Nature Human Behaviour: short funding cycles and productivity metrics stifle creative science
S_OhEigeartaigh · x · 2026-09-03
A Perspective in Nature Human Behaviour by Phillip J. Haubrock and 40+ co-authors argues that contemporary academic systems progressively constrain high-risk, conceptually innovative research.
Key points:
- Short funding cycles push researchers toward predictable projects, discouraging risky exploration
- Productivity-based evaluation rewards quantifiable, non-transformative output
- Risk-averse frameworks systematically favor predictable, non-transformative research
The authors call for rethinking funding and evaluation structures to protect conceptual innovation and early-career researchers.
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