Viewpoint

Technology alone will not fix global problems such as climate change, food and water shortages, soil erosion or the rising tide of chronic disease. What’s needed is more dialogue and interchange between the natural and the social sciences

The Norwegian University of Science and Technology is, “the university that built Norway”. Upholding this tradition calls for cooperation with institutions worldwide, links with industry, and home-based facilities that are centres of gravity for international researchers, says the Rector Gunnar Bovim

To date, citizen science has focused on top-down science communication. But as the exemplar of astronomy highlights, amateur enthusiasts can make significant contributions. It’s time to capture this potential, to expand the scope and excellence of research, says Fermin Serrano

Reform of public sector research has stalled, but financial woes have prompted the refocussing of private sector R&D - offering hope for a revival of investment and a spur to innovation

The ‘democratic deficit’ in Brussels was all-too present in the shaping of Horizon 2020. Here’s what can be done to remedy the problem.

Girls outperform boys in STEM subjects, but don’t translate this potential into future careers. Now, Microsoft is pushing for more women in ICT

Management science in the Internet Age: The embarrassing fact is that this information-drenched world is too complex to manage. Computer-based decision support tools can help. But we must be sure to control them, says Helga Nowotny

In times of shrinking public spending, the 8th Framework Programme offers more money for R&D. With this show of faith comes an explicit new mandate for universities: Be engines of growth

The current US model for technology transfer isn’t working. Rather than depending on out-licensing to the highest bidder, universities should support researchers to turn entrepreneur and nurture their own start-ups, says Walter Valdivia

Researchers can still operate by the rules and norms of science, but under Horizon 2020 they have – with the exception of the ERC - no autonomy to decide what science they do and how the results are applied, says Professor Karl Ulrich Mayer, President of the Leibniz Association