The government says it will do more to protect federal scientists from political interference. The Canadian government has introduced a new model scientific integrity policy to protect its public sector scientists from political interference, and the country’s research community, including high-profile chemists, applaud the development. ‘The government is committed to science and evidence-based decision-making,’ said Canada’s science […]
science
Concern over future of science in Ontario
Province’s new premier cancels media subscriptions and revokes carbon tax. Scientists in Ontario, Canada’s most populated province, are concerned about the future of government science in the province following the election of Doug Ford as premier. Ford, brother of the late Toronto mayor Rob Ford, has a populist streak and has shown little interest in […]
Canada’s innovation gap remains, new report finds
Investment in R&D as a share of GDP has steadily declined since 2001, mainly due to low business R&D expenditures, says expert panel. Canada has maintained its strong performance in research and education but is falling ever further behind in industrial R&D, innovation and wealth creation, according to a new reporton the state of science and […]
Canadian science wins billions in new budget
Researchers pleased with unfettered funding for granting councils. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s administration released its 2018 budget on 27 February and scientists couldn’t be happier. It includes almost Can$4 billion (US$3.1 billion) in new funding for science over the next five years, a significant portion of which will go to the country’s three granting […]
Half of Canada’s government scientists still feel muzzled
More than half of government scientists in Canada—53%—do not feel they can speak freely to the media about their work, even after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government eased restrictions on what they can say publicly, according to a survey by a union that represents more than 16,000 federal scientists. Read more in Science.
Most insect studies lack crucial species information
Survey results suggest that a lot of entomology research could be impossible to replicate. More than 98% of entomology papers contain so little species information on the insects being studied that they are essentially impossible to replicate, according to a survey of more than 550 articles published in 2016. Read more in Nature.
National Research Council lays out a four-year reform plan
This latest overhaul of the NRC aims to boost engagement, restore lost morale. The National Research Council of Canada will set up a postdoctoral program, appoint a chief scientific adviser and establish a president’s research excellence committee as part of the lat-est round of reforms at the agency. The four-year reform plan, the result of […]
Obsession with novelty sidelines deeper learning
Too much focus on generating new ideas in science is driving the replication crisis. An overemphasis on novelty has meant that funders and journal editors are neglecting the equally important work of revisiting old problems, says molecular biologist, Barak Cohen, at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. “If we always have to be finding something […]
Automated software saves researchers valuable hours
Online tools are lightening the load for authors and journal editors. An international partnership is developing online tools that could save authors and journal editors hours in manuscript checking, while ensuring, with the help of peer review, that published science is high-quality, replicable, and useful. Read more in Nature Index.
Canada’s New Arctic Research Facility Prepares to Open
The Canadian High Arctic Research Station in Cambridge Bay will serve as a base for scientists studying everything from the region’s changing cryosphere to how to best deploy renewable energy projects in northern communities. THIS OCTOBER, AS winter begins to draw near in the Canadian Arctic, a new research facility will finally open its doors. The Canadian High […]