News archive
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.
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
Here’s what’s wrong with companies backing out of science
12 December 2017
Ashish Arora, Sharon Belenzon & Andrea Patacconi
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
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
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
New Zealand's 'Lord of the Rings' effect a boon for science
10 November 2016
Linda Vergnani
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?
