How rural innovation can boost national productivity

Understanding the AD Scientific Index Methodology: Transparent, Data-Driven, and Real-Time In today’s data-rich academic landscape, transparency and credibility are essential in evaluating research performance. The AD Scientific Index stands out by basing its methodology on objective and verifiable bibliometric data from Google Scholar, without relying on surveys, reputation scores, or hidden formulas. - Six Indicators, Two Timeframes: Researchers' performance is assessed using indicators like the h-index, i10-index, and total citation count, both for their entire career and the last 5 (or 6) years. This approach offers a comprehensive view of long-term impact and current research momentum. - Comprehensive and Inclusive Coverage: Spanning 13 main fields and nearly 200 sub-disciplines, the index encompasses over 2.4 million scientists from 24,000+ universities in 221 countries. This broad coverage ensures equal visibility for STEM, social sciences, arts, and humanities. - Real-Time Updates: Unlike annual rankings, the AD Scientific Index updates profiles and institutional rankings frequently. Researcher data is refreshed every 20–30 days, while institutional results are updated every few days. This real-time approach mirrors the continuous evolution of science. - Institutional Rankings – A Bottom-Up Perspective: Universities are ranked based on the distribution and performance of their affiliated scientists, offering a perspective that emphasizes each institution's true strength — its people. At AD Scientific Index, we uphold the values of transparency, inclusivity, and methodological clarity as the pillars of credible academic evaluation. #ADScientificIndex #AcademicRanking #ResearchImpact #HigherEducation #Transparency #Bibliometrics #Innovation #ScholarlyCommunication #AcademicExcellence #UniversityRanking #ResearchEvaluation #DataDriven

PhD Life; Resilient Minds, Unresolved Challenges   Read what Nature’s review says. MONEY, POLITICS, AND TECH REDEFINE PHD LIFE IN 2025 According to Nature’s 2025 global survey of nearly 3,800 doctoral candidates, 75% now feel satisfied with their PhD experience — a strong rebound from pandemic lows. Students celebrate the independence, flexibility, and purpose their research gives them. But behind the progress, serious issues persist. Almost half report discrimination or harassment, Many see their supervisors for less than an hour a week. Financial strain and poor mental health support remain major stressors. Over half of PhD students now use AI tools weekly, though most don’t fully trust them yet. Despite it all, academia still inspires — 52% say they’d choose it as their career path. The survey reminds us that today’s researchers are resilient — but they need fair systems, better mentorship, and stronger support to truly thrive. #PhDLife #ResearchCulture #Academia    https://lnkd.in/dN9NyhcM

This year, the EU funding agency has received the highest number of proposals in its four-decade history, with no increase in budget. As Nature Magazine reports, success rates are plunging: https://lnkd.in/eQapb9zb Pushing this trend there is a culture of assessing a researcher’s success by how much money they attract. This metric benefits universities and research institutions, which rely on the overheads that grants bring. But let’s not forget: this is not a metric that drives better, more efficient science. If we wanted to globally maximise scientific output and creative innovation, we would measure what a researcher achieves with every euro/pound/dollar they receive, which would controversially put research income in the denominator, not the numerator of the success metric.

Wise words from Ricardo Grau-Crespo. Moreover, lower success rates also mean that more and more researchers spend a lot of their precious time writing research proposals that are ultimately rejected, leading to less time available for actively engaging in research, student supervision/mentoring etc.

Why should scientists keep posting? Many have discouraged me through years. "SoMe is a waste of your research time" - they would often say. Or maybe even find it ridiculous that scientists posts online. But this new study shows that SoMe is the most used source of science for non scientists in most countries. In today's attention economy, choosing not to say anything online about our research and why is it important is the easy, comfortable choice that will lead to not as much societal impact as we could have if we did post. I applaud every scientist that takes their time to post online. To explain. To engage. To debate. Because it is a lot of extra work, but it is worth it. Our research is not meant to rot in a university drawer. #ScienceCommunication #Science #SocialMedia

🎓 27 Lessons from the PhD Trenches — Wisdom from Nature’s 2025 Global Survey A new Nature Magazine Career Feature explores what nearly 4,000 PhD candidates wish they had known before starting their doctoral journeys. Across 107 countries, their voices converge on a few timeless truths about mentorship, purpose, and resilience. 🌍 What PhD students say matters most Choose your supervisor and lab wisely. The culture of a lab can shape your confidence and success as much as your project. Know your “why.” Motivation sustains you through the uncertainty burnout is easier to prevent than to recover from. Build skills that outlast your dissertation. Writing, collaboration, and critical thinking are your most transferable assets. Set boundaries. You cannot (and should not) work all the time. Rest fuels discovery. Don’t let AI do your thinking. Critical reasoning still defines scientific originality. I would add Network is your Net...worth...connect, don't fear to ask. 🧠 The bigger picture The PhD remains one of the most transformative intellectual experiences but also one of the most isolating. As academia evolves under financial and technological pressures, this survey underscores a universal lesson: success in research is as much about people and mindset as it is about data and experiments. #PhD #Choice #27things

𝗦𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗘𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲'𝘀 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴. 📉 This Springer Nature article hurts. It remembered of my three failed MSCA applications. Last one missing the threshold by less than 1%? 😒 I was competing against thousands of brilliant minds for a handful of spots. And it's becoming even worse for early-career researchers, with competition rates increasing. And in the meantime, in many places we're still treating career development like it's optional 🤷♂️ We're telling PhD students: "Work hard, publish well, and you'll get that postdoc fellowship." Meanwhile, success rates keep dropping. Competition keeps growing. Some of my rejections early on forced me to explore beyond the traditional academic pipeline → industry, policy, and entrepreneurship. One thing is clear to me, "the world" needs our scientific skills in many different non academic roles! 🌍 The tragedy is losing talented scientists entirely because they weren't equipped for alternative paths. The solution isn't just about winning more grants (though training it that is essential, and we help with that too 😉). It's about embracing career diversity from day one. Helping researchers build transferable skills. Expand their networks. Explore different sectors. Making them resilient, not just competitive. Is your institution preparing researchers with skills in grant / fellowship writing? Is your institution preparing researchers to multiple career trajectories? Or are they still pretending the academic pipeline can accommodate everyone?🤔

Why Research Matters Today, I was asked why research is so important to a university's mission. Research is how a university learns, serves, and leads. It turns questions into knowledge and knowledge into progress. It renews society through evidence, not opinion. A university that teaches without research can pass on facts, but not create them. Research gives teaching depth and direction. It ties learning to the real world and builds the habits of inquiry that keep civilization moving forward. The best universities treat research as a public trust. They protect truth, even when it is uncomfortable. They connect curiosity with consequence, ensuring discoveries reach beyond journals into people's lives. Research carries responsibility. Each discovery, no matter how technical, must serve life, not diminish it. Research drives economies and shapes daily life. Universities conduct more than half of the basic research in the United States [NSF, 2024]. Their work leads to new industries, safer energy systems, medical advances, and stronger local economies. Every dollar invested in research returns more than two dollars to the economy [AAU, 2023]. Yet the true return lies in trust, in open knowledge that improves the human condition. The future of research depends on openness — scientists, engineers, and humanists working across boundaries to confront problems larger than any one discipline or nation. Research gains meaning when its benefits reach all people, not only the privileged few. Real research is deliberate work. It takes time, focus, and courage. Every breakthrough in medicine, energy, or technology began as an uncertain question followed by discipline. That patience is what moves humanity forward. Research also teaches people how to think, test, and build. It develops judgment, precision, and imagination. It shapes people who can solve problems that do not have ready answers. In a world facing climate disruption, digital risk, and growing inequality, research is the strongest defense against decline. It provides the tools to understand change and the means to act with reason. When research is guided by integrity and shared purpose, it does more than build knowledge. It builds trust, resilience, and hope — the foundations of any lasting civilization. — #Discovery #Education #Innovation #Integrity #Knowledge #Leadership #Progress #Research #Science #Truth #Universities

So often people outside of the academy think that research, especially fundamental, exploratory research, is a vanity project or a distraction from the (also critically important) work of teaching. Massoud Amin explains eloquently the need for research and its economic impact (in the US context). Canadian universities are also economic engines as well as producers of well rounded citizens, essential professionals, and future leaders. Research is a public trust, an investment in the future.

🧪 The Antithesis - Post #1: The Paradox of the Brilliant Researcher Academia produces some of the world’s brightest minds, yet so many researchers feel stuck when it comes to translating their discoveries into real-world impact. It’s not about capability. It’s about conditioning. The system trains us to asymmetrically value the publication phase as an end-point, ahead of the ambiguous but rewarding terrain of translational and commercial endeavour. I remember chasing data for papers and realising that my research would probably end up cited but never used. It was a realisation that bothered me a lot. Why do brilliant researchers often stall at the point of translation, and what might change if we applied the same scientific rigour we use in the lab to innovation itself? Through years of working across academia, tech transfer and commercialisation, I’ve observed hundreds of researchers trying to bridge these two worlds with no map. What separates those who break-through from those who don’t isn’t purely luck. I’ve included some of what I believe is needed, in the very first comment for this post. And the paradox…? You face major uncertainty in your experimental pursuits, yet academic principles compel you to go ahead and publish. Meanwhile, innovation diffusion usually requires that you (temporarily) withhold publication, yet, facing the same ambiguity, you do not naturally engage with the commercial exploration process. My message is that Translation & Commercialisation of innovation are not a betrayal of academic values – they’re an extension and amplification. The personal, professional and financial rewards can be exponentially greater, but it takes time and a whole lot of courage… More about that in my next post! 🧪 #TheAntithesis #ResearchToImpact #Innovation #TechTransfer #Commercialisation #AcademicEntrepreneurship