Rotating researchers boost both sides of the funding equation

Seconding academics to funders creates benefits across the whole research system, says John Whitfield

Competition for research funding shows no sign of slacking. In lieu of more money, then, funders should be looking for ways to mitigate competition’s side-effects.

One is that, faced with many more projects than they can support, funders plump for the safe option—usually incremental work with obvious applications—over potentially groundbreaking but less certain projects.