A new Science Policy Forum article warns that the next generation of influence operations – coordinated campaigns designed to manipulate perceptions of consensus, credibility, and normality – may not look like obvious “copy-paste bots,” but like coordinated communities: fleets of artificial intelligence (AI) -driven personas that can adapt in real time, infiltrate groups, and manufacture the appearance of public agreement at scale.

Peer review has met its match, as AI writing becomes evermore present in scientific publications.

Fund designed to help EU start-ups grow is expected to make its first investments this summer “at the latest,” Zaharieva tells Davos.

Europe needs Darpa-like agencies and refocused competition policy, says Philippe Aghion at Davos.

The past year was a shock to the U.S. higher education system. The coming year may see even more jolts.

Artificial intelligence boosts individual scientists' output, citations and career progression, but collectively narrows research diversity and reduces collaboration, concentrating work in data-rich areas and potentially limiting broader scientific exploration. 
Pre-print available here: Artificial Intelligence Tools Expand Scientists' Impact but Contract Science's Focus

Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine A researcher accused of falsifying research in work funded by the National Institutes of Health has cost Northwestern University $2.3 million.

Open access has expanded research visibility, but rising information overload, fragile trust, and uneven credibility signals show that access alone isn’t enough. The next chapter must focus on transparency and trust.

About 350 scientists have signed a letter condemning U.S. President Donald Trump’s efforts to acquire Greenland.

Donald Trump pulls the country out of climate bodies, history organisations, and even a roads research group

Tokyo has pledged €6.6 million to fund activities this year. But questions remain over participation levels and awareness of the programme in Japan

In another legal win for U.S. universities, a panel of appellate judges yesterday upheld a lower court ruling blocking the National Institutes of Health from sharply reducing the funding it gives institutions. 

European higher education sector organisations have issued a joint statement calling on member states, the European Parliament and the European Commission to ensure an allocation of at least €60 billion (US$70 billion) for Erasmus+ from 2028 to 2034.

The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) are among the 66 international organizations the United States is exiting.

Top appropriators in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives largely reject drastic cuts to federal science budgets that President Trump proposed last year.

Congress seems likely to fund science agencies at close to typical levels, but many questions remain about how the money will be distributed.

It’s hard to measure social and economic impacts of making papers and data free, researchers say.

A formal deal will be signed in 2026, the European Commission says 

EU governments have made progress in negotiations over the Horizon Europe programme for 2028-34, particularly on the fundamental research pillar. 

Amid enormous shifts, many scientists pushed back and risked dismissal from their jobs even as federal agencies fired thousands of employees.

This year’s Open Science Conference was dedicated entirely to Open Science and AI. Participants examined both the opportunities and the challenges at this intersection, exploring how to responsibly integrate AI into research processes and, conversely, how to build trustworthy AI on trustworthy data.