science-policy6.9 min read
China expands NSFC grants for early-career scientists, adding 12,000 projects
8 days ago•Source: Nature
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6.335 min•9 days ago
Acknowledge bias: scientists urged to own politics to boost public trust
UK data show trust in science remains relatively high but fragile and uneven across ideological groups; perceived bias—often linked to COVID-19—can erode confidence. The author argues scientists should recognise their own political biases and follow six public‑facing practices to put people at the heart of science and policy, thereby sustaining trust in science.
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Genesis Mission Takes Center Stage in US AI and Quantum Push
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White House Dismisses Entire NSF Board, Sparking Science-Policy Alarm
The White House fired the entire National Science Board that oversees the NSF, leaving the agency without a board, director, or deputy and offering a rationale linked to a 2021 Supreme Court decision. Critics warn the move could undermine NSF’s independence and hand more control to the executive branch, risking instability in U.S. scientific leadership; lawmakers and scientific groups urge oversight and a rapid reestablishment of governance with diverse expertise while leadership vacancies are addressed.
China ends its flagship journal ranking, prompting a rethink of scholarly merit
China’s National Science Library has stopped publishing the CAS Journal Partition Table, ending a 20+ year tool for evaluating journals and guiding hiring, funding, and promotions; a private group, Xinrui Scholar, has launched a new ranking using the same methodology, raising questions about independence and transparency and whether it will replace the CAS system or spur broader reform away from journal-based metrics, with early‑career researchers potentially bearing the brunt of the disruption.
AI-drafted grants edge NIH funding but risk dampening novelty
AI-assisted NIH grant proposals appear about 4% more likely to be funded and yield more papers, but they tend to resemble prior work, raising concerns about reduced novelty and potential homogeneity; NSF proposals show no funding advantage from AI use. Findings come from an arXiv preprint analyzing NIH/NSF submissions and AI-rewritten abstracts, and are not yet peer reviewed.
NIH grant-review panels risk becoming dormant by end of 2026
NIH faces a potential freeze on new grants as 13 advisory councils may have no voting members by year-end 2026, since council approval is required for funding; replacements are slow and rosters show no new members since September, though some terms can be extended, the overall risk to grant funding remains.