In Argentina, the recent election of libertarian Javier Milei as the next president has raised concerns among scientists. Milei, who secured 55.7% of the vote, plans to restructure or close the National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Argentina's primary science funding agency, along with its health and environment ministries. He dismisses climate change as a "socialist hoax" and criticizes CONICET as "unproductive." Scientists are gearing up to resist changes that could weaken CONICET, although Milei faces limited support in the Argentine legislature.
Meanwhile, New Zealand's new center-right governing coalition intends to scrap a praised antismoking law from 2022. The law included measures like banning tobacco sales to individuals born after January 2009, restricting approved retailers to 600, and reducing nicotine levels. The reversal is expected to widen health inequalities, according to health policy specialists.
A recent study in the U.S. reveals that disabled residents with science Ph.D.s earn less than their non-disabled peers. Analyzing National Science Foundation data on over 700,000 STEM Ph.D. recipients between 1973 and 2017, researchers found that those with disabilities since early life earned $10,580 less annually, rising to $14,360 for those in academia. The study also highlights underrepresentation of disabled STEM Ph.D. recipients in top academic positions.
In genomics, the UK Biobank has released whole-genome sequences for half a million people, solidifying its position as the world's largest such database. This offers an invaluable resource for research on the genetic basis of health and disease. The sequencing project, funded by over £200 million from the UK government, Wellcome Trust, and pharmaceutical companies, granted exclusive data access to these companies for the past nine months.
Saudi Arabia's affiliation with highly cited researchers (HCRs) affiliated with its universities has decreased by 30%, impacting global university rankings. Revelations of payments to foreign HCRs for affiliations sparked this decline, raising questions about the integrity of international rankings.
Lastly, the XPRIZE Foundation announced a $101 million competition to discover therapies addressing age-related declines in older individuals. The largest prize, $81 million, targets a therapy mitigating up to 20 years of aging-related declines in muscle function, cognition, and immunity. Funded by Chip Wilson and the Hevolution Foundation, these prizes aim to support early-stage clinical studies with global affordability.
