The British experience with nationwide research quality assessment exercises and newly-introduced measures to improve research program accountability is described. Consequences for institutions of higher education and for the system as a whole are examined, using the University of Glasgow (Scotland) as an example. Utility of performance indicators…

The evolution of the definition of scientific misconduct in two federal agencies, the Public Health Service/National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation, is examined, and the resulting regulatory definitions are contrasted. Further change is anticipated as the definitions are criticized and challenged. (MSE)

The SSRC-NAE Joint Committee on Education Research, a multidisciplinary group formed in 2001, initiated an investigation of the complex and sprawling field of American education research organized into three general domains of inquiry: the social organization of education research, an assessment of the quality of education research, and a…

Economic Growth Challenge / Innovation Incentive, as proposed by the Governor's Commission on Higher Education and the Economy, is a new line item involving reallocation of current higher education funding plus matching levels of performance funding to achieve a major restructuring and refocusing of Ohio's portfolio of doctoral research programs.…

Implementation of IT "solutions" in the context of changes to business processes and efficiency is a common trigger for using formalised project management techniques. The trigger may include topical activities such as job evaluation schemes or quality assurance accreditation. This has led to a blurring of the boundary between projects and…

This study examined the allocation of government research grants to universities in the United Kingdom in the context of the current funding system which distributes such grants based on universities' performance in the marketplace. Marketplace performance indicators include academic staff and postgraduate student counts, grants from Research…

A 1994 meeting to discuss current stresses on the university research system brought together faculty and administrators from 13 research institutions, federal research-sponsoring agencies, members of Congress, and interested professional association and philanthropic foundation representatives. Participants acknowledged that the system of…

This collection of papers discusses issues of quality, institutional research culture, and processes which encourage, achieve, sustain, and assure high quality teaching and research in universities, primarily from a British and Australian perspective. Part 1 is titled "Issues of Quality and Institutional Research Culture" and contains…

University management of research on nuclear weaponry provides better scientific results and more independent advice than would be possible under government or industry management. (MSE)

A review of higher education research trends in Denmark concludes that research is not channeled into specific areas but scattered over a broad range of topics, is mostly concerned with curriculum and instruction, and should be better documented for the benefit of future innovation and policymaking. (MSE)

This bulletin contains a report prepared by President Hadley of Yale University on the facilities for advanced study and research in the offices of the National Government at Washington. Especial interest attaches to this publication. It sets forth, in compact form, information which has frequently been sought by institutions and individuals…

Describes organization and evaluation of 13 workshops at the University of Wisconsin-Madison providing professional development for clinical research support staff. Topics included ethics, protocol development, statistics, audits, and tips and tools for successful research. Evaluation indicated the workshops met educational goals but did not…

A consideration of ethics is necessary in the development of guidelines for conducting and reporting research. A brief description of the history of ethical guidelines in research is presented followed by suggestions for development of ethical guidelines, both those that can be legislated and those that cannot. (SI)

The president of Princeton University expresses concerns about the health of the research enterprise including changing societal values, the economics of current intellectual development (e.g., increased costs to support each investigator and the large number of underfinanced efforts), and the tension between teaching and research obligations. (DB)

Points to be covered in clinical trial agreements are identified including: need to specify what is being paid; the need for and purpose of confidentiality provisions; publication review provisions; patent arrangements; the need for indemnity provisions and what these provisions should provide; and informed consent requirements and termination…