products manufactured by the companies they advise. But it has been physically and financially impossible for any company to invite thousands of their customers to sit in a conference room and share their experiences and opinions. Until now... What we are trying to do is give those in "the trenches" a prominent voice that has previously been denied to them. And there's no doubt in our minds that scientific and medical manufacturers place great value on the opinions of end-users. After all, their motivation is simple -- building a "better mousetrap" leads to greater customer loyalty and commercial success. We believe the power of the Internet can be leveraged to enable us to facilitate communication between manufacturers and end-users on a scale never before possible. Over the last ten years, The Science Advisory Board has supported many of the leading companies in the biotechnology, laboratory equipment, medical device and pharmaceutical industries and helped them to better understand the expectations and unmet needs of end-users. It is these suppliers who sponsor the topics considered by the Board and contribute the funds that are used to reward the participants. The opinions of end-users have real value to manufacturers, and we see no reason that end-users should not be compensated for the time they take to share their insights. Moreover, we sincerely believe that both sides ultimately benefit from improved communication and understanding. Companies that listen to the end-users of their products will be rewarded with a lasting competitive advantage. Scientists and clinicians will benefit from having products that are better designed, more effective and vendors that are more responsive to their needs. Unlike most professional societies and publications, we NEVER release personal or contact information about our members to third parties or allow our membership directory to be used for commercial solicitations. We will never attempt to sell you anything. Your opinions, experiences and insights are all that we seek. The Science Advisory Board has been organized, and paid for, by BioInformatics, LLC. (www.gene2drug.com), a research and consulting firm specializing in technology assessments with no ties to any other corporation or government agency. Individually, it often hard for one person's opinion to make a difference, but collectively -- through The Science Advisory Board -- it is possible to exert great influence! If you have any questions about the philosophy of The Science Advisory Board, please do not hesitate to contact us at questions@scienceboard.net. |
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