We shouldn't keep quiet about how research grant money is really spent
The same organisations that make it difficult to get a grant can be ridiculously laid back about how their money is spent once they have signed it over.
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The elephant in the room
Advertising science as a driver of economic growth is a long‐term losing strategy.
Collective credit allocation in science [MuDVn3d4SQSYQl1lC44Y_xVubZLal_400x400.jpeg]
Collective credit allocation in science [MuDVn3d4SQSYQl1lC44Y_xVubZLal_400x400.jpeg]
The paper develops a credit allocation algorithm that captures the coauthors’ contribution to a publication as perceived by the scientific community.
A little bias in peer review scores can translate into big money, simulation finds
A new computer simulation explores just how sensitive the process might be to bias and randomness. Its answer: very.
Is competition ruining science?
Study on the benefits of competition in providing incentives to scientists and the adverse effects of competition on resource sharing, research integrity and creativity.
Crowdfunding propels scientific research
The government peer-review committees that oversee grants are conservative by design. Given that their job is to put taxpayers’ money to good use, they are often reluctant to take big risks. The opposite is often true for crowdfunded projects.
The big grants, the big papers: are we missing something?
A perverse focus on research cash and high-impact publications threatens careers and the aims of science itself, says Dorothy Bishop
Wellcome Trust collaborative awards
The Wellcome Trust launches the new Collaborative Awards, enabling teams of researchers to apply together and bring new perspectives to the work they are doing.
Restore the US lead in biomedical research
How the US position as a global leader in biomedical research is being undermined.
A one-grant limit: NIH institute puts squeeze on flush investigators
Investigators with substantial, long-term, unrestricted research support may generally hold no more than one NIGMS research grant.
The transformative nature of transparency in research funding
On transparency in the process of grant review.
Is grant funding something of a lottery?
Data show scores given to grant applications by external reviewers don't correlate with what actually gets funded.
Why evaluating scientists by grant income is stupid
“In the modern British university, it is not that funding is sought in order to carry out research, but that research projects are formulated in order to get funding.”
It takes time and a team to win grants
Ingredients to win a grant: start and finish early, seek feedback and file before deadline.
NIH Common Fund announces 2014 high-risk, high-reward research awardees
NIH to fund 85 awards to support highly innovative biomedical research.
Majority of research funding goes to minority of institutions
71 per cent went to 31 universities because of 'narrowed' definitions of excellence
'Publish or perish' diminishing scientific returns
"The future of science (& humanity) isn't about funding, it's about supporting scientists to take risks once again."
How to better allocate research money and fix a flawed system
Research funding will continue to be haphazard if an anecdotal approach continues to be taken. by Julia Lane
NIH institute considers broad shift to ‘people’ awards
Fund people, not projects. The NIH is now encouraging its 27 institutes and centers to launch their own people awards.
Opening up research proposals
An open research proposal calling for open research proposals and funding transparency.
Mapping biomedical research in the USA
America is a leader in funding for biomedical research, from government, industry, and the non-profit sector. And, for such a large country, the research community is remarkably spread out, with high-quality work being done in every region of the nation.
Competitive funding, citation regimes, and the diminishment of breakthrough research
Competitive funding, citation regimes, and the diminishment of breakthrough research
Highly fragmented and competitive system can undermine efforts to foster groundbreaking research.
Could crowdfunding rejuvenate science?
Ben McNeil, founder of thinkable.org, thinks our science funding mechanism is fundamentally broken. Here's why, and what he thinks we should do about it.
A Longitude Prize for the twenty-first century
The UK Government’s new prize for substantial innovation to address pressing societal problems should be welcomed, says Martin Rees.
Alternative modes of research funding: exceptions or growing trend?
Peer-review of projects dominates when it comes to decision on how to allocate funding for science. But is it really the best way?
This is important. You have £5.8 billion to spend on science things
How this money is invested could make a huge difference to our future, in the UK and to some extent beyond
Tobacco industry-funded research, peer review, and nannying
Aside from the occasional cigar (once every five years or so), I'm one of those smug "never smoked" gits. You then might think that I'm all for plain packaging, not publishing tobacco industry-funded research, and completely against the " normalization" of smoking via the evidently evil medium of e-cigarettes.
'Philanthropy Is no substitute for government funding'
There has been an upsurge in philanthropy for scientific research by America's billionaires. Still, in size and scope, philanthropy pales in comparison to public financing for science.
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