Could Distributed Peer Review Better Decide Grant Funding?
The landscape of academic grant funding is notoriously competitive and plagued by lengthy, bureaucratic processes, exacerbated by difficulties in finding willing reviewers. Distributed […]
The Importance of NSF’s SBE Directorate and a Fond Farewell to its First Leader
A seminal figure in solidifying the importance and position of the social and behavioral sciences in the federal research infrastructure, sociologist Cora Marrett leaves the National Science Foundation next month.
Beware the Lessons of Competitive US Higher Ed
Other nations looking at successful American universities and seeing the invisible hand of the marketplace at work should take a closer look at the arm attached to that hand, argues Steve C. Ward.
Spending Australia’s Research Dollars More Wisely
Australia allocates around A$9 billion a year of taxpayers’ money for research, but how do we know if that money is being spent wisely?
Congress Questions Benefits of Government-Funded Research?
Trying to measure the benefits of scientific research using traditional business-oriented metrics may not be the best tool in our shed, argues Michael White.
Hey Congress, Maybe You Need Some Political Science
A little bit of poli sci learning might be a tonic in Washington. But as Michael Harris points out, some legislators like Dr. Tom Coburn want to restrict funding for their ‘medicine.’
The Pernicious Problem of Those FIRST Steps
David Takeuchi argues that even if the FIRST act doesn’t pass, it is clear that U.S. politicians are demanding more of a say in federally funded research. While a push to ensure research remains relevant can be a good thing, scientists and politicians must not forget that initial outcomes do not constitute substantive evidence. Scientific integrity and replication shouldn’t have to be sacrificed in order to meet political time frames.
New Version of Coburn Amendment in Wings
Senator Tom Coburn’s long-standing effort to restrict political science funding has returned with a new amendment filed for the latest bill that funds the National Science Foundation.
How Ronald Reagan Helped Advance Social Science
The more things change, the more they stay the same — especially when it comes to political reluctance for the U.S government to pay for social science research. Our new blogger, Howard J. Silver, is an old hand at lobbying the feds for research funds, and details how political headwinds blew in a suite of lobbying groups.
