The scientific endeavour involves not only those working in research performing organisations--but also those in science funding, policy making, and think tank organisations, among others. The workforce in all these entities is composed of researchers, policy decision makers, managers, administrators, technicians, and other supporting staff.…

Interdisciplinary research collaboration is needed to perform transformative science and accelerate innovation. The Science of Team Science strives to investigate, evaluate, and foster team science, including institutional policies that may promote or hinder collaborative interdisciplinary research and the resources and infrastructure needed to…

The field of biomedical research has undergone several changes in recent years. These include increased funding, the rapid development in scientific knowledge which speeds up the obsolescence of equipment, facilities and knowledge and the growing complexity of scientific problems. Research administrators can take steps to address these changes…

Sufficient and state-of-the-art research equipment is one component required to maintain the research competitiveness of a R&D organisation. This paper describes an approach to inform more optimal allocation of equipment expenditure levels in a large and diverse R&D organisation, such as CSIRO. CSIRO is Australia's national science agency,…

The significance of biorepositories has been known for many years but the latest advances in clinical and translational research and increased collaborations among investigators have made biorepositories even more prominent. Biorepositories collect and store human tissue and serum samples used in both the research and treatment of disease. In…

In 2004, all national universities in Japan, which had previously been legally subordinate to the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT), became separate National University Corporations. With this change, the importance of securing competitive funding increased significantly, and university researchers have had to…

Biological materials oversight in life sciences research in the United States is a challenging endeavor for institutions and the scientific, regulatory compliance, and federal communities. In order to assess biological materials oversight at Institutional Biosafety Committees (IBCs) registered with the United States National Institutes of Health,…

This paper uses social network analysis to evaluate how the formation of an interdisciplinary brain research institute affected interaction and collaboration among neuroscientists at one Canadian university. The research institute, formed in 2004, has about 100 members representing ten different departments across the university campus. We…

In lesser-developed African countries, the lack of institutionalised support for research, combined with limited career opportunities and poor remuneration, have contributed to weak research infrastructure and capacity, and a continuing brain drain to developed countries. Malawi's Research Support Centre (RSC) model is novel in that it provides a…

Ethical, Legal and Social Implications ("ELSI") research has played an increasingly important role in scientific research. Tens of millions of dollars, many of which are public, are spent funding scientific research projects. Taxpayers are demanding that scientific advancement move forward, hand-in-hand with careful examination of the many ethical…

University-based research centers can bring prestige and revenue to the institutions of higher education with which they are affiliated. Collaborating with corporations, units of government, and foundations, centers provide services to organizational leaders, policy makers, and communities. University research centers continue to increase in…

With some NIH pay lines running at or below the 10th percentile, and funding becoming scarce for large science grants, new approaches are necessary to secure large interdisciplinary grant awards. The UCSD Moores Cancer Center has developed a team approach, starting with the identification of a competitive opportunity and progressing to the…

This text is the foundation from which a distinguished lecture was developed focusing on the necessity for research in healthcare carried out with attention to issues of integrity, the hallmark of all commendable research. A cautionary historical review of research misconduct and related topics is provided. Research within a cultural context and…

National Science Foundation (NSF) Office of Inspector General (OIG) evaluates all allegations of conflict of interest made in connection with NSF activities. This article identifies factors institutions may consider in developing a conflict of interest policy by discussing NSF's requirements, while highlighting these issues with case examples. A…

Explaining that scientific cores at research institutions support shared resources and facilities, discusses devising a method of charging users for core services and controlling and managing the rates. Proposes the concept of program-based management to cover sources of core support that are funding similar work. (EV)