Pinnacles or plateaus?

When looking at the research communities of many countries, two different models prevail in the way that science is organized and funded. Some countries—particularly the USA and the UK—support a select group of institutes that are widely considered to be ‘the elite’ in the communities that they serve. These places are the ‘pinnacles’ that rise above the rest and attract the most funding, the best researchers and the best students.In other countries, such as Germany or Canada, the ‘plateau’ model predominates. There are many excellent locations for conducting research, but the differences between them are less pronounced. Countries that adopt the plateau model can obviously have a high scientific output, but their lack of well‐known, iconic locations—akin to Harvard, Cambridge or Stanford University—makes them seem less interesting to politicians, funders, high‐flying scientists and students.The question then is, what is the best way to organize science? Should countries focus on creating an elite of well‐funded, attractive locations that take the best researchers and win the biggest grants? …