Metascience
How can we change the incentives and funding structures within science to produce more breakthrough research?
The U.S. federal government is the single largest source of science funding in the world. Despite how much we’re spending, we know surprisingly little about how the structures, incentives, and organizational models within science impact the results we get.
We need more experimentation and diversification in the way the U.S. government funds cutting-edge science. And we need to do a better job of funding young and talented scientists to work on their most ambitious, highest expected value ideas.
                Metascience            
        
    
     
            
            Featured Publication
                    
    
    
            American Science Should Take a Lot More Risks        
        
            Scientific efficiency isn’t primarily about the dollars we could save; it’s about the breakthroughs we could be missing        
        
            Read the full report        
        
    
                Metascience            
        
    
     
            
            Indirect Cost Recovery and American Innovation: Context and Ideas for Reform        
        
            How the government covers indirect costs directly affects scientific innovation        
        
            Read the full report        
        
    
                Metascience            
        
    
     
            
            Sweat the Small Stuff        
        
            From immigration to family policy, inaccurate and missing federal data undermine major policy reforms        
        
            Read the full report        
        
    
                Biotechnology            
        
    
     
            
            The Case for Clinical Trial Abundance        
        
            A series of short papers outlining reform possibilities for America's clinical trials        
        
            Read the full report        
        
    Metascience Research Team
                Metascience            
        
    
     
            
            The “Metascience 101” Podcast Series        
        
            A nine-episode set of interviews that doubles as a crash course in the debates, issues, and ideas driving the modern metascience movement        
        
            Read the full report        
        
    
                Metascience            
        
    
     
            
            Progress Deferred: Lessons From mRNA Vaccine Development        
        
            We can restructure science funding to help breakthrough research translate more quickly        
        
            Read the full report        
        
    
                Metascience            
        
    
     
            
            The ARPA Model: A Reading List        
        
            A comprehensive syllabus on the ARPA model and its family tree        
        
            Read the full report        
        
    
                Metascience            
        
    
     
            
            To Speed Up Scientific Progress, We Need to Understand Science Policy        
        
            Three ways to bridge the divide between researchers and policymakers        
        
            Read the full report        
        
    
                Metascience            
        
    
     
            
            Funding Delays Are Slowing Scientific Progress        
        
            It shouldn't take scientists 20 months to navigate the grant process        
        
            Read the full report        
        
    
                Metascience            
        
    
     
            
            How the NSF Moved Faster than the NIH During COVID-19        
        
            The pandemic highlighted how flexible funding authority can save lives during a crisis        
        
            Read the full report        
        
    
                Metascience            
        
    
     
            
            How DARPA Can Anticipate Downside Risk        
        
            A response to DARPA's request for information on assessing ethical, legal, and societal implications of emerging technologies        
        
            Read the full report        
        
    
                Metascience            
        
    
     
            
            How DARPA Can Proactively Shape Emerging Technologies        
        
            A response to DARPA's request for information on assessing ethical, legal, and societal implications of emerging technologies        
        
            Read the full report        
        
    
                Metascience            
        
    
     
            
            Building a Better NIH        
        
            A series of short papers outlining the growth potential for our nation's premier health R&D funder         
        
            Read the full report        
        
    
                Metascience            
        
    
     
            
            Can Policymakers Trust Forecasters?        
        
            Experts, modelers, and forecasters try to predict events, but which of them are most reliable?        
        
            Read the full report        
        
    
                Metascience            
        
    
     
            
            But Seriously, How Do We Make an Entrepreneurial State?        
        
            Some practical strategies for rebuilding state capacity        
        
            Read the full report        
        
    
                Metascience            
        
    
     
            
            How to Translate Research Findings into Policy        
        
            Recommendations for successfully communicating with policymakers        
        
            Read the full report        
        
    
                Metascience            
        
    
     
            
            Drug Pricing Reforms Could Hurt Innovation        
        
            Here Are Three Ways to Prevent That        
        
            Read the full report        
        
    
                Metascience            
        
    
     
            
            Piloting and Evaluating NSF Science Lottery Grants: A Roadmap to Improving Research Funding Efficiencies and Proposal Diversity        
        
            Read the full report        
        
    
                Metascience            
        
    
     
            
            Fund Organizations, Not Projects: Diversifying America’s Innovation Ecosystem with a Portfolio of Independent Research Organizations        
        
            Read the full report        
        
    
                Metascience            
        
    
     
            
            Improving Graduate-Student Mentorship by Investing in Traineeship Grants        
        
            Read the full report        
        
     
                     
                     
                     
                     
                     
             
             
             
             
            