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Teach Young Scientists the Importance of Societal Impact for Research

Teach Young Scientists the Importance of Societal Impact for Research

Societal impact should be rated more highly in scientific publishing and research evaluation. To this end, we suggest that ways to achieve it should be introduced as an important component of curricula at higher-education institutions.

Trump Science Budget Sows Confusion

Trump Science Budget Sows Confusion

US president makes last-minute decision to abandon proposal for major cuts to National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation and Department of Energy’s science office.

Trump Budget Gives Last-Minute Reprieve to Science Funding

Trump Budget Gives Last-Minute Reprieve to Science Funding

Funding for the National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health would hold steady after Congress agrees to lift spending caps, but details are fuzzy.

US Science Agency Will Require Universities to Report Sexual Harassment

US Science Agency Will Require Universities to Report Sexual Harassment

The National Science Foundation says institutions it supports must disclose when researchers are found to have violated policies or are put on leave pending investigation.

Nature Journals Tighten Rules on Non-Financial Conflicts

Nature Journals Tighten Rules on Non-Financial Conflicts

What makes a conflict of interest (COI) in science? Definitions differ, but broadly agree on one thing: an influence that can cloud a researcher’s objectivity. Nature and the other Nature Research journals are taking into account some of these non-financial sources of possible tension and conflict.

Gender Bias Goes Away when Grant Reviewers Focus on the Science

Gender Bias Goes Away when Grant Reviewers Focus on the Science

But female scientists suffer when their research proposals are judged primarily on the strength of their CVs.

The Secrets of a Surprisingly High Citations Success

The Secrets of a Surprisingly High Citations Success

Switzerland appears to have three key factors for success in getting a surprisingly high proportion of its researchers’ articles cited in the scientific literature: it’s a small country, it’s research investment is large compared to other countries, and importantly, its hosting of the Large Hadron Collider is a drawcard for collaborative research.

China Needs to Listen to its Researchers to Become a Scientific Superpower

China Needs to Listen to its Researchers to Become a Scientific Superpower

The country’s research could soon dominate the world stage, but pitfalls lie in wait.

Laws Are Not the Only Way to Boost Immunization

Laws Are Not the Only Way to Boost Immunization

The French government must mitigate the risks in its legal imposition of vaccinations by promoting more coherent and proactive vaccine policies.

The World’s Largest Producer of Scientific Articles

The World’s Largest Producer of Scientific Articles

For the first time, China has overtaken the United States in terms of the total number of science publications, according to statistics compiled by the US National Science Foundation (NSF).

Should we Steer Clear of the Winner-Takes-All Approach?

Should we Steer Clear of the Winner-Takes-All Approach?

Scientists in New Zealand held the first ‘Kindness in Science’ workshop in December 2017 at the University of Auckland, hoping to kick-start a movement that will offer a kinder, gentler and more inclusive scientific culture. The group’s mantra is “Everyone here is smart and kind — don’t distinguish yourself by being otherwise.”

Gender Pay Gap Persists

Gender Pay Gap Persists

Pay disparities between female and male PhD holders in the United States exist across almost all fields of science and engineering, according to a report from the US National Science Foundation (NSF).

Rising Star Appointed UK Science Minister

Rising Star Appointed UK Science Minister

The UK has gained a new science minister as part of a broader reshuffle of government posts. Sam Gyimah, who moves from the Ministry of Justice, was appointed minister for universities and science on 9 January, replacing Jo Johnson.

 

Disagreement over the Legal Definition of Misconduct

Disagreement over the Legal Definition of Misconduct

A dispute between Australia’s major research funding agencies and universities over the definition of research misconduct has revealed global inconsistencies in the way misconduct is defined and regulated, as well as its ambiguous legal status.