Let’s expand the vision of a new Bell Labs!

Raizen replies: I thank Daniel Suson for his comments , and I agree that we must cast the broadest net possible to identify and promote creativity. That will include not only major research universities but smaller institutions where resources are scarcer and teaching loads are higher. We will make resources available at the Pointsman Foundation’s laboratory by a combination of internal funding and facilities at nearby institutions. For example, the new Advanced Science Research Center at the Graduate Center, City University of New York, has state-of-the art facilities available to other institutions and companies for a user fee. Having nearby facilities will be important to Pointsman fellows and to the lab’s permanent scientific staff and will be a determining factor in the lab’s location.

Another activity we will pursue is incubation of patented inventions that are aligned with the foundation’s mission. We will license the intellectual property from the institutions, regardless of their size, and pay the inventors as consultants.

I must differ with Suson on one point: We will not apply quotas for any Pointsman fellows but simply look for the best ideas that can lead to breakthroughs and discoveries.