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 […]
Who Really Holds the Cards in Gambling Research?
Australian research into gambling ultimately is highly dependent on the success of gambling itself (even when it’s funded by the state). Is there any surprise that much of the research is rarely critical of the industry?
The Doctor Who Gave $1 Million of His Own to Keep His Gun Research Going
The eternal hunt for funding is the bane of modern research, especially when your research subject is politically sensitive. Garen Wintemute found a way–sadly not one that the average academic can copy–around that: He paid for his gun research himself.
Universities a Safe Home for Ideas – But Only Safe Ideas
Once the cry at universities was “Dare to know!” But with speech that could make some people uncomfortable, the new cry is increasingly, “Dare to no!”
Whither Violence?
Professor David Canter comments on Britain’s downward trend in violence and examines some of the factors that may underlie it besides a more expensive pint.
National Science Board Critical of FIRST Elements
National Science Board steps beyond its usual comfort zone to lodge a criticism of NSF re-authorization bill that would establish role for Congress in picking research funding winners and losers.
1984 Is Knocking At The Door. Let It In
When governments nudge people to do healthful things it IS a little bit like 1984, says Mike Marinetto. But it’s more like a big brother than Big Brother, he adds.
Vote Yes (With Caveats!) for the Destruction of Knowledge
Scholarly knowledge is under threat, and that’s both good and dire, argued panelists at a recent discussion in Vienna.
Tamiflu and the Ethics of the British Medical Journal
No one expected Tamiflu to be a wonder drug, but indications are that it’s moderately useful in fighting a serious public health threat. But that message was lost last week in an ill-starred rush to beat up on ‘wicked’ Big Pharma, argues Robert Dingwall.
