What Is a Research Core? A Primer on a Critical Component of the Research Enterprise

As clusters of state-of-the-art instruments and research enablement services, research cores are not only the cornerstone of research activities at university campuses but also critical assets that provide competitive differentiation for their host institutions. However, these research cores are highly expensive for academic institutions to manage. Despite the growing recognition and impact of these research cores, there are few studies that describe the business models for sustaining and funding research cores or their increasing significance to the larger academic community.

Stagnation in Terrorism Research: A Critical Overview on Bangladesh

Stagnation in terrorism research is held responsible to both academicians and the government for exploring the continuity of terrorist activities in Bangladesh. The state of stagnation, in this regard, is mainly linked with the governmental strategy of funding research though government is not willing to share their information with academia; on the other hand, little empirical grounding in academia. In spite of having methodological skills there are lacks of data is the behind of sloth condition in this sector. A developing country like Bangladesh is a prominent example of this stagnation in terrorism research and has experienced several violent activities on the time being. Sometimes, ISIS has claimed their existence in several attacks in Bangladesh, but, still, the recruitment and training up process in violent radicalization that motivates different terrorist activities are still beyond control. This paper will explore the existence of stagnation in terrorism research and how it explores the continuity of terrorist activities in Bangladesh. Finally, in conclusion, this paper will give some recommendations to bridge the existing gap between the academicians and the government to terminate the stagnation in terrorism, particularly in the context of Bangladesh.

Adjusting to precarity: how and why the Roslin Institute forged a leading role for itself in international networks of pig genomics research

From the 1980s onwards, the Roslin Institute and its predecessor organizations faced budget cuts, organizational upheaval and considerable insecurity. Over the next few decades, it was transformed by the introduction of molecular biology and transgenic research, but remained a hub of animal geneticists conducting research aimed at the livestock-breeding industry. This paper explores how these animal geneticists embraced genomics in response to the many-faceted precarity that the Roslin Institute faced, establishing it as a global centre for pig genomics research through forging and leading the Pig Gene Mapping Project (PiGMaP); developing and hosting resources, such as a database for genetic linkage data; and producing associated statistical and software tools to analyse the data. The Roslin Institute leveraged these resources to play a key role in further international collaborations as a hedge against precarity. This adoption of genomics was strategically useful, as it took advantage of policy shifts at the national and European levels towards funding research with biotechnological potential. As genomics constitutes a set of infrastructures and resources with manifold uses, the development of capabilities in this domain also helped Roslin to diversify as a response to precarity.

Scrutinising the Exceptionalism of Young Rural NEETs: A Bibliometric Review

The situation of rural NEETs aged 15 to 24 remains understudied. However, transitions from adolescence to emerging adulthood are very demanding for those in the countryside. Our paper discusses this gap by characterising the scholarship focusing on rural NEETs. We undertook a bibliometric review based on 325 entries on Web of Science (WoS) using the Bibliometrix analysis package. Our approach included descriptive bibliometric analysis, co-citation networks assessment, and thematic analysis. Our findings show that the investigation efforts depicting younger rural NEET are recent and marginal in the larger context of international NEETs scholarship. The field is dominated by economy- and sociology-led networks. Concerns regarding health and employment issues are central in international publishing trends, showing a dominant youth-at-risk approach to this group. Still, themes associated with adolescent NEETs and relevant programs’ assessment are gaining traction. Our findings show a need for funding research initiatives to reduce the invisibility of young rural NEETs.

COVID-19 pandemic: different roles for scientific publications and funding face to epidemiological data—an European, country-based perspective

COVID-19 has represented an unprecedented challenge to be faced also concerning the spread of information, with scientific literature being often the sole source of trustworthy knowledge for the global community. However, a massive waste in research was noticed during pandemic, preventing the scientists to produce totally novel and original results, and the citizenship to have the complete support they needed from science. The present work investigated the relationship between planned funding, research grants, scientific publications and epidemiology in the 27 EU countries, retrieving a significant correlation between scientific publications and COVID-19 cases and deaths, as well as with economic data. Interestingly, planned coronavirus-devoted funds were correlated with lower GDP per capita and higher mortality, leading to the hypothesis for a lack of translation into real funds allowed to the respective country, or for a significant research waste, not transformed into a tangible product or effect. Such results could suggest the need for a different approach in the future concerning the redistribution of research funds in case of COVID-19 relapse or future pandemic events.

It soon became clear – insights into technology and participation

PurposeThis paper aims to explore the experience of working with different conceptualisations of participation and participatory practice. This is done through an examination of the involvement of a technology company within a multinational, 3-years participatory research project involving 13 partners and over 200 disabled people.Design/methodology/approachThis paper provides a case study, narrative account of a range of activities undertaken within the project, presenting a rare and much-needed explicit insight into the emergence of participatory ways of working and the reasoning and tensions behind them.FindingsThrough the case study gaze of one of the technology companies involved, it explicates the underpinning processes of the participatory approach and how these challenged the notions of various partners.Originality/valueThis paper shows how engaging in meaningfully participatory research creates profound institutional challenges for technology developers. The subsequent need to make hard decisions and compromises throughout disrupts traditional ways of working and anticipated outcomes. However, it also reveals opportunities for delivering unanticipated and transformative outcomes, highlighting the need for greater flexibility in funding research that aims to be participatory.

Challenges on accessing finance for micro-enterprises in Latvia

Financial support of companies for their development is considered and realised by many countries worldwide, also in Latvia. Latvia has been receiving critical remarks from entrepreneurs in regard to high level of refuse for financing from the financing institution ALTUM which is the principal intermediary of EU funds and provides resources to support entrepreneurship in Latvia. Statistical data indicate that there are significant reductions of micro-enterprises during recent years. The survey data showed that ALTUM rejected 39 % of the surveyed micro-enterprises from those who had submitted applications within three years. In turn, only 6 % of micro-enterprises have received full financing from banks or leasing companies. Funders rejected applications from 9 % of micro-enterprises while another 5 % themselves withdrew funding due to unacceptable conditions. Latvia has to address serious challenges in entrepreneurship development in regions in particular with a lower economic activity. The aim of the paper is to analyse situation of micro-enterprises for receiving funding. Research methods: analysis of scientific publications and results of previous conducted research, analysis of data obtained in survey of enterprises on questions of financing refuse and on evaluations related to financing conditions in recent years. For a more thorough data analysis (used evaluation scale 1-5) indicators of descriptive statistics are applied: indicators of central tendency or location – arithmetic means, mode, median; indicators of variability or dispersion – range, standard deviation, standard error of mean; cross – tabulations; testing of statistical hypotheses using t-test and analysis of variance – ANOVA; correlation analysis. Research results indicate that the use of more precise requirements of financing for micro-enterprises by finance institution ALTUM could benefit in better development of entrepreneurship in regions of Latvia.