[trumpvoter]

I don't follow what this article is trying to say - if the point is to have more interdisciplinary research, isn't project-focused funding precisely what's needed? Researcher focus seems like it would focus on that researcher's discipline, not an interdisciplinary team.

In fact, my experience in a Japanese lab made me feel funding precisely goes towards researchers rather than projects if professors count as researchers. Professors get funding for their labs, and while there will be project proposals the perceived value of that professor is key for closing it.

Maybe the article is focused more on private research labs than universities though.