Potentially significant research all gone to waste?

legalpad12
Tue, 17 May 2016 04:21:40 +0000

Last summer I found a new potential treatment for pancreatic cancer and I’m fighting to get my findings published right now. I’m not fishing for compliments— understand that I’m looking for words of encouragement from other researchers my age, or really anyone who’s ever felt like giving up on something they’ve spent a lot of time on.
Anyway, last summer was the first time I researched and I made a lot of mistakes, but I proved that this new compound I’d spent hours researching would work. The compound (not naming it since I want to, well, publish my findings) worked really fricking well, but the research was rudimentary. I haven’t even tested it on mice yet.
ISEF is really big on data, and my regional ISEF competition was so freaking competitive, I didn’t even make it as an ISEF finalist. I was out of town during my state’s science fair, so I couldn’t lift my project any further. At my ISEF regional fair, the judges wanted me to test my treatment in mice, but since I live in the middle of no where (there are two barns a stone’s throw from my house) the only medical college with the resources I need just told me they can’t fund my project. This college was the only space I could carry out my research further.
Basically, I’ve done significant research which I’m proud of and I think can help people, but it’s not going anywhere. Sometimes I feel like i’m drowning. Have any of you fellow researchers ever been in this position? Do share.