UK research-funding bodies have reacted to paucity in their budgets with plans to focus on supporting just a handful of scientists (see, for example, Nature 465, 16–17; 2010); translational research; or research in areas of monetary importance, such as ageing. However, these strategies leave little room for surprising and groundbreaking discoveries.

Risk-averse funding panels hugely favour hypothesis-driven research because it is clear how results will be obtained and the issues resolved. Here, discovery is generally made after a specific search, such as for a test to indicate whether a particular protein is involved in a process. This is the right approach for uncovering the details behind a phenomenon that is already described.

But a totally unexpected discovery can be a hypothesis-forming breakthrough. For example, when a novel process comes to light that is outside the framework of current understanding. Radioactivity and penicillin are among the seminal discoveries in this category. Findings akin to these should not be precluded by cuts in funding.

Investing in new technology such as super-resolution microscopy (see Nature 462, 675–678; 2009) could be one way to encourage explorative research.