Philosophy Q&A

• Why has HHMI opened its own research facility?

  We have established the Janelia Farm Research Campus because we believe that certain types of research are not well supported by current mechanisms and that HHMI with its resources, flexibility, and willingness to invest in challenging, long-term projects and atypical research environments can have a major impact in filling this gap.

• What is the relationship of HHMI to Janelia Farm?

  Janelia Farm is a new HHMI program and is a complementary extension of the existing investigator program, through which more than 300 HHMI scientists direct laboratories at universities and other research organizations across the United States. With the establishment of Janelia Farm, HHMI has added a freestanding research institute to its biomedical research portfolio.

• How does the working environment at Janelia Farm differ from academia?

  The Janelia Farm environment fosters scientific interaction and promotes collaboration. Because scientists at Janelia Farm do not have teaching, grant-writing, and administrative duties, they have more time for informal interactions with their colleagues. The labs have an “open plan” to allow research groups to intermingle. In addition, there are nearby spaces for informal meetings, as well as numerous small meeting rooms. To promote productive “collisions,” we have central meeting places, and people at Janelia Farm have many opportunities to meet one another. These include the dining room, tea-time, and a pub, as well as periodic social events in the evenings and on weekends (open to friends and families). More formal occasions are also scheduled, such as weekly internal seminars.