Researchers and policymakers often exist in different worlds and speak different languages. Here are three ways to bridge the divide.
by – Nature.com
Science is a key driver of economic growth and social progress. If science can be accelerated — such as by increasing the efficiency with which research dollars translate into discoveries and commercialized inventions — so can growth. Metascience researchers, like us, can generate evidence on the best way to accelerate science. Much is being learnt, but closer partnerships between researchers and policymakers could allow scientists to do much more.
Yet academic findings that affect the practice of science are still the exception rather than the rule. For example, one widely cited paper1 compared the scientific discoveries of researchers who had received ‘person-specific’ grants with the findings of a matched set of similarly accomplished researchers who were funded by ‘project-specific’ awards.