Einstein Foundation Early Career Award: 2023 Finalists
From a pool of 160 applicants from around the globe five pioneering research projects from different fields were nominated to present their work during the Berlin Science Week on 9 November 2023, 3pm (CET). After the presentation, the Einstein Foundation Award jury chose the Responsible Research Assessment Initiative as winners who received €100,000 to carry out their project. The other finalists were...
Global Analytical Robustness Initiative
The Global Analytical Robustness Initiative aims to improve the reliability and transparency of research in behavioral and social sciences by setting better analytical standards. The big team science project is headed by Barnabás Szászi of Eötvös Loránd University. Team members: Rotem Botvinik-Nezer, Felix Holzmeister, Maya Mathur
"In an international big-team science initiative, we will conduct a large-scale assessment of the analytical robustness of 100 research studies from the behavioral and social sciences. The created unique, open database will enable us to compare practices that could be used by researchers to explore the analytical variability of empirical results systematically. Finally, we will formulate applicable recommendations for different stakeholders (journals, funders, teachers) on potential cross-disciplinary interventions aimed at improving analytical standards."
→ Watch the project presentation here
Disentangling large-scale disease association data
Disentangling large-scale disease association data aims to increase the transparency and clarity of association data to create precise data-centric computational models that facilitate more targeted drug development and the use of proven drugs to treat complex diseases. Lead researcher: David B. Blumenthal, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg.
"Large-scale disease association databases are widely used in data-centric precision medicine but are biased towards our current mainly organ- and symptom-based disease definitions. In the proposed project, we will develop network-based approaches to disentangle such association data into subsets corresponding to (possibly unknown) disjoint molecular mechanisms. The disentangled association data will be made available to the biomedical community and will improve the reliability of downstream computational approaches such as AI-guided drug repurposing and drug target individuation."
→ Watch the project presentation here
FORRT Replications Team
FORRT Replications Team — Tracking and Mainstreaming Replications across the Social, Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences aims to make replications of previous scientific studies more transparent by creating a database that makes it easier to find and analyze replication data. Lead Researcher: Flavio Azevedo, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen. Team members: Helena Hartmann, Leticia Micheli, Sam Parsons, Lukas Wallrich
"Replications of previous scientific work are essential to accumulate knowledge and accelerate scientific progress. Despite their relevance, replication studies are under-used and undercited, leading to a biased view of the scientific literature. To address this issue and promote the wider use of replication studies in research, education, and policy, we propose to (1) create and maintain a comprehensive database that catalogs replication efforts across various fields; (2) develop two user-friendly Shiny apps for finding, exploring, and visualizing replication data, enabling field-specific meta-scientific analyses; and (3) conduct several outreach activities to encourage contributions to the database, test the apps, and teach researchers, educators, and policymakers how to best engage with our developed resources."
→ Watch the project presentation here
Scholars in the Global South
Scholars in the Global South: Between Precarity and Persecution aims to strengthen academic freedom and knowledge production in the Global South and create a platform that allows activists and scholars to engage in transparent interdisciplinary discussion. Lead researcher: Cynthia Farid, University Hong Kong. Team members: Yugank Goyal, Sergio Latorre, Tshepo Madlingozi, Suraj Yengde
"This project aims to create a platform for producing research and implement an informed and transparent discussion on academic freedom of scholars and activists, and knowledge production in the Global South. It connects interdisciplinary fields, curates knowledge and cultivates new conceptualizations and innovative theoretical contributions from the Global South."
→ Watch the project presentation here