A veteran researcher warns that the quest for funding is harming science
A 40-year insider reveals how the research funding system is now broken.
Deep Dive
A veteran researcher argues the competitive funding system now prioritizes looking excellent over producing knowledge. Key trends include professional grant writers, AI-assisted applications, and overworked evaluators, which intensify the problem. This dynamic, described as Goodhart's Law in action, is particularly visible in basic research and large EU projects. The paper is an insider's account meant to name a widely felt but rarely discussed structural paradox.
Why It Matters
If the system rewards proposals over results, it threatens the foundation of scientific progress.