Researcher (senior)

UK academics love the ERC, but selective participation in Horizon Europe is unlikely to be on the table, says John Womersley

Researchers support funder’s random allocation of research grants by a two-to-one margin, study says

Journal’s decision to publish reviewer reports shows a growing consensus on transparency, publishers claim

Proposals to mandate open access monographs from 2024 will make it harder to publish and will limit career chances, says professor

UKRI and other funders must prevent good intentions on open access from undermining good science, says Lee Cronin 

In 1920, psychologist John Watson described his infamous experiments on an infant in a bid to show that the human mind is a blank slate. A hundred years on, Antonio Melechi examines the rise and fall of behaviourism, and the utopian – or dystopian – reflexes that it conditioned

Politicians, funders and university leaders all intone the mantra of interdisciplinarity. But what does the concept really mean? Will it really yield the insights it promises? And how best can it be fostered? Ellie Bothwell reports

The UK’s structures for supporting and nurturing research leaders are woefully underdeveloped, says Matthew Flinders

Excessive criticism reflects a dearth of research funding and space in top journals. But peers needn’t play ball, says an anonymous academic

Australia’s teaching and research relationships with China are becoming increasingly overshadowed by rising geopolitical tensions. But the long, deep personal links between academics in the two countries will not be easily broken. John Ross reports from Suzhou

A feudal approach to intellectual property has turned the academy into a modern police state, says Steve Fuller

The hunt for a new UK research supremo continues, apparently after the shortlisted candidates failed to pass muster

With careers riding on young scientists’ position in author lists, friction is all too common. A snowballing initiative to list authors’ contributions aims to make sure credit is always given where it is due. But will it be enough to ease the angst? Jack Grove is first author

UKRI’s decision to axe the impact sections of grant applications could hobble consideration of the process and politics of research, says Jude Fransman

Reversing the relationship between authors and publishers would ease perverse incentives that impede progress, say Hilal Lashuel and Benjamin Stecher

A growing number of data detectives are on the hunt for sloppy science and dodgy statistics. Jack Grove examines the methods they use

As we enter REF submission year, Nicholas Stern and David Sweeney urge universities to broaden their conception of a good submission

In an era of anti-expert populism, it is more important than ever to stand up for scientific truth. But it is also harder, coming with a high risk of personal attack. Anna McKie speaks to those who have paid a high price for their advocacy, and draws out the lessons for those who want to take up the cause

Scientific excellence is not the only relevant criterion – either morally or legally, says Alex Conway 

Anne-Kathrin Kreft tells Matthew Reisz how interviews with Colombian women’s activists left her mentally and physically exhausted – and ideologically transformed

Researchers in developing countries have often been confined to minor roles as translators and data gatherers. But there are signs that the scales are tipping. Simon Baker considers the extent and nature of collaboration between the Global North and South, while Andrew Thompson reflects on the next iteration of the UK’s Global Challenges Research Fund

The blessing of big data can be a curse without resources for analysis. But how much computerised help do we really want, asks Kristen Sadler

Critics claim that only ‘congenial’ researchers get access to ride-hailing company’s data, while academic co-authors have potential conflicts of interest

Making participant-derived data available is not a panacea but, with careful support and management, it can improve reproducibility, says Jonathan Grigg

Universities need to acknowledge, and try to mitigate, the losses experienced by many upwardly mobile students, argues Jennifer M. Morton

Universities UK poll shows Britons value skills rather than income level when it comes to immigration

Study finds that overseas scholars in former communist countries work there not out of deliberate choice but often due to ‘happenstance’, love or to escape poor job prospects at home

Prince Andrew’s fall from grace a full decade after Jeffrey Epstein’s conviction underlines academia’s failure to probe modern power, says Jason Lee

Jonathan R. Goodman is wrong to blame bibliometrics for stifling academic debate, says Craig Aaen-Stockdale

Critics fear initiative could widen social inequalities

In a fraught political climate, it is even more difficult than usual for researchers to grab the attention of ministers. Diana Beech imparts her insider’s tips

Association to Horizon Europe would also be positive, but hostile mood music over immigration still reverberates 

The EU’s next framework programme, Horizon Europe, is due to start in just over a year. But while its broad shape is settled, political wrangling over budget and participation rights means researchers are still unclear over their future funding prospects. David Matthews reports from Brussels

Elsevier could sell Dutch universities a bundle of journal access rights and software, raising concerns that universities could become stuck in one publisher’s software ecosystem

Amanda Power considers some of the deeper attitudes that can still inhibit academics from fully engaging in essential policy issues

More account must be taken of pregnancy, assisted fertility and miscarriage, say Christina Hellmich and Marina Della Giusta

Announcement by new government given cautious welcome by academics – although questions remain over funding and political independence

The apparent proliferation of libel challenges by scientists accused of research misconduct have led to fears that journals and others will be dissuaded from calling out wrongdoers. But is the observation accurate? And is the chilling effect reproducible? Jack Grove reports  

Conservative mistrust of the existing research funding system demands a re-examination of its uneasy compromises, says John Womersley

As mistrust between the EU and UK deepens, politics could scupper British association to the next framework programme, says Jan Palmowksi

Academics’ deep identification with their work means that the failure of a book proposal, grant application or promotion request can cut deeply. But in a competitive profession, such knock-backs are inevitable. Here, six academics recall their most traumatic rejection – and how they got over it

Analysis of publishing deals across Europe highlights different costs faced by country-level consortia

Complaints about journal editors’ decisions ignore the root cause of the research assessment problem: career structure, says Richard Sever   

The REF is a prime example of the sort of elaborate, burdensome process that potentially adds comparatively little value

Awarded trio includes John Goodenough, the oldest ever laureate at 97

James Peebles, Michel Mayor and Didier Queloz share the 2019 award

Improved citation performance amid falling funding is the result of gaming, say Alberto Baccini, Eugenio Petrovich and Giuseppe De Nicolao

Caring duties and environmental responsibility do not signify a lack of commitment to scholarship, says Danielle George

Improving the career prospects of postdocs is now a priority of UK universities and research funders

Jill Liddington’s research into Anne Lister’s diaries inspired the television series Gentleman Jack. John Morgan speaks to her about making a difference locally and the lost tradition of extramural university teaching

Open access journal will publish results from studies sometimes dismissed as ‘failures’ as well as replication attempts

It is unfair and dangerous that, unlike academics, researchers in the private sector operate with no ethical oversight, says Ron Iphofen

Researchers should be required to pass exams accredited by professional bodies to prove they have the skills to publish, argues John Sumpter

An independent service to check data and algorithms is the only way to resolve the research replication crisis, say Christophe Pérignon and Christophe Hurlin

Individuals should be able to choose their own work-life balance depending on their life situation and level of ambition, says Lee Cronin

In an age of vast team-science projects, it is more important than ever that leaders be properly prepared, says Matthew Flinders

Performance art is inherently ephemeral and can be highly controversial. But Matthew Reisz hears why the blood-soaked relics from one performer’s challenging shows are worth preserving and studying

Marking down fellowship applicants for being unwilling to move institutions can be deeply unfair, say Trisha Greenhalgh and Ed Hawkins

The ‘best’ scientists lack time for peer review, and academics should be rated for ‘worthy’ papers, argues Dan Shechtman

Leiden University acted unlawfully, a court has ruled, in using anonymous letter to discredit an applicant for a professorship