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Research funding system is too 'rigid,' OECD says

Research funding system is too 'rigid,' OECD says

According to the review, some 10% of France's public research funds are awarded to specific projects on a competitive basis—the lowest figure among OECD's 34 member countries—compared with about 22% in Switzerland, about 38% in Germany, and 70% in South Korea.

Antibiotic resistance focus of UK's Longitude Prize

Antibiotic resistance focus of UK's Longitude Prize

The people have spoken. Antibiotic resistance has been voted by the British public as the subject of the UK government's £10 million ($17 million) Longitude Prize - an initiative aimed at tackling society's greatest issues.

Thomson Reuters announces the world's most influential scientific minds 2014

Thomson Reuters announces the world's most influential scientific minds 2014

New citation analyses reveal a who’s who of the most impactful scientific researchers.

With prizes like this, who needs a Nobel?

With prizes like this, who needs a Nobel?

Five mathematicians, working in a field spurned by Stockholm and Oslo as a matter of course, will now receive $3 million awards of their own It started with a simple message from Internet billionaire Yuri Milner: let's meet up.

R&D investment fails to reach Europe 2020 targets

R&D investment fails to reach Europe 2020 targets

The UK and other European countries are underinvesting in research and development, according to a report from the European Commission.

How much did your university pay for your journals?

How much did your university pay for your journals?

A new study shows universities pay more or less for academic journal bundles than would be expected based simply on size or number of Ph.D.s granted.

Let the light shine in

Let the light shine in

Scientists make much of the fact that their work is scrutinised anonymously by some of their peers before it is published. This "peer review" is supposed to spot mistakes and thus keep the whole process honest.

Uprooting researchers can drive them out of science

Uprooting researchers can drive them out of science

Making early-career scientists change institutions frequently is disruptive and — with modern technology — unnecessary.

'DIY labs offer an agile alternative to university-based research'

'DIY labs offer an agile alternative to university-based research'

Free from bureaucracy, independent science labs offer a flexibility that can't be matched by universities, writes a researcher.

Publisher, be damned! From price gouging to the open road

Publisher, be damned! From price gouging to the open road

Why has academic knowledge become more expensive for consumers while music has become less expensive, and what can we do about it? Doing nothing to prevent the trading of electronic copies of our academic work could act to circumvent the perils of engagement with the academic publishing industry.

College degrees awarded per capita in the U.S.

College degrees awarded per capita in the U.S.

There is incredibly intense competition for an academic faculty job even with such a small set of qualified candidates. After 23 years, the U.S. is producing twice as many Master’s degrees per capita than they used to.

Real peer to peer review

Real peer to peer review

The Winnower is another open access online science publishing platform that employs open post-publication peer review, aiming to revolutionize science by breaking down the barriers to scientific communication through cost-effective and transparent publishing for scientists.

The damaging bureaucracy of academic peer preview

The damaging bureaucracy of academic peer preview

Academic funding agencies should support research in unfashionable fields; a letter to David Cameron.