Happy New Year!

Wow, 2025 was a year like no other. We cannot say for certain what 2026 will bring, but we can say this: the environment is dynamic, and researchers will benefit from being prepared to move with speed and clarity.

This month I am writing a four-part series: Getting Your Research Funded in 2026. In this first issue, I want to name the big idea that frames everything that follows:

In 2026, for most purposes, information is a commodity.

You could argue that this was already becoming true. We have had the internet for a long time. We have had YouTube for a long time. You can learn a lot on almost any topic by using free online resources. But now it is difficult to deny the scale of the shift. With today’s AI tools, information is even more accessible than it has ever been.

What I mean by a commodity:

When I say commodity, I mean something that is interchangeable. A simple example is gasoline. If you are running low, you stop and fill up. The brand of the gas station rarely matters. You choose what is convenient, or what is lowest cost, because the product is essentially interchangeable.

Now compare that with something that is not a commodity.

Think about your lab setup. You have developed processes and workflows in a very specific way. You might have custom-built instrumentation, custom software, or custom protocols that have been refined over time. You cannot import another PI’s equipment to your lab and expect to perform your research. Your setup is context-specific. It is not interchangeable. It is not a commodity.

What this has to do with research funding:

Academia, like government, can be slow to change. For years, the dominant approach to help faculty succeed has been to give them more information. This often has taken the forms of trainings, workshops, webinars, panel discussions, and related activities.

But when you are already dealing with an overwhelming volume of information every day, more information does not always help. Sometimes it makes things worse by increasing overwhelm and making the process feel more confusing and more complicated.

This is one of the most important shifts researchers need to recognize going into 2026: The bottleneck is not access to information. The bottleneck is making sense of it and using it well.

Here is an important implication to keep in mind when information becomes a commodity:

The bottleneck moves from finding information to deciding what matters. Most researchers do not struggle because they cannot locate information. They struggle because it is hard to prioritize correctly. It is easy to chase the wrong mechanism. It is easy to over-focus on small details in a proposal while the narrative remains underdeveloped. It is easy to keep collecting more information instead of moving forward, including by developing or strengthening key relationships.

What we will cover in the next three issues:

In the next three newsletters, I will share guidance to help you act effectively toward your research funding goals in 2026. Each issue will focus on one piece of what it takes to succeed when information is abundant:

1. Context: how to understand what the information means and how it applies to you

2. Execution: how to act strategically, not just stay busy

3. Time management: how to protect your attention and avoid overload and overwhelm

A final thought for this week:

In the meantime, I encourage you to notice where you see evidence that information is becoming a commodity.

One public example is the wave of copyright lawsuits involving major media organizations and AI companies. These cases highlight how difficult it has become to “own” information once it is widely distributed and used to train large language models. Regardless of how those cases unfold, they reflect the same underlying reality: information is easier to access, reuse, and remix than it has ever been.

As you start your year, consider whether you agree with the premise that information is now a commodity. If you do, the natural next question is: what should you do differently in 2026 to get funded?

That is exactly what we will cover in the weeks ahead.

Warmest wishes for a strong start to your year!

More on what’s new for 2026

In this video, I share my predictions for research funding in 2026 and further explore the topic of this month’s newsletters: why information alone won’t be the thing that determines whether you get funded. The real edge this year will come from context, faster decision-making, relationship building, and being ready to execute in a dynamic environment. I also share what you can expect from Wise Investigator in 2026. Check it out!

When you are ready, here’s how we can help

Need to get your research funded, this year? Check out our 12-week program to get you there.

Check out our storefront where you can access our free Unlocking DOD Funding for University Researchers course and other resources, including for faculty applicants.

Ready to book a call to discuss how our program can support faculty at your institution? Let’s chat!