The restructuring of academia to make spaces and practices COVID-safe presents an opportunity to expand inclusivity, say Stuart Read, Anne Parfitt, and Tanvir Bush.

"Textbook case" of disability discrimination in grant applications

19 January 2021

Jon Brock

Justin Yerbury's appeal prompts Australia's NHMRC to revise its policy.

How Germany retains one of the world’s strongest research reputations

27 November 2020

Hristio Boytchev

Thanks to steady funding, Germany’s national research organizations are thriving. But there are concerns that some universities are being left behind.

Three tips to adapt grants and papers for non-native English readers

23 November 2020

Michael Erard

Writing guides often advise “Don’t write anything that you wouldn’t say.” Michael Erard, who trains researchers to write grants and academic papers, disagrees.

From impact to inequality: How post-COVID-19 government policy is privatizing research innovation

6 October 2020

Daniel Hook

Government funding post-COVID-19 will see an increased emphasis on research impact. This could see blue skies research pushed into the private sector, says Daniel Hook

The open secret that underpins South Korea’s science success

1 October 2020

Bongjae Kim and Ara Go

Enormous burden on younger researchers cannot be sustained.

Beijing, the seat of science capital

25 September 2020

Hepeng Jia

China’s powerhouse holds firm as the number one city in the Nature Index.

Why academics do unfunded research

28 August 2020

Rosalind Edwards

From creative pursuits to grant application fatigue, here's why some researchers choose an unfunded path.

How young researchers can create lasting industry partnerships

24 July 2020

Bec Crew

Don’t wait for universities to facilitate connections. Here’s how to find the right people on your own timeline.

When it pays to say yes to a burdensome request

17 July 2020

Peter Goldstein

Despite misgivings, this biomedical researcher agreed to serve on a faculty committee. It was a good gamble.

Boosting South Korea’s basic research

28 May 2020

Mark Zastrow

By redirecting funding to small teams, the country is betting on the creativity of its scientists.

South Korea’s Institute for Basic Science faces review

28 May 2020

Mark Zastrow

Decisions about the country’s research flagship will signpost national priorities.

4 predictions for the future of higher education

26 March 2020

Bec Crew

Universities will have to adapt quickly to survive, says leading economist.

Struggling to win grants? Here's how to crowdfund your research

10 March 2020

Gemma Conroy

Making dream projects a reality.

China bans cash rewards for publishing papers

3 March 2020

Smriti Mallapaty

New policy tackles perverse incentives that drive ‘publish or perish’ culture and might be encouraging questionable research practices.

Science funders gamble on grant lotteries

25 November 2019

David Adam

A growing number of research agencies are assigning money randomly.

Don’t let researchers recommend who reviews their work

22 November 2019

Dalmeet Singh Chawla

Some funders and publishers call it unethical, for others, it's par for the course

Female researchers in Australia less likely to win major medical grants than males

30 October 2019

Bianca Nogrady

The results come despite a gender equity push at the National Health and Medical Research Council.

What’s lost when research is driven primarily by funding

16 October 2019

Stephen Turner & Daryl Chubin

Productivity-oriented “science on demand” leads to caution and conformity.

South Korea’s ‘Nobel prize project’ gets overhaul

18 September 2019

Mark Zastrow

The Institute for Basic Science has been rocked by accusations of financial mismanagement over the past year.

Museum volunteering among new impact indicators for UK universities

11 September 2019

Elisabeth Jeffries

How to compare apples with apples.

Government funding will be tied to uni performance from 2020

21 August 2019

Emmaline Bexley

How will performance-based funding shake out for Australian universities?

Alaska governor halves massive funding cut to state university system

15 August 2019

Jonathan Lambert

Researchers at the University of Alaska still face possibility of layoffs.

"No one is immune": Alaska’s scientists despair over plan to shrink state universities

14 August 2019

Jonathan Lambert

The University of Alaska’s governing board plans to consolidate campuses to cope with a 40% cut in state funding.

A call for funders to ban institutions that use grant capture targets

7 August 2019

Dorothy Bishop

The practice has led to peverse incentives for researchers.

10 key insights from the first research scorecards for G20 countries

19 July 2019

Bec Crew

Australia shines; the US, not so much.

Companies persist with biomedical papers

28 May 2019

Ashish Arora, Sharon Belenzon, Wesley Cohen,Andrea Patacconi

Corporate research in the life sciences endures, despite diminishing in other fields of science.

Racial and ethnic disparities in NIH funding

29 November 2018

Raynard Kington & Donna Ginther

Research is elucidating a complicated phenomenon.

Q&A Kelly Robinson: Sample archive serves as a plankton ecologist’s rainy-day fund

22 November 2018

Jeffrey M. Perkel

A massive collection of sea creatures turns out to be a gold mine of research opportunities.

Less prestigious institutions deliver better value for grant money

18 October 2018

Catherine Armitage

Study finds "wasteful" skew in biomedical research funding towards those at the top.

Discovery relies on strong support staff

17 October 2018

David Langley & Therina Theron

A lack of trained administrators is holding African scientists back.

Q&A Koenraad Debackere: Impact assessment to become more complex

28 August 2018

Smriti Mallapaty

We need to define impact more clearly to be able to measure it effectively.

European Commission to consult the people on science spending priorities

14 August 2018

Elisabeth Jeffries

Radical proposal will be difficult to implement, say NGOs.

Europe pulls together in scientific union

9 August 2018

Catherine Armitage

Smaller countries rely more on regional collaborations than on domestic interaction.

Philippines sweetens deal for scientists who return home

24 July 2018

Andrew Silver

The government is trying to bolster its research workforce but academics say more needs to be done to improve the sector.

Luck of the draw

7 May 2018

Dorothy Bishop

Funders should assign research grants via a lottery system to reduce human bias, says Dorothy Bishop.

Pharma could cut its losses with a bit of sharing

2 January 2018

Phillip Phan & Dean Wong

COMMENT: Life science companies are missing out on the benefits of open innovation.

In Japan, corporates make reluctant partners

20 December 2017

Ichiko Fuyuno

The Japanese government wants to lure more industry funding into universities, but companies need to be convinced they’ll get value.

Here’s what’s wrong with companies backing out of science

12 December 2017

Ashish Arora, Sharon Belenzon & Andrea Patacconi

COMMENT: The withdrawal of large US corporations from research is narrowing the scope of innovation.

Where next for Catalonian science?

14 November 2017

Monica G. Salomone

Push for Catalonian independence evokes mixed reactions from scientists in the region.

Canada’s future as a refuge for researchers could be short-lived

9 November 2017

Ian Munroe

An open society makes Canada an attractive destination for students and scientists, but only as long as government promises for increased funding are met.

Funding debate over paper quality vs quantity

21 September 2017

Dyani Lewis

Researchers disagree over whether performance-based metrics adversely affect publication behaviour.

Taiwan losing ground in the index

4 September 2017

Hepeng Jia

Taiwan slips to number 20 as graduates’ interest in science fades.

Japan's strategy for growth highlights innovation

15 August 2017

Ichiko Fuyuno

Collaboration with companies will become more important in the government’s science and technology strategies.

Beneficiaries by ballot

3 August 2017

Adrian Barnett

COMMENT: Should research funding be allocated through voting?

Japan shakes up research funding system

1 August 2017

Tim Hornyak

An overhaul of Japan’s competitive grants programme could revive the country’s international science standing.

China's higher ed reforms are ambitious, but can they address systemic issues?

29 May 2017

Wang Qi

The country is casting a wider net for excellence in higher education.

Far-flung and thriving: prime time for Okinawa’s grand experiment

16 May 2017

Tim Hornyak

Japan's gambit to globalize its scientific research is paying dividends.

Japan's plan to cultivate more entrepreneurial scientists

10 May 2017

Ian Munroe

Although government efforts to encourage innovation face significant obstacles.

Australian funding agency announces new chief

27 April 2017

Bianca Nogrady

Former microbiologist Sue Thomas will lead the Australian Research Council from July.

Japan university reform 'unrealistic' without proper funding

7 April 2017

Atsushi Sunami

To unleash the potential of universities as engines of economic growth, further investment is necessary.

77 clinical trials, $29 million and 8 years but still no published results

28 March 2017

Adrian Barnett

Scientists reluctant to publish clinical trial results found to be a major contributor of research dollars wasted.

What price will Japanese science pay for austerity?

23 March 2017

Ichiko Fuyuno

Japan’s stagnated research output corresponds with a deteriorating situation for young researchers.

A great leap forward, but China needs more scientists

21 March 2017

Ivy Shih

OECD survey reveals the country’s science spending frenzy, noting a need for investment in innovation and invention.

Incomplete descriptions in publications wasting healthcare research

10 March 2017

Tammy Hoffmann

COMMENT: Researchers, explain yourselves

Australian funding agency turns a blind eye to evidence

7 March 2017

Adrian Barnett

COMMENT: Ignoring evidence when deciding where research funding goes will not lead to high quality research, says Adrian Barnett.

EU funding formula revealed

27 February 2017

Anthea Lacchia

Several factors can help institutions secure one of these sought-after grants.

China and South Korea flash the cash in R&D race

24 February 2017

Ivy Shih

G20 countries dominate global research spending and production, but the mix is changing.

Cite unseen? Then step aside

6 February 2017

Anthea Lacchia

A large number of professors in Italian universities produce no cited work.

Bigger is better for quality research

31 January 2017

Ivy Shih

Size does matter when it comes to research performance.

'Millions' wasted in research approvals process

18 January 2017

Adrian Barnett

Applying for ethics approval cost Adrian Barnett's research group $348,000 in staff time, and delayed the research by six months.

I made my grant application public, here's why you should too

8 December 2016

Adrian Barnett

If funding applications were made under open access, science would benefit from more universal scrutiny.

Invent now, pay later: economists urge R&D loans for businesses

6 December 2016

Myles Gough

Australia is urged to become the first country to offer businesses loans to fund research and development with repayment terms contingent on a company's future profits.

Brexit uncertainty disrupting EU-UK research

29 November 2016

Mark Peplow

Uncertainty surrounding Britain’s future in EU research may be damaging science.

Partnerships between US and Chinese scientists surge

18 November 2016

Sujata Gupta

Research partnerships between the two superpowers outnumber all other international pairings.

New Zealand's 'Lord of the Rings' effect a boon for science

10 November 2016

Linda Vergnani

A pragmatic and deliberate approach to research funding yields impressive results for New Zealand.

How Australian universities spent $4.5b on research in four years

27 October 2016

Bianca Nogrady

Assessing the research performance of universities is a difficult pursuit.

Research investments pay off for Australian city

25 October 2016

Bianca Nogrady

Significant state government investment along with philanthropic largesse has helped drive Brisbane's research performance.

Measuring the impact of R&D spending

6 October 2016

Myles Gough

Does pouring money into research always translate into better outcomes?

Is backing bright people a bright idea?

29 August 2016

Branwen Morgan

Whether it is better to fund researchers or their ideas is an ongoing debate.

In research, time is as important as money

18 August 2016

Branwen Morgan

Do longer periods of funding lead to greater scientific returns?

Emerging hotspots for physical sciences

16 August 2016

Tim Hornyak

Less prominent research nations are carving out a niche.

Chilean research grows despite poor investment

5 August 2016

Tim Hornyak

Despite funding constraints, Chilean research is growing in some areas.

Who are the research world's rising stars?

28 July 2016

Annabel McGilvray

Undaunted by the scientific dominance of historic global big-hitters, some of the world's less prominent research nations are carving out a niche and making a strong impact.

Not just Brexit: Spanish election brings more uncertainty for Europe

7 July 2016

It is hard to predict how the result will impact the country's science and research landscape.

Brazil’s subsumed science sector struggles to stay afloat

28 June 2016

Anna Petherick

Deep recession and a political crisis are hobbling the country and its recent research success, but one region hangs on.

South African research hits hard economic times

14 June 2016

Linda Nordling

Can international research funding help South Africa maintain its stellar performance in the index?