Is that the attitude at the research centres run by the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation?
We run it like a business. Before I came on board, the scientists were more in control. They would tell the foundation what to expect or what they might do in the coming year. Since I became chairman in 1996 we’ve shifted over the other way. I’ve said, OK, we’ll give you X dollars, but if you don’t perform you might not get any more. So we’re in the driving seat. At first it was quite an upheaval, because that’s not the way it was done in the past. But particularly with the advent of stem cells and new knowledge, there really is no excuse to delay. It must be very difficult for your researchers because they can’t do the things they probably want to do. The problem is that nothing has been banned yet in the US. It’s just not being funded by the federal government – and the way you get things done quickly is by getting federal funding. We give out money through our foundation and we work with pharmaceutical companies. How much money does your foundation give out? We’re giving out about $
