The Good Science Project is launching an R&D reform project to provide government officials with defined, actionable steps to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of federal research and development.
In short, we will be publishing a series of policy briefs on reforming federal R&D. We want your ideas! We are looking for detailed plans of action on how important ideas for R&D reform could be implemented. By sourcing a wide range of proposals, we want to provide government leaders in the executive and legislative branches with a comprehensive package of ready-to-implement policies, designed to optimize our R&D machine.
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From new AI tools, to the usability of nuclear fusion, to the possibility of mRNA vaccines for cancer, we live in an amazing time for scientific and technological progress.
But we can do still better.
For decades, there have been calls for making our R&D enterprise more efficient. From how we allocate federal funds, to the administrative burden on researchers, to the lack of priority-setting at many federal agencies, there is always room for improvement and optimization.
Improving economic growth, human health and wellbeing, and national security, requires new ideas for policies and practices that will make the U.S. R&D machine more efficient and impactful. If we do not evolve, we will most certainly lose ground to our international competitors, particularly China.
We will publish a series of 3–4-page papers that include actionable steps that can be taken by government leaders. We are looking for detailed plans of action on how important ideas for R&D reform could be implemented.
Here is where you come in. The first step is to write a single paragraph that details an evidence-based R&D reform that you believe will make government work better. If we like your idea, we’ll work with you on a full-fledged policy brief. You’ll retain editorial control over the substance, of course.
By sourcing a wide range of proposals, we want to provide government leaders in the executive and legislative branches with a comprehensive package of ready-to-implement policies, designed to make our R&D machine more effective.
Here are a few open questions to get your juices flowing.
- How do we improve innovation across federal science agencies?
- How do we reduce the administrative burden on scientists?
- How do we ensure that the next generation of scientists are well-supported?
- How do we improve science entrepreneurship? Should we reform patent policy?
- How do we ensure that open science policies are improving innovation?
- How do we improve reproducibility or detect academic fraud?
- How should science funding agencies go about setting goals and taking on big ideas?
- How do we enable federal agencies to take a risk on unproven ideas like mRNA research as of the 1990s?
- How do we streamline and improve the clinical trial system so that it generates more evidence more quickly?
Please submit your ideas here: