How researchers are producing high quality science at lower cost

Running a research lab is expensive. Experiments are becoming more sophisticated and subsequently more costly, while equipment, reagents and software have also skyrocketed in price. At the same time, budgets for scientific research are being cut. For example, in May, the US President Donald Trump announced his proposed ‘skinny budget’, which would see funding for the National Science Foundation cut by 55%. In Europe, thousands recently protested across Austria and Poland against proposed budget cuts and lack of funding.

Group leaders are no longer just academics; they’re also accountants balancing an increasingly tight budget. Yet as with other financial squeezes, many labs are finding creative ways to make their funding go further. 

In this collection, several scientists share their strategies for how they’re carrying out research without having to count the pennies as closely – with a focus on how to cut equipment costs.