Universities’ responses to the changes in the institutional environment of research funding that the European Research Council represents.

The relatively low success rates for applicants in most parts of Horizon 2020 have been heavily and unanimously criticized by the stakeholders. In response, the European Commission introduced more generally a proposal evaluation in two stages, in order to ease the burden of unsuccessful applicants during the first stage. This approach received a very positive feedback from the scientific communities.

Researchers acting to maximise their fitness should spend most of their effort seeking novel results and conduct small studies that have only 10%–40% statistical power. As a result, half of the studies they publish will report erroneous conclusions. Current incentive structures are in conflict with maximising the scientific value of research; we suggest ways that the scientific ecosystem could be improved.

In an era where research bureaucracy is the biggest burden bestowed upon scientists, some are seeking practical solutions.

Federally funded research and development (R&D) is a hallmark of the U.S. economy but, it's under siege. To maximize and make apparent the economic returns from R&D, the next administration should seek to improve the local economic impact of federal R&D.

Maintaining Scientific Integrity in a Climate of Perverse Incentives and Hypercompetition.

On the importance of identifying variables explaining the underlying differences in individual reviewer decision-making.