Tag

Science Policy

All articles tagged with #science policy

policy1 day ago•4 min saved

White House Plan Shifts Federal Grants From Merit to Policy Alignment, Sparking Scientist Backlash

The White House Office of Management and Budget proposed a sweeping rule to overhaul federal grantmaking by letting political appointees override merit reviews and require funding decisions to demonstrably advance the President’s priorities, with a 45-day public comment period ending July 13; critics warn the change could undermine scientific independence, limit international collaboration, and create instability for local infrastructure projects that rely on federal funding.

via Los Angeles Times|

#federal-grants #grantmaking #oversight

technology1 day ago•10 min saved

The AI-Driven Leap: Mass-Produced Science and the Scientist's New Role

AI could mass-produce high-quality science—new analyses, data, figures, and conclusions—at low cost, benefiting the public and patients, but it will also create challenges in separating quality work from low-quality output. Reliability will hinge on new practices like open data, preregistration, and robust validation. Humans will still guide which questions to pursue, refine concepts, design and interpret experiments, and curate trustworthy results. The shift may resemble the Industrial Revolution: some jobs vanish while new roles emerge, with AI-enabled data integration and personalized review accelerating discoveries while reshaping careers in science.

via The Transmitter|

#artificial-intelligence #data-science #neuroscience

world6 days ago•6 min saved

China rethinks overseas science publishing amid security worries

Beijing is weighing reforms to reduce the weight of publishing in international journals (SCI-indexed) in academic promotions to address national-security concerns about leaks, potentially boosting Chinese journals and tightening oversight of cross-border scientific exchange amid rising US-China tensions.

via Financial Times|

#china #international-journals #national-security

science-policy8 days ago•7 min saved

China expands NSFC grants for early-career scientists, adding 12,000 projects

China's main research funder, the NSFC, will fund an extra 12,000 projects for its Young Scientists Fund this year, boosting the budget by about 3.6 billion yuan (US$531 million) and aiming to ease intense competition for entry-level researchers, though experts caution that the expansion may not fully resolve job security or tenure pressures.

via Nature|

#china #early-career #nsfc

science-policy8 days ago•6 min saved

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.

via Nature|

#policy #political-bias #public-trust

science-policy9 days ago•8 min saved

Trust in Science Isn’t Crumbling—Time to Fix the Gaps

The piece argues that trust in science is not collapsing globally; surveys show middling to high trust, but confidence varies by country and group, with political polarization, perceived elitism, and rising vaccine hesitancy. It urges nuanced measures of trust, transparent communication about uncertainties, and greater public involvement in research priorities to address concerns and strengthen science’s link to society.

via Nature|

#policy-and-funding #public-engagement #science-communication

policy9 days ago•13 min saved

Public in the Lead: Six Paths to Democratic Science Policy

Nature argues that trust in elites is waning and public input should be embedded in research and policymaking through six steps: involve the public in research, make science advisory bodies participatory, embrace diverse knowledge (including Indigenous and community expertise), be humble and transparent about methods and uncertainties, acknowledge scientists’ values, and enable co-design with communities—citing EU Horizon 2020 priority setting, citizen panels influencing Danish and NASA decisions, and community-led mangrove restoration as evidence that public involvement boosts legitimacy and policy relevance.

via Nature|

#co-production #policy #public-participation

science-policy10 days ago•7 min saved

Genesis Mission Takes Center Stage in US AI and Quantum Push

Darío Gil, the DoE’s science under-secretary, is leading a high-profile push into AI and quantum science through the Genesis initiative, which aims to create an overarching AI platform that connects scientific instruments, supercomputers, and data across 17 national labs. The first Genesis funding round drew about 5,000 proposals and $293 million in awards, with the program totaling roughly $520 million so far. The effort coincides with a 2028 target to build a fault-tolerant quantum computer, even as researchers worry that basic-science funding could be squeezed by AI investments. Gil argues the funds will remain spread across disciplines and emphasizes collaboration with industry and academia to harness, safeguard, and guide AI’s future.

via Nature|

#artificial-intelligence #department-of-energy #genesis-mission

science12 days ago•2 min saved

A Sickle Cell Breakthrough and the Peril of Political Attacks on Science

A Louisiana man, Daniel Cressy, was functionally cured of sickle cell disease thanks to a breakthrough rooted in federally funded research, underscoring how modern medicine can dramatically improve lives—but the piece warns that Donald Trump’s anti-science stance could threaten such progress, which evolved from bone marrow transplants to newer therapies in the early 2010s.

via The Bulwark|

#bone-marrow-transplant #federal-funding #medical-breakthrough

science22 days ago•14 min saved

Outcry halts NSF plan to scrap ocean-monitoring observatories

The National Science Foundation reversed its plan to dismantle the ocean-observing network after public outcry, keeping the program intact to continue collecting vital oceanographic and climate data.

via AP News|

#climate-data #nsf #ocean-monitoring

health1 month ago•5 min saved

ADA apologizes for ejecting scientists over anti-Trump editorial

The American Diabetes Association apologized after five leading diabetes scientists were escorted from its annual meeting for handing out an editorial critical of the Trump administration, a move the ADA had initially defended as enforcing a code of conduct and nonpartisan policy but which sparked widespread backlash and calls for an independent review to prevent recurrence.

via Ars Technica|

#ada #controversy #diabetes

science1 month ago•16 min saved

Ocean Monitoring at Risk as Budget Cuts Loom

Funding cuts proposed by the Trump administration threaten to shut down ocean-monitoring buoys and sensors, risking gaps in data on ocean conditions and climate that underpin weather forecasting and marine science.

via AP News|

#funding-cuts #ocean-sensors #oceanography

politics1 month ago•7 min saved

Judge halts federal bid to break up Boulder NCAR supercomputer over retaliation concerns

A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction blocking the NSF from transferring the NCAR-Wyoming Supercomputing Center away from UCAR, finding the move arbitrary and likely retaliatory against Colorado in connection with Tina Peters and Gov. Polis. The ruling preserves the status quo while UCAR's lawsuit proceeds and criticizes the agency for offering no performance justification and for limiting public comment. The decision protects essential weather and climate research used by federal agencies and industry, and represents a notable legal setback for the administration's NCAR restructuring effort.

via KUSA.com|

#boulder #judiciary #ncar

science1 month ago•5 min saved

Funding clamps, doctored data claims, and AI in science dominate Retraction Watch’s Weekend Reads

Retraction Watch’s Weekend Reads roundup highlights the White House's plan to tighten grant oversight and ban federal funding for open-access fees, sleuths’ claims that Thermo Fisher doctored data to sell antibodies, debates in China about Nature’s reputation amid AI-generated cover edits, and a broad slate of integrity and publishing stories—from peer-review issues and funding incentives to data-management reforms—plus resources like the Retraction Watch Database and the Ctrl-Z Award.

via Retraction Watch|

#biotechnology #research-integrity #science

science-policy1 month ago•6 min saved

ArXiv tightens grip on AI-created references with year-long bans

ArXiv will bar authors from posting for one year if a submission contains AI-generated hallucinated citations or other clear signs of unverified AI use, and authors must have work accepted at a reputable peer-reviewed venue before reposting. The policy aims to curb AI 'slop' in preprints but has sparked debate about whether bans address root causes, with supporters praising accountability and critics arguing for broader fixes and cross-platform cooperation.

via Nature|

#ai-hallucinations #arxiv #paper-mills