Credit: U.S. National Science Foundation
When people hear that I spent my summer doing research through the Laidlaw Scholars Program, they usually ask the same question: “So…what was your project about?” The short answer is bioethics. The longer answer is that I spent the summer analyzing more than 300 National Science Foundation (NSF) awards to understand how recent funding changes have affected bioethics research across the United States. My goal was to identify which projects involved embedded ethics, how administrative terminations were reshaping the field, and what those changes might mean for the future of scientific innovation. But somewhere between hundreds of grant abstracts, spreadsheets, and long meetings with my mentor, I realized my project wasn’t really about grants at all. It was about priorities.
When I first started, I assumed research existed to answer questions. As my project progressed, I realized research also determines which questions are asked in the first place. Every grant I read represented a decision. Someone decided that a project studying responsible artificial intelligence, equitable healthcare, or research ethics was worth investing in. At the same time, other projects disappeared as funding priorities shifted. Looking at hundreds of awards side by side forced me to think about something I had never considered before: funding is never just about money. It reflects what we believe is important enough to study. That realization completely changed the way I think about science.
Growing up, I viewed scientific progress as a series of discoveries. Someone invents a new technology, publishes a paper, and eventually it changes the world. My research showed me that the process is much more complicated. Behind every breakthrough are countless decisions about what research receives support, what questions are prioritized, and what perspectives are included in the conversation. Because my project focused on bioethics, many of the grants I analyzed weren’t asking whether a technology worked; they were asking how it should be used. They explored questions about artificial intelligence in healthcare, community engagement, environmental justice, research integrity, and equitable access to innovation. These weren’t abstract philosophical discussions. They were practical questions that will shape how future scientific discoveries are implemented.
As I organized hundreds of awards into different categories, patterns slowly began to emerge. Projects that initially seemed unrelated suddenly fit together into a much larger picture. I found myself thinking less about individual grants and more about the broader direction of scientific research. If we continue investing heavily in developing new technologies, are we investing just as much in understanding their ethical consequences? If not, what does that mean for the future? Those questions became the foundation of my project, but they also changed how I think about research itself.
Before this summer, I assumed the value of research ended when a paper was published. Now I see research as part of a much larger conversation. A single study can influence policy decisions, shape funding priorities, inform public debate, or inspire entirely new areas of investigation. Even when a project doesn’t immediately change the world, it can change the questions policymakers, scientists, and communities ask next. That perspective made every hour spent reading grant abstracts feel meaningful. I wasn’t just collecting data for a spreadsheet; I was trying to understand how scientific priorities are established and how those priorities influence the future of medicine and society.
For students considering research, my biggest piece of advice is to find a project that genuinely makes you curious. Research is rarely a straight path, and there will always be moments when your data becomes messy or your original plan changes. Curiosity is what keeps you going through those moments. More importantly, don’t underestimate the impact your work can have. Research isn’t only about producing publications or presenting posters. It is about contributing to conversations that extend far beyond the laboratory or the library. Whether you’re studying bioethics, engineering, literature, or public health, your work has the potential to influence how people think, how institutions make decisions, and how society moves forward.
My Laidlaw project taught me that research isn’t just about discovering new knowledge. It’s about understanding that the questions we choose to investigate today help determine the future we create tomorrow.
Isabella Lala, CC’29