What is the position of basic research in Sweden, and what does basic research really mean? Curie has talked to Karin Markides, Mats Ulfendahl and Göran Blomqvist. All three have experience of research funding from leading positions within bodies such as Vinnova, the Swedish Research Council and the Swedish Foundation for Humanities and Social Sciences.
Working with basic research tests your patience – it can take decades to achieve tangible results. This is well-known to the microbiologists Jan Holmgren and Ann-Mari Svennerholm, who have been researching cholera vaccine since the 1970s. Today, the couple have received many accolades for their work spanning many years.
The importance of undirected research for social development and the need to invest more in national infrastructure. These were some of the issues highlighted in the Swedish Research Council’s report Future choices, which shows the way forward for Swedish research.
Basic research is about finding new knowledge, but the concept has several definitions, and the approach differs between different scientific fields. Mats Benner, professor of research policy, explains what basic research is, and why so few researchers stretch their wings these days.
Small research teams produce disruptive research at a greater rate. Large groups tend to develop existing ideas. This is shown in a study published in Nature by US researchers. But the question why small groups are better at disruptive research remains unanswered.
Is it OK for researchers to map persons’ ethnicity or skin colour? The issue of equality data arouses strong feelings in the research community.
New research institutions are employing loyal employees who lack academic qualifications in Hungary. And the government is appointing financial supervisors at the universities. The aim is to get rid of free-thinking researchers, asserts Andrea Petö, a professor of Gender Studies in Budapest. In Sweden, too, political forces that question certain research are appearing.
As a nerd, one wants to find out everything there is to know in one’s field, such as the science behind zombies, aliens and superheroes. This drive is something that teachers and research communicators should use more, argues Raychelle Burks, a chemistry researcher at St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas.
Peer review – collegial scrutiny of scientific articles – is a cornerstone of academic publishing. Yet the work is usually unpaid, and is also carried out anonymously. Now the Swedish editors of an international journal have instituted a prize to celebrate the best review of the year.
The organisation Addgene wants to make it easier for researchers in genetics to share material for basic research. They believe in a change, where more researchers are working towards a more open research culture.