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Grant-based research not only drives researchers into precarity by turning them into entrepreneurs, it also promotes bad research. The incentives to cut corners and get something non-rigorous published increase when projects run out of money after a set time period that cannot be adjusted to the intrinsic vagaries of the research process. This is true especially if your next grant also depends on publication metrics. The grant ideology looks at science and sees a conveyor belt. #AcademicChatter
Maybe I'm not up to speed on the literature, but I see a lot of discussion about the methodological flaws behind the replication crisis, but not so much on its institutional underpinnings. There's a wonderful paper by Paul Smaldino and @rlmcelreath https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.160384 on the incentive structure that encourages underpowered studies (h/t @UlrikeHahn). The actors in this process are labs that compete with each other and pass on bad methods to progenitors or "die out".
I wonder if there's any meta-scientific research on the replication crisis that goes into the material side of things, i.e. the labor relations, the research funding etc.
@DetersHenning No idea, if there's anything. It would be extremely fascinating, especially when comparing across fields.
@DetersHenning and every project is of course a success and all the money is used for, since the project supervisors on the granting side want to be able to sell their project upwards
also, researchers doing a few of those projects at the same time - and ofc people who are leaving writing the proposals for the people who are starting
@mmby oh yes, don't get me started on questions of fairness...
@DetersHenning
The system is a total mess, but what's the alternative? Somebody has to spend the money by some set of criteria. Seriously, would like some good, practical ideas.
@notsoloud
I can't design a bullet proof alternative but that doesn't make the mess look much better. My hunch is that funding should be diverted from grants to permanent research infrastructure and positions.