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New Jersey’s lieutenant governor resigns after sexual harassment and ethics complaints
Gov. Mikie Sherrill had given Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwell until Friday to bring an end to a scandal that threatened to be a drag on her fledgling administration.
NASA’s Swift Powers On Third Instrument, Restarts Automated Slewing
NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory has resumed use of its third science instrument and automatically repointing to examine new high-energy flashes in the sky.
Decision Desk calls the Governor's race a toss-up. Kalshi traders have Byron Donalds at 77%
Traders still like Donalds and Ashley Moody. CD 22 is a coin flip.
New Jersey lieutenant governor resigns after release of damaging ethics report
Dale Caldwell’s announcement came less than a day after fellow Democrat Gov. Mikie Sherrill released the findings and urged him to resign his post.
Poll: Two out of three of North Carolinians get political news from local TV or social media
Local television and social media are where most North Carolina voters get their political and government news, according to a poll released Friday. No other source reached more than 17% of voters.
North Texas counselor convicted in $26 million health care fraud
Prosecutors say Kevin Curry funded a lavish lifestyle with the millions he received defrauding the federal government.
New Jersey’s lieutenant governor resigns after sexual harassment and ethics complaints
New Jersey’s Democratic lieutenant governor has resigned after the governor demanded he step down over allegations of inappropriate behavior with women. Gov. Mikie Sherrill had given Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwell
Photos: Fall semester, soap carving and business built by grads
Happy Friday, Huskies! This week, students in Oakland held a new kind of student government election. Over in Boston, dive inside the Soap Carving Club’s growing popularity. And, graduates share the businesses they build through entreprenuership.
Murray, Baldwin Lead Colleagues in Demanding Vought Abandon Any and All Plans to Exert Political Control Over NIH Funding
Lawmakers emphasize need for Republicans to join Democrats and support new guardrails in law to protect the integrity of NIH’s grantmaking process following long line of politically motivated attacks on NIH ICYMI: Senator Murray on Trump’s Latest Plan to Politicize Lifesaving NIH Research ICYMI: Murray on Trump Admin Scrapping Plans for Executive Order to Empower […]
Mississippi's governor awarded more than $104 million to improve rural healthcare. Where's it going?
Mississippi Today reports that a few recipients received a large share of federal funds to boost rural health in Mississippi
Bill Gates warns AI could lead to 'a billion deaths'
The cofounder of Microsoft made grave predictions about AI and voiced support for government regulation of the sector.
Protests against war crimes verdicts add pressure on Kosovo's government
Daily protests in Kosovo against war crimes convictions for former rebel commanders have spread throughout the small Balkan country | WBBM Newsradio 780 AM & 105.9 FM
Here’s How Trump Is Building a National Citizenship Database to Check Voters
The Supreme Court allowed the Trump administration to deploy a system that merges personal data from across the government. Questions remain about its reliability.
HHS Awards Almost $250 Million to Expand Addiction Treatment, Overdose Prevention and Mental Health Services
SAMHSA, an agency within HHS, awarded $247.9M in grants to support addiction treatment, mental health services, and recovery programs.
Trump to usher in ‘golden age’ of American tech with DC bash showcasing powerful new tool
Trump and JD Vance will unveil America.gov, a new AI tool designed to be a one-stop shop for navigating federal government services.
Research reveals the science behind the fight against infection | Science and Technology Facilities Council
An academic and industrial partnership has investigated the antimicrobial activity of two types of disinfectant, finding they are more effective when used together.
Pro-Trump TV ad paid for by U.S. government continues airing with higher spend
The ad’s cost has jumped from $14,000 to $430,000 as it runs on a variety of network TV channels in markets across the country
WCES targets India’s semiconductor market with specialty gas business
Indian renewable energy firm Waaree Clean Energy Solutions (WCES) will enter the domestic specialty gases market to target semiconductor manufacturing amid the Indian government’s $13.2bn Semiconductor Mission 2.0 programme.
Arkansas Invests 54 Million to Boost Rural Health and Workforce in 54 New Projects
Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders announced $54.6 million in new rural health funding for 54 projects across Arkansas Thursday, including eight awards totaling more than $5 million for projects serving Southeast Arkansas. Jefferson Hospital Association received two awards totaling $1.03 million. Of that amount, $360,000 will […]
Another new poll shows close Maine Senate race
Other UNH results show Democrat Hannah Pingree continuing to lead the pack for governor ahead of Republican Bobby Charles and independent Rick Bennett.
NASA’s Roman Team Confirms Ground Stations Receiving Data
NASA has now confirmed all ground stations supporting the agency’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope are ready to receive the mission’s high volume of data
In tight R.I. lieutenant governor’s race, Matos, Loughlin to face off in first debate
Republican John Loughlin is seen as having the best chance to win a statewide election for his party since 2006. But incumbent Lieutenant Governor Sabina Matos has an advantage, she doesn’t approach politics as a my-way-or-the-highway proposition.
CMMC nurses in Lewiston vote to form union
The situation prompted Gov. Janet Mills earlier this week to call on Prime Healthcare to reinstate the nurses fired or suspended.
The governor awarded more than $104 million to improve rural healthcare in Mississippi. Where is the money going?
A handful of recipients accounted for a substantial share of the first round of federal awards to boost rural health in Mississippi, according to an analysis of funding conducted by Mississippi Today.
Hung parliament: who could form a coalition after the next general election?
A ‘mega poll’ from YouGov suggests parties could be scrambling to forge an alliance
India orders crackdown on nicotine pouches, citing health risks, letter shows
India's government has ordered states to crack down on the sale of nicotine pouches, which it considers a major health risk, saying globally popular brands are being widely sold illegally in the country, a letter from the health ministry shows.
India orders crackdown on nicotine pouches, citing health risks, letter shows
By Aditya Kalra NEW DELHI, Sept 25 (Reuters) - India's government has ordered states to crack down on the sale of nicotine pouches, which it considers a major health risk, saying globally popular brands are being widely sold illegally in the country, a...
Pritzker pushing for data center legislation in fall veto session
Gov. JB Pritzker expects the state Legislature will take up the issue of data-center regulation during the veto session session later this year.
Pritzker pushing for data center legislation in fall veto session
Gov. JB Pritzker expects the state Legislature will take up the issue of data-center regulation during the veto session session later this year.
Quantum Sky Names Three EVPs for Business Groups
Quantum Sky appointed Samantha Moore, Jessica Merriam and Nicole Gibson to lead business groups organized around federal markets.
Major leagues urge FIFA to urgently reform its governance
Europe’s top leagues have issued a strongly worded joint statement demanding immediate structural changes at FIFA. LALIGA, the Premier League, Serie A and the Bundesliga warn about the risks of the ...
The AI race looks different from Colorado
President Donald Trump gave artificial intelligence a promotion at the United Nations this week. He said the government would begin calling it “superintelligence” and made clear he does not want fears about the technology to stifle its growth. The argument is familiar by now. America is in a race. Move faster. Build more. Stay ahead. […]
Australia steps up response to AI after OpenAI bot breaches health system database
Even before a rogue OpenAI bot breached the database of Australia's health system, the government was escalating its rhetoric about the need to tighten regulation.
Look Upstream: AI, Federal Data, and the Politics of What Gets Counted
The US federal government is expanding AI use in high-stakes decisions that affect people’s civil rights, privacy, health and safety, access to education,
Explosive Intensification for Hurricane Polo
Several ingredients came together off the Pacific coast of Mexico to generate one of the strongest storms the eastern Pacific basin has ever seen.
Unused tents and uneaten food: Watchdog finds ‘waste’ in immigration crackdown
In a report Thursday, the Government Accountability Office said the Trump administration squandered millions of dollars to expand detention.
New Jersey’s governor calls on her lieutenant governor to resign over ethics report
Gov. Mikie Sherrill said Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwell’s “ethical lapses persisted despite multiple warnings and trainings.”
NJ Gov. Sherrill calls for lieutenant governor to resign after probe
New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill called for Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwell to resign after a report released Sept. 24 detailed state ethics violations and alleged that Caldwell sexually harassed a
Oregon Gov. Kotek and state Sen. Drazan share a stage in Portland and talk business, taxes, Trump
The Portland Business Journal’s gubernatorial forum marked the first — and only — scheduled appearance in Portland.
Oregon Gov. Kotek and state Sen. Drazan share a stage in Portland and talk business, taxes, Trump
The Portland Business Journal’s gubernatorial forum marked the first — and only — scheduled appearance in Portland.
Hopping mad: New health warning stirs up Belgian brewers
In a country famed worldwide for its beer, a proposed tweak to health warnings on adverts for alcoholic drinks has shaken Belgian brewers.The government wants to alter the current warning from "the ab...
New Jersey Gov. Sherrill calls on her lieutenant governor to resign
An investigation found Dale Caldwell sexually harassed a woman and violated state ethics rules. He has denied allegations of misconduct. Sherrill said Caldwell had until Friday to step down.
$54.6 million in rural health transformation funds awarded
Gov. Sarah Sanders announced Thursday (Sept. 24) $54.6 million in awards to recipients of the second round of Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) grants, which follows $149.3 million announced in...
What Kotek, Drazan said at Oregon business forum
Gov. Tina Kotek and Sen. Christine Drazan faced off for the first time this election at a Portland business forum. Here's where they stand on taxes, tariffs and Oregon's economy.
Rising health costs concern local governments
Budgets and healthcare costs were on the minds of local government and school officials who met at Minot’s Liaison Committee meeting on Thursday, Sept. 24. One of the shared budget concerns is the rising cost of health insurance. Ward County’s employee health insurance costs increased nearly 10% for 2027. Initially, the county was looking at […]
Interested in purchasing a commercial space through the Business Community Ownership Fund?
Our Business Community Ownership Fund has two brand-new, cold-shell commercial spaces in Rainier Valley available to match with a business owner. If you’re interested in the spaces below, please visit our website for more details on eligibility and reach out to our program staff at OED_BCOF@seattle.gov. Available commercial spaces (9/24/26): Atrium Court, 7324 Martin Luther […]
State and federal barriers complicate homeless outreach in New York
Providers and outreach organizations do much of the work on the ground, but government resources remain a key part of those efforts.
State and federal barriers complicate homeless outreach in New York
Providers and outreach organizations do much of the work on the ground, but government resources remain a key part of those efforts.
Agents involved in Mar-a-Lago search ask Judge Aileen Cannon whether gag order blocks testimony
FBI agents who probed Donald Trump’s handling of classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago home asked Judge Aileen Cannon on Thursday whether they could testify before a grand jury — or even consult their lawyers — as part of an investigation into whether former government officials conspired against the president.
Reducing the $2T federal deficit could lower inflation, interest rates for Americans: CRFB
Curbing the federal government's roughly $2 trillion budget deficit could lower inflation and current interest rates for households, a CRFB report finds.
Governor Stein Announces $5 Million to Strengthen Small Businesses in Western North Carolina
(RALEIGH) Today in Lansing, Governor Stein announced $5 million in new infrastructure grants to support small business recovery in western North Carolina through the Small Business Infrastructure Grant Program. Two years since Hurricane Helene struck western North Carolina, Governor Stein continues to advocate for a $10 billion appropriation from Congress to support the next phase …
Column: Politics has become a battle for attention
Democracy requires us to disagree and still live, work and solve problems together, government communications strategist Kellen R. Reed writes in a guest column.
Column: Politics has become a battle for attention
Democracy requires us to disagree and still live, work and solve problems together, government communications strategist Kellen R. Reed writes in a guest column.
POLITICS Christian Mitchell talks about Gov. Pritzker, Ulysses S. Grant and the fight for marriage equality
Christian Mitchell—a former Illinois state representative and deputy governor—is on the statewide election ticket alongside Gov. JB Pritzker in a bid for lieutenant governor, as his running mate seeks a third term. (Outgoing Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton is running for the U.S. Senate.) Mitchell graduated from the University of Chicago in 2008, and planned on […]
Governor announces another $54.6 million in rural health grants
Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders announced an additional $54.6 million in federal funding to bolster rural healthcare on Thursday, the latest allocation from the state's share of a $50 billion fund established by Congress last year.
Police investigating death threat spray-painted on governor candidate’s business in Tennessee. Here’s what we know
The Tennessee gubernatorial candidate’s campaign said the graffiti read, “Drop Out or Die,” and included an anarchy symbol.
‘Love Me’: White House airs government-funded ad praising Trump
With the midterm elections approaching, the White House is airing a new TV ad promoting President Donald Trump and his policies that says it is “Paid for by the U.S. Government.”
Netanyahu says Mamdani endangers Jewish New Yorkers
The mayor has encouraged the federal government to arrest Netanyahu.
Amid rising political violence, N.J. passes bill that would allow campaigns to use funds for security
The bill, which would campaign dollars to pay for politicians' alarm systems and other security measures, now heads to Gov. Mikie Sherrill's desk.
Iranian president claims Mojtaba Khamenei is in good health, able to govern
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian discusses Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei’s health and his conversations with him on ‘Special Report.’
Politics Friday: How would having a woman as governor changes Capitol issue set?
Friday at noon, Minnesota is on the verge of joining the solid majority of states to have a woman as governor. We discuss what impact that could have on issue debates. Also, a look at the polling.
AMC Entertainment Shareholders Reject Governance Changes, Back Equity Plan
AMC Entertainment (NYSE:AMC) shareholders rejected several corporate-governance amendments at the company’s 2026 annual meeting, while approving an increase in shares available under its equity incentive plan and electing three Class 3 directors. Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Adam Aron said
Why Citizens from Two Key States Are Trying to Change How Their Governments Work
I respect it, but I’m not 100 percent sure it’ll work.
Delta Peanut receives $5 million loan to continue operations
Peanut farmers in Northeast Arkansas and in the Missouri Bootheel have potentially staved off a disaster. A $5 million loan has been allocated from the Governor’s Quick Action Closing Fund...
Attorney General Marshall Urges Congress to Add Women's Sports Protections to College Sports Bill
For Immediate Release:September 24, 2026
US government foots bill for television advertisement featuring Trump's midterm messaging
An ad running on Fox News and Newsmax showing images of President Donald Trump and calling for the defeat of communism was paid for by the U.S. government. The 30-second
More AI regulation ordered by Oregon governor
Kotek said Oregon must move more quickly to regulate advanced artificial intelligence amid growing warnings about its risks.
Gov. Rhoden Awards Behavioral Health Grants through RHT
News - Gov. Rhoden Awards Behavioral Health Grants through RHT - Today, Governor Rhoden announced 12 Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) modernization and infrastructure grants totaling more than $13 million.
FSU HEALTH COMMUNICATION EXPERT FINDS GLP-1 USERS FACE STIGMA WITHIN THEIR SOCIAL CIRCLES
Sept 24 2026 – People taking popular GLP-1 medications such as Ozempic, Wegovy and Zepbound may face stigma from those closest to them, according to a new study by a Florida State University professor. Braidyn Lazenby, an assistant professor at FSU’s College of Communication & Information, led the study “‘They Call Us Cheaters:” Exploring Stigma […]
Advanced Health Tech Research Continues to Protect Astronaut Health
Advanced health research, including ultrasound scans, blood tests, and exercise studies, using the latest technology in microgravity was on Thursday’s schedule for the Expedition 75 crew. The orbital residents also continued their ongoing cargo operations and maintenance tasks aboard the International Space Station.
Australia Says an OpenAI Agent Hacked Into a Goverment Health Site
The AI giant found out about the hack in August, but didn't send a message until September.
DC Health Link Not Impacted by Federal Health Insurance Cancellations
Earlier this week, the Trump Administration announced plans to remove more than 750,000 Americans from health insurance plans purchased through healthcare.gov, a marketplace established by the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The administration alleges that the removed individuals were fraudulently enrolled in the program. In the District of Columbia, the DC Health Benefit Exchange Authority (DCHBX) […]
US government foots bill for television advertisement featuring Trump's midterm messaging
At first glance, it looks like a typical Republican campaign advertisement. As images of President Donald Trump flash across the screen, the 30-second spot says “America will never be a communist cou...
NASA’s DAVINCI Beats Heat in Preparation for Blistering Venus Descent
An engineering model of NASA’s DAVINCI (Deep Atmosphere Venus Investigation of Noble gases, Chemistry, and Imaging) descent probe passed a key test that ran
Trump ad airing with government funding despite law against ‘propaganda’
A TV ad boosting President Trump and saying that it was paid for by the U.S. government is airing in two major markets despite a federal law against using tax funds for "propaganda."
EJN and Schmidt Ocean Institute Train Brazilian Journalists on Ocean Science, Governance and Data Reporting
The ocean covers more than 70% of the planet, yet much of it remains poorly understood by the public and underreported in the media. To help journalists strengthen their coverage of marine issues and
ISP recognizes the hidden crime fighting heroes during Forensic Science Week
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WICS/WRSP) -As Governor JB Pritzker proclaims September 20-26, 2026 as Forensic Science Week in Illinois, the Illinois State Police (ISP) is honoring the dedicated professionals who collect, examine,
Why did an OpenAI system hack Australia's health system - and can it be stopped in the future?
News that an automated AI agent hacked a government IT system raises big questions about regulating the tech.
ICYMI: Chairman Smith on The Will Cain Show: Big Insurance Cashed in on Taxpayer Subsidies for Health Care That Wasn’t Actually Provided
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith (MO-08) joined Fox News’ The Will Cain Show to discuss...
GSA Issues Notice of “Glitch” and Recommends Contractors Validate Small Business Status Representations on SAM.gov
The General Services Administration (GSA) has begun sending out email notifications of a “known glitch” affecting certain System for Award Management
Provident Bank Goes Live with MANTL Business and Retail Account Opening Across its 135-Branch Network
/PRNewswire/ -- Alkami Technology, Inc. (Nasdaq: ALKT), a digital sales and service platform provider for financial institutions in the U.S., today announced...
NASA to Study Human Health, Performance During Crew-13 Mission
During NASA's SpaceX Crew‑13 mission aboard the International Space Station, astronauts will support a series of biomedical and human health performance...
Ryan Elijah slams Bale Dalton's position on gender-affirming care
Dalton says the federal government should stay out of family medical decisions.
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear hints at future political run during book talk
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said Tuesday that he is no longer certain his 2023 reelection campaign will be his last, while discussing his faith, political divisions and the future of the Democratic Party at GW.
Opinion: Social media & local politics: The death of citizen discourse?
Acrimonious social-media pile-ons can do much more than cause hurt feelings. On a personal level, at their worst, they result in court cases alleging slander and defamation. They contribute little of a positive nature to public discourse. Even more significantly, something larger is at play that threatens our very system of government and citizen involvement
Australia to investigate if OpenAI hack of government health website broke the law
The incident is the first known breach to affect a government agency, and Australia's prime minister has vowed to hold OpenAI accountable.
FSU Health Communication expert finds GLP-1 users face stigma within their social circles
People taking popular GLP-1 medications such as Ozempic, Wegovy and Zepbound may face stigma from those closest to them, according to a new study by a
Is metascience being co-opted?
In July, the White House released a report that argued academia is deeply dysfunctional and in need of radical reform.Science: A New Golden Age sets out a litany of problems many academics will recognise: interminable waits for grants; short-term funding rather than support for longer, more ambitious projects; ballooning administrative requirements; pressure to publish, and many more. “The scientific machine is getting bogged down,” it says. At least on the face of it, Science: A New Golden Age is a triumph for the metascience movement, a loose-knit, global group of academics, philanthropists and think tankers that want far more testing and experimentation in how we fund public research and innovation. The report tells US research funders to set up internal metascience units to do just this. But it has also set alarm bells ringing that metascience is being conveniently deployed to help justify the defunding of US universities, which US vice president JD Vance has openly labelled “the enemy.” “Just because you have an issue with your plumbing in your house doesn't mean you light the entire house on fire and burn it to the ground,” said Colette Delawalla, chief executive of Stand Up for Science, a group campaigning against what it says are attacks on scientists by the Trump administration. No one is arguing that academia doesn’t need reform, but there’s debate over how far and how fast the system should be shaken up. Does public R&D need slow and steady evidence-based adjustment, or radical new experiments?One of the key arguments in Science: A New Golden Age is that there’s not enough funding for what it calls “mid-level” science: engineering-heavy projects that require tens of millions of dollars, involve ten to a hundred people, and last around five years. Such a project might develop a brain-computer interface for people with Alzheimer's disease, for example. As such, the US National Science Foundation (NSF) has already announced $1.5 billion to set up so-called X-Labs, effectively new research organisations to pursue breakthroughs in areas such as quantum sensing and new scientific instruments. Funding divertedBut there’s a catch: this money has squeezed NSF budgets for more traditional, fundamental research grants, Science reported in June, likely meaning less cash for university-based scientists. Science: A New Golden Age also makes various swipes at universities, accusing them of extracting overheads from scientists to fund administrative bloat. “We have become dependent on a narrow set of legacy institutions,” it says. The report doesn’t mention it, but the US government is simultaneously seeking greater powers over federal funding, which would allow political appointees at funding agencies to screen or cancel research grants mid-project. The White House is also seeking to slash the NSF’s budget by more than half in 2027, although similar cuts proposed for 2026 were blocked by Congress. Convenient hookThis has worried some that the metascience agenda could be misused as a kind of smokescreen to further weaken universities. James Wilsdon, executive director of the Research on Research Institute at University College London, said that the report contains lots of “interesting ideas” and agrees that in places, academia is a “pretty broken system.” But the risk is that metascience is being deployed as a “convenient hook” to support cuts and a “political land grab” to transfer grant power from scientists to political appointees in US funding agencies.So far, the metascience agenda hasn’t been seized on by radical right parties in Europe. But Wilsdon worries it will cross the Atlantic, politicising research reform efforts and making them more difficult to carry out. The report is already making some in Europe sceptical of the entire idea. “The system is not without flaws, but the metascience discussion is not likely to improve the system but rather to generate munition to undermine it,” said Claes de Vreese, a professor of AI and society at the University of Amsterdam. Peter Thiel protégéOfficially, Science: A New Golden Age has just one named author: Michael Kratsios, the director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy and a former chief of staff to Silicon Valley mogul Peter Thiel. He also served as chief financial officer of Thiel’s Clarium Capital Management. Since the 1990s, Thiel has criticised US universities for moving away from teaching what he views as the classic works of western civilisation, and drifting towards “anti-Western zealotry.” And since 2011, he has offered two-year fellowships of $250,000 to young people to skip or drop out of university, and instead start companies or pursue scientific research. “College can be good for learning about what’s been done before, but it can also discourage you from doing something new,” according to the Thiel Fellowships website. In other areas, the Trump administration has promoted academics with a longstanding interest in metascience. For example, the head of the National Institutes of Health, Jay Bhattacharya, in 2020 co-authored a study arguing the funder backs overly conservative proposals, although he achieved wider prominence as a critic of pandemic lockdowns. Careless talk costs fundingEven before the Trump administration embraced the metascience agenda, some metascientists privately wondered whether they should be careful not to overstate dysfunctions in academia, in case this gets used as ammunition against universities. But others think being cautious with criticism is pointless. After all, last year, the Trump administration sought to cut funding from US universities on an entirely different premise: supposed antisemitism on campus. “I don't think these governments need a technical metascientific excuse to attack the universities, they will want to do so anyway,” said Will Stone, a researcher at Science Works, a new think tank advocating for a “metascience revolution” in the UK. “I think researchers should report what they find, even when the findings may be used to advance policies they disagree with,” echoed Russell Funk, a researcher at the University of Minnesota, who in 2023 co-authored a highly influential paper that argued scientific papers were becoming less disruptive over time. No justificationThat said, Funk thinks that metascientific research certainly doesn’t justify a weakening of universities. Instead, scientists need “time, resources and stability to pursue unfamiliar ideas,” he said. “Taking away those conditions works against the very goal the reforms are supposed to achieve.”The Institute for Progress, a Washington DC-based innovation policy think tank that has championed X-Labs and metascience units, also says that reforms should complement, not supplant, universities. “Unpredictable, unreliable, and reduced federal funding to researchers is destabilising to the very foundations of research and development and is bad,” said Jenn Gustetic, the institute’s director of metascience and R&D policy.Evolution or revolution?This points to a much bigger divide in the metascience community: how far and how fast should public R&D be shaken up? Does it need evolution or revolution? For example, Science: A New Golden Age says the science system relies too heavily on traditional “workhorse” project grants, the type that pay out around $250,000 a year to fund “hypothesis-driven science by small teams on tractable questions.” However, in criticising project grants, the report “decisively picks one side of a debate that is far from settled,” David Hilmer Rex, a metascientist based in Denmark, has written. In June, Pierre Azoulay, a metascientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, defended project grants, saying that the alternative of X-Labs “merits scepticism.”A-B testingOne challenge in metascience is that it’s easier to generate evidence for some types of change than others. Most straightforwardly, research funders can run A-B tests on different ways of awarding money. For example, Germany’s Volkswagen Foundation recently trialled distributed peer review, where applicants rate each other’s proposals, and measured its results against traditional review panels. Distributed peer review made quicker decisions, although awarded money to largely different ideas. However, much of the focus of the metascience movement has been on founding fast-moving and free-acting new research organisations and funders, in contrast to the alleged stodginess of mainstream academia or public innovation grants. A culture of speed and freedom are the animating principles behind Germany’s Sprind or the UK’s Advanced Research and Invention Agency (Aria).Related articlesViewpoint: it's time to experiment with how Europe funds science European researchers sound the alarm that Trump rule changes will hit cooperationHowever, while it’s possible to closely study previously successful bodies, such as the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (Darpa), for historical clues to their secret sauce, it’s impossible to guarantee in advance that the likes of Sprind or Aria will actually work as hoped. But advocates of new organisations say this inherent uncertainly shouldn’t stop us trying. “If we wait for definitive proof that something will work before we try it, I don't know where your proof is coming from,” said Stone. Trade-offsUp until now, experiments in metascience haven’t generally come with hard trade-offs over money. In the US, new ideas such as focused research organisations have often been funded by billionaire philanthropists. In Europe, new innovation agencies such as Sprind and Aria, or the Netherland’s new National Agency for Disruptive Innovation, haven’t needed explicit cuts elsewhere in the research system. But with the $1.5 billion establishment of X-Labs by the NSF, the trade-offs are becoming clearer. Some metascientists privately wonder whether a smaller pilot would have been more appropriate, given that the idea is untested. The Institute for Progress counters that the $1.5 billion X-Labs budget is spread out over a decade, so will account for less than 2% of the NSF’s annual budget. “It’s important to remember that [Darpa] was once an institutional experiment as well. Now it’s one of the most cited innovative funding models in the world,” said Gustetic.As for Europe?The US isn’t the only country placing metascience at the heart of its research strategy. Science: A New Golden Age looks admiringly at the UK, which in 2024 set up a Metascience Unit to scrutinise how it funds research. In Brussels, it’s more of a mixed picture. In 2018, the EU set up the European Innovation Council to funnel grants and equity to start-ups, although it’s sometimes criticised for awarding money too slowly. Recently, the council has started experimenting with challenges, where teams of inventors compete to overcome a technological challenge. The European Commission also wants to experiment with partially randomising grant winners, to cut down on bureaucracy. However, the Commission’s own advisers have said the EU’s own research schemes are too conventional. They want the Commission to establish a new dedicated unit to scrutinise and experiment with funding. But there’s no sign of a such unit emerging in Brussels’ plans for the next Horizon Europe programme, which from 2028 is set to distribute more than €160 billion over seven years. Sam Bogerd, director of breakthrough innovation at the Brussels-based Arq Foundation, an AI-focused think tank that also looks at metascience, says that Europe might have the opposite problem to the US: universities and basic research funding are still reasonably well supported, but there’s not enough experimentation. “We're not taking a close enough look at where this money can achieve the most, and I am worried that the good ideas around metascience will be tainted politically by their association with the Trump administration,” he said. He’s still lobbying for the Commission to set up an experimental unit. But in the meantime, the Arq Foundation plans to do its own research, and is currently hiring two metascience researchers to run the rule over how Brussels spends research funding.
EU science policy wonks debate prospect of stronger ties with Canada
Europe’s research and innovation sector has started asking questions on how European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s offer to make Canada “the first associate member of the EU” would actually work in practice, and who will get to shape priorities in a transatlantic relationship that is getting stronger. The Commission says it wants “a new model of association” under which the EU and Canada will aim to develop “a shared space” to face ongoing challenges. “Working in close coordination with our member states and the European Parliament, we will aim to create a new form of partnership that has not existed until now, building the closest imaginable form of association with a partner outside Europe,” a spokesperson told Science|Business.Locked in an escalating trade war with US President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly talked of annexing Canada, Prime Minister Mark Carney has been looking east, but full EU membership was never in play. Taking the floor a day after von der Leyen’s proposal, he agreed to strengthen ties under “an alliance of the future” but reined in enthusiasm on the new label. He also suggested expanding Canada’s involvement in the Erasmus+ student mobility scheme, to which it currently has limited access, and the next iteration of Horizon Europe. Canada joined the present Horizon Europe in 2024, but only contributes to collaborative projects.Neither side has detailed the next practical steps in developing this new relationship. “I think nobody at the moment truly knows how this will work,” said Michael Browne, chief executive and founder of Crowdhelix, a global collaborative network that connects players in research and innovation. “It’s more of a statement of intent for closer collaboration, which requires legislative frameworks and approval processes, which have not started.”Kurt Deketelaere, secretary general of the League of European Research Universities, said von der Leyen’s pitch to Canada is “politically significant, but the legal content still has to be negotiated and constructed.”Mattias Björnmalm, secretary general of the Cesaer university group, agreed that she had only opened “a political door” to Canada, as “associate membership does not come with a predefined set of rights in the EU institutions.”Not only does this status not currently exist as a legal category in the two treaties that set up how the EU functions, but the Commission president cannot unilaterally create a new category of EU membership.According to Deketelaere, Article 217 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU, which allows the bloc to make association deals with non-EU countries involving reciprocal rights and duties, is “the most obvious existing legal basis for building a much deeper EU-Canada relationship.”Getting universities involvedNo matter how this new cooperation takes shape, Liviu Matei, who heads the School of Education, Communication and Society at King’s College London, hopes to see universities involved in discussions from an early stage.“Its primary motivations, entirely justifiably, are political and geopolitical,” he said. “In the area of higher education, however, restricting the initiative to political and geopolitical considerations would limit the scope of cooperation and lead to distorted frameworks and counterproductive implementation.”It is all the more important since academic interests on the two sides of the Atlantic are “neither identical nor fully aligned,” Matei added. “This is not insurmountable; it simply requires work to articulate the details of this privileged cooperation, including its governance and funding frameworks, as well as its substantive content in education and research.”Related articlesCanada looks to deepen research and education links with the EUZaharieva hopes for a Horizon Europe deal in 2026Canada might participate in European Research Council schemes, for example, which was not on offer in the present Horizon Europe association agreement. But “there would have to be something in it for the EU,” Browne said. “They don’t want to be funding projects outside of the EU where intellectual property is going to sit outside of the EU. There has to be some kind of transfer of knowledge.”But access to funding will not by itself resolve all the practical difficulties of working together, said Björnmalm. “For researchers and students, these include visas and residence arrangements, recognition of qualifications and study periods, and the conditions for pursuing a research career across borders,” he said. “For universities, there is scope for more predictable access to shared laboratories, computing and research data, and stronger support for joint doctoral training and long-term institutional partnerships.”Linda Doyle, provost and president of Trinity College Dublin, said Europe should strive for the “closest possible expression” of this new political alliance. “If Europe is serious about recovering its voice and its place in the world, it needs to be strongly allied with countries who share its values and its vision for a stable, rules-based, peaceful world.”
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