Biomedical research - policy and news

Regulatory Support Centre annual report

Fri, 25 May 2012 11:04:46 +0100

2011-12 report from the MRC Regulatory Support Centre.

Global science plans

Fri, 25 May 2012 08:48:52 +0100

NSF director Subra Suresh, outlines the workplan of the new Global Research Council

From "Science in Europe" to "European Science"

Fri, 25 May 2012 08:58:18 +0100

European science policy and organization are undergoing a transformation, and early evidence suggests wide-ranging effects on the science system.

Horizon 2020 and Open Access

Fri, 25 May 2012 09:11:42 +0100

European Commission plans new push to make research publicly available.

Summer students and lab experience

Fri, 25 May 2012 09:27:41 +0100

Weighing up the benefits of summer lab jobs.

The Enlightenment Cafe

Fri, 25 May 2012 09:31:26 +0100

The Enlightenment Café is a place where scientists demonstrate their art and artists demonstrate their science.

Biology and maths

Fri, 25 May 2012 08:59:57 +0100

A new course seeks to give biology students better mathematical skills

Crowd-sourcing research funding

Thu, 24 May 2012 09:12:16 +0100

Bill Hanage describes a new funding model.

Willetts speech on science and innovation

Thu, 24 May 2012 09:08:44 +0100

Universities and Science Minister David Willetts will today set out a vision for an industrial strategy underpinned by technological advances.

Europe should support talented individuals, not just projects

Thu, 24 May 2012 09:01:53 +0100

Gunnar Öquist says we need to recognise the rebellious side of scientific research, providing individuals the freedom to challenge and question established views, to look for new paths into the future.

Translating science into European growth

Thu, 24 May 2012 09:00:09 +0100

The need for scientific research to deliver economic growth has never been more pressing. The EU’s first chief scientific adviser Anne Glover explains what she will do to close the gap between science and industry, and promote innovation

Getting a job in pharma

Thu, 24 May 2012 08:58:31 +0100

Article in The Scientist on the difficulty of transitioning from academia to industry.

Better careers guidance needed

Thu, 24 May 2012 08:49:04 +0100

A US study reports that science graduate students become less interested in academic careers as they progress through their degrees. The report underscores the importance of broad-based career guidance and mentoring and the need to provide students with information about careers in industry, government and not-for-profit sectors.

International patters of scientific migration

Thu, 24 May 2012 08:39:35 +0100

A US report , Foreign Born Scientists: Mobility Patterns for Sixteen Countries, gives a picture of flows of scientists between countries.

MRC urges better reporting of animal research

Wed, 23 May 2012 08:58:49 +0100

MRC, BBSRC and the Wellcome Trust have all signed up to the ARRIVE guidelines, developed by the NC3Rs to improve the reporting of animal research. The three bodies have written an open letter to the vice-chancellors and principals of universities and heads of research institutes, urging them to ensure that their scientists observe the guidelines.

Genome exhibit planned for Smithsonian

Wed, 23 May 2012 08:53:03 +0100

To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the completion of the first complete human genome sequence the Smithsonian Institution will open a high-tech, high-intensity exhibit in 2013.

Advocacy in science remains controversial

Wed, 23 May 2012 08:45:44 +0100

Advocacy continues to generate controversy within the scientific community, a new AAAS report confirms.

Biosafety concerns for labs in the developing world

Wed, 23 May 2012 08:43:16 +0100

An inspection of dozens of biocontainment labs in the Asia-Pacific region has found that nearly one-third of the biosafety hoods intended to protect workers from deadly pathogens did not work properly.

Misconduct on the rise

Tue, 22 May 2012 11:51:50 +0100

Bob Grant writes in The Scientist that "retractions of scientific studies due to plagiarism, falsification, and other instances of researchers behaving badly have skyrocketed in the past decade"

A new pathway for the regulation and governance of health research

Tue, 22 May 2012 11:50:28 +0100

Report from Academy of Medical Sciences published

Senate considers STEM immigration reform

Tue, 22 May 2012 11:59:14 +0100

The US Senate is considering two bills which would make it easier for foreign-born scientists trained in America to remain after completing their studies.

New scheme for Centres for Global Health Research

Tue, 22 May 2012 11:54:18 +0100

Wellcome Trust has launched new fund to offer career support for researchers in public health and tropical medicine and foster exchange between institutions.

Korean institute aims high

Fri, 18 May 2012 08:56:09 +0100

South Korea has launched an institute that it hopes will eventually rank alongside Germany’s Max Planck Society and Japan’s RIKEN as one of the world's leading basic-research institutions.

NIH considers options for boosting research grants

Fri, 18 May 2012 08:57:48 +0100

The US National Institutes of Health is weighing options to revise its research portfolio and help increase the number of grants.

The motherhood effect

Fri, 18 May 2012 08:43:17 +0100

Readers' comments on a couple of stories in Science magazine about motherhood and scientific careers.

Funding chief steps down due to disagreement

Fri, 18 May 2012 08:38:34 +0100

Alfred Gilman, the chief scientific officer of the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas, is stepping because he believes CPRIT's leaders are making research funding decisions that bypass scientific review.

Wellcome supports health technologies

Fri, 18 May 2012 08:59:42 +0100

The Health Innovation Challenge Fund is a parallel funding partnership between the Wellcome Trust and the Department of Health to stimulate the creation of innovative healthcare products, technologies and interventions and to facilitate their development for the benefit of patients in the NHS and beyond.

Global Research Council established

Thu, 17 May 2012 09:44:02 +0100

Leaders of 50 research agencies have announced the establishment of the Global Research Council (GRC), a forum that will examine issues important to science-funding agencies worldwide.

Horizon 2020 - open access will be the norm

Thu, 17 May 2012 09:02:52 +0100

The European Union is set to throw the weight of its €80 billion (£64 billion) research funding programme behind open-access publishing, Times Higher Education says.

MEPs call on Hollande to boost EU R&D

Thu, 17 May 2012 09:40:46 +0100

As France’s new President Francois Hollande visits Berlin for key talks on the economic crisis, MEPs say he must shift the emphasis from austerity to innovation-fuelled growth - and deliver on his promise to boost R&D.

Campaigns should focus on research funding

Thu, 17 May 2012 09:57:12 +0100

CaSE calls for focus on research funding.

Defamation law reform

Thu, 17 May 2012 09:02:51 +0100

Proposals for a UK law on defamation highlight the power of scientific protest.

EU chief scientific adviser - interview

Thu, 17 May 2012 09:02:52 +0100

Europe's first chief scientific adviser aims to inform policymakers and the public, according to interview in Times Higher.

Academia is becoming admin-led

Thu, 17 May 2012 09:02:52 +0100

Growing levels of performance management are threatening to destroy collegiate relationships between academics and administrators, a study has claimed.

Celebrating impact

Thu, 17 May 2012 09:02:52 +0100

An impact army has been mobilised in universities across the UK as people get to grips with the impact framework and begin to identify and draft their case studies ready for the REF.

Imanova imaging centre formally opens

Thu, 17 May 2012 10:15:44 +0100

Imanova, a new state-of-the-art imaging centre co-owned by the Medical Research Council and three of London’s leading universities, has been formally launched at a showcase event attended by representatives from the founding organisations and Rt Hon David Willetts MP, Minister for Universities and Science.

Research Councils Internal Audit Service and RCUK Assurance merge

Tue, 15 May 2012 09:00:46 +0100

On 2 April 2012 the Research Councils Internal Audit Service (RCIAS) merged with RCUK Assurance to create a single audit and assurance, called Audit and Assurance Services Group (AASG).

Welch award goes to asymmetric synthesis expert

Tue, 15 May 2012 09:12:25 +0100

For his pioneering work in synthetic organic chemistry, Harvard University chemist David A. Evans has won this year’s Welch Award in Chemistry.

Dundee research centre gets £14m boost

Mon, 14 May 2012 09:36:01 +0100

Six of the world’s largest drug companies today announced a £14.4 million injection to fund research in Dundee that will develop treatments for diseases such as arthritis, cancer and Parkinson’s.

Sharing scientific expertise brings global benefits,

Mon, 14 May 2012 09:16:33 +0100

The globalization of science helps encourage the spread of scientific values such as democracy and meritocracy, even if it also means more robust, more capable scientific competition.

Science academies call for action on global challenges

Fri, 11 May 2012 09:11:32 +0100

National science academies of 15 countries have issued joint statements calling on world leaders at the G8 Summit to give greater consideration to the vital role science and technology could play in addressing some of the planet's most pressing challenges.

Fungal disease - an unrecognized problem

Fri, 11 May 2012 08:34:57 +0100

Fungi infect billions of people every year, yet their contribution to the global burden of disease is largely unrecognized.

How to inspire breakthroughs in basic research

Fri, 11 May 2012 08:55:21 +0100

Research funding bodies must foster risk-taking, be more tolerant of errors, allow for changes in direction - and give scientists the time to develop new ideas, says Wilhelm Krull

Research is riddled with errors due to bias

Fri, 11 May 2012 08:53:45 +0100

Evidence is mounting that research is riddled with systematic errors. Left unchecked, this could erode public trust, warns Daniel Sarewitz writing in Nature.

Experiences that changed us

Fri, 11 May 2012 08:48:24 +0100

Did a particular person, conversation, reading, or event inspire you to pursue science or change your course of study? Submit your story to NextGen VOICES by 18 May!

Academy elects 46 new fellows

Thu, 10 May 2012 09:02:01 +0100

46 new Fellows were elected to the Academy Fellowship following the Council meeting in April 2012.

Why has the UK got so few women scientists?

Thu, 10 May 2012 09:27:52 +0100

The number of female scientists in the UK is very low compared with the United States and other countries.

Short-term gain vs basic research

Thu, 10 May 2012 08:35:17 +0100

Cambridge Univ VC, Sir Leszek Borysiewicz, says blue-skies research is vital to growth.

Scientific entrepreneurs and early career researchers

Thu, 10 May 2012 08:56:44 +0100

Graduate students and postdocs are often best placed to turn basic research into entrepreneurial gold, argues Peter Fiske.

Universities suppress creativity?

Thu, 10 May 2012 09:09:00 +0100

Fred Southwick argues that, by discouraging change, universities are stunting scientific innovation, leadership, and growth.

Public engagement - from beacons to catalysts

Thu, 10 May 2012 08:43:51 +0100

The new initiative to encourage universities to engage with the public concentrates more on making it part of institutions' working culture.

Academic biologists' attitude to outreach

Thu, 10 May 2012 08:45:02 +0100

Survey suggests that outreach may be seen as outside of the responsibilities of the university scientist.

What good is data without interpretation?

Thu, 10 May 2012 09:22:53 +0100

The $1,000 genome won't do any good for science if researchers can't interpret it, says Adina Mangubat, CEO of Spiral Genetics.

Security and biological research

Thu, 10 May 2012 09:10:33 +0100

A US report says the cost of doing biological research is increasing for universities as they attempt to comply with a proliferation of security requirements and recommendations from government agencies.

EMBO elects 55 new members

Wed, 9 May 2012 10:36:16 +0100

Fifty-five life scientists from Europe and around the world were today recognised by EMBO for their excellence in research.

University unveils collaboration funding scheme

Wed, 9 May 2012 09:18:40 +0100

University of Michigan has announced a new mechanism for innovation: U of M faculty can receive $60,000 in research funds simply for agreeing to collaborate on an idea.

Women's scientific achievements often overlooked and undervalued

Wed, 9 May 2012 09:12:21 +0100

A new study reveals that when men chair committees that select scientific awards recipients, males win the awards more than 95% of the time

Lab-acquired infection may have caused death

Wed, 9 May 2012 09:00:48 +0100

A researcher dead from a meningococcal infection may have acquired it in his laboratory.

Scientists can influence on Government policy making

Tue, 8 May 2012 09:40:06 +0100

Ian Gibson tells the story of how scientists influenced the course of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 2008.

Alberts steps down from Science magazine

Tue, 8 May 2012 09:07:40 +0100

Science’s editor-in-chief, Bruce Alberts, will step down in March 2013.

Key questions for Open Access plans

Fri, 4 May 2012 09:18:28 +0100

Richard Van Noorden writing at Nature lists some questions about how the UK OA plans will work.

Science and politics

Fri, 4 May 2012 09:07:37 +0100

Science may be vital, but the people with scientific knowledge seem less connected than ever to the people with power, says Adam Smith in the Guardian.

Software functions cannot be copyrighted

Fri, 4 May 2012 09:04:03 +0100

The European Court of Justice has ruled the functionality embodied in computer programs cannot be copyrighted. This will spur innovation and interoperability say experts.

Photography, art and biology

Fri, 4 May 2012 08:54:20 +0100

Dr Wei-Feng Xue, winner of last year’s photography competition writes about biology and art.

Willetts speech on open access

Thu, 3 May 2012 09:39:23 +0100

Full text of David Willetts' speech to the Publishers Association.

Mutant-flu paper published

Thu, 3 May 2012 08:53:32 +0100

Controversial study shows how dangerous forms of avian influenza could evolve in the wild.

Mutant flu - the view from the newsroom

Thu, 3 May 2012 09:07:38 +0100

When reporters aren’t given the facts, they are likely to jump to the most extreme conclusions.

Lab security standards criticised

Thu, 3 May 2012 09:01:16 +0100

Fears that bioterrorists could learn from controversial experiments that make H5N1 avian influenza more virulent have overshadowed a more pressing danger: accidental releases, laboratory infections and disgruntled workers.

Commercialising science

Thu, 3 May 2012 09:10:19 +0100

Why is it that some academic researchers and state funding bodies still regard commercialisation as a dirty word? asks John Fisher in New Scientist.

Eli Lilly freshens focus on neuroscience

Thu, 3 May 2012 09:08:26 +0100

With the official opening of a £5.4-million (US$8.7-million) facility at its UK base on 30 April, pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly says it is reaffirming its commitment to neuroscience research at a time when other drug firms are mostly avoiding the field.

Uncovering misconduct

Thu, 3 May 2012 08:55:30 +0100

Cases of scientific wrongdoing seem to be rising. But when should researchers blow the whistle?

Research that will help Team GB achieve Olympic success

Thu, 3 May 2012 09:06:25 +0100

A new report: "Supporting a UK success story: The impact of university research and sport development" highlights just some of the many ways in which research has helped Team GB limber up and prepare for London 2012.

US patent laws are changing

Wed, 2 May 2012 08:57:44 +0100

The America Invents Act (AIA) will affect all U.S. patent applications filed on or after March 16, 2013 and includes a change from a 'first-to-invent' to a 'first-inventor-to-file' system.

Neuroscience reporting criticised

Wed, 2 May 2012 08:54:42 +0100

News stories about neuroscience typically draw conclusions or make predictions well beyond the focus of the original study, says Dean Burnett in The Guardian.

Willetts in favour of open access

Wed, 2 May 2012 08:52:45 +0100

David Willetts, writing in The Guardian, says opening up access to academic research will put more data and power in the hands of the people who pay for it.

Unfair-dismissal suit tests integrity body

Wed, 2 May 2012 08:47:26 +0100

Austria’s fledgling science-integrity agency is facing its first big test, as a protein crystallographer it found guilty of misconduct sues his university for unfair dismissal.

Hidden trials data change flu drug conclusions

Tue, 1 May 2012 08:42:31 +0100

Analysis of unpublished data from clinical trials can affect conclusions of systematic reviews of the evidence.

Why is neuroscience booming?

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 08:57:03 +0100

A feature in The Observer says neuroscience is a boom area in science and asks why?

Obama remains committed to science

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 08:52:10 +0100

U.S. President Barack Obama is committed to investment in science, and will pursue a number of cutting-edge initiatives focused on long-term innovation and economic productivity, his top science adviser said.

Interview with Academy President, John Tooke

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 08:34:02 +0100

President od the Academy of Medical Sciences John Tooke shares his views on biomedical careers, the medical science ecosystem and the role of the Academy.

Measuring the return on investment of research

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 09:05:10 +0100

MRC has launched a new funding initiative to identify rigorous, quantitative and qualitative methods to analyse the contribution research makes towards economic growth and wider societal impact.

Report of CaSE Immigration roundtable meeting

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 08:52:15 +0100

CaSE held an immigration roundtable meeting between the science and engineering sector and Home Office officials, on 12th April 2012.

EU science funding should strive for excellence

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 08:44:17 +0100

The Danish Presidency of the EU has publicised a declaration on the importance of one word - ‘Excellence’ - in funding science.

New five-year strategy for Academy

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 08:36:32 +0100

A new five year vision for the Academy of Medical Sciences.

Innovation and research

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 08:50:45 +0100

Dr Peter Dean offers some reflections on the challenges facing UK innovators.

ABPI chief speech on funding

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 09:02:17 +0100

The head of the ABPI, Stephen Whitehead, says that the UK must prioritise patient access to life-saving medicines, and ensure proper funding for the development of new, innovative treatments, or run the risk of failing to meet the demands of tackling diseases in the future.

Golden Goose award

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 08:56:20 +0100

A new Golden Goose Award has been launched, to highlight research projects that might sound funny, but have produced serious health or economic benefits.

MyGenome app

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 08:47:53 +0100

Easy access to our own personal genomic information is a step closer following the launch of a new app for Apple’s iPad.

Incoming NIGMS chief withdraws

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 10:11:48 +0100

Chris Kaiser, the new director of the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, has withdrawn for personal reasons one week before he was to join the institute.

Who will be the next Government chief scientist?

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 09:06:15 +0100

The director of the Wellcome Trust is among the candidates being considered for the post of chief scientific adviser to the UK government.

Is disclosure enough?

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 09:22:38 +0100

Editors at PLoS Medicine suggest that merely disclosing conflicts of interest is insufficient and possibly even counterproductive.

Valley of death - oral evidence from MRC Technology

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 09:12:47 +0100

House of Commons Science & Technology Committee. Oral evidence taken for the inquiry: Bridging the "valley of death": improving the commercialisation of research.

Commercial reagent manufacturers should be open

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 08:54:53 +0100

Manufacturers of commercial reagents should follow scientific norms and be open about the ingredients of their products, says Anna Git, in Nature.

Too much automation?

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 08:55:59 +0100

Over-reliance on automated tools is hurting science, says David W. Piston in Nature.

Metrics and research evaluation

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 08:49:40 +0100

Scholars criticise methods to judge 'at-risk' peers in Queen Mary restructuring.

Controversial research

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 08:53:38 +0100

Work on mutant flu caused a furore, but is far from the only subject in which risks might outweigh benefits, writes Geoff Brumfiel in Nature.

Open-data to ease the way for genomic research

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 09:19:35 +0100

A revamped approach to informed consent will liberate data for science, developers say.

Perils and delights of conferences

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 08:47:39 +0100

Christopher Bigsby on conferences' picaresque perils and delights

Universities overreacted on impact

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 08:43:02 +0100

When the impact agenda was first introduced, researchers' ire was directed at the funding and research councils. A recent debate suggested that the problem with the impact agenda is largely because institutions are overreacting.

Postgraduate education

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 09:05:10 +0100

Report of a roundtable discussion, focussing on the life sciences, organised by the Higher Education Commission, who are running an inquiry into Postgraduate Education.

Malaria 1990-2009

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 09:24:38 +0100

Released to mark World Malaria Day, the report "Malaria 1990-2009" highlights the challenges and opportunities facing malaria research over the coming decades.

Science, ethics, and the public

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 09:21:36 +0100

The public may have reason to be interested in the work scientists are doing, but only a very small portion of the public cares about science, and the interests of the public are too heterogeneous to constitute anything more than a "distraction" to researchers.

Flu researcher backs down on plan to publish without permission

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 09:07:20 +0100

A researcher at the Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, whose work on the H5N1 avian flu virus has been embroiled in controversy, has agreed to apply for an export permit to submit his work to the journal Science.

Bridging the valley of death - evidence

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 08:56:38 +0100

Written evidence submitted to the Commons Select Committee on Science & Technology enquiry on bridging the "valley of death": improving the commercialisation of research.

Research Funding - how do we stack up internationally?

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 09:44:12 +0100

Lisa Raffensperger examines the most recent BIS statistics on how the UK’s research spending has changed over the years, and how that spending stacks up against other G7 countries (and the UK’s main research competitors).

Standards for postdoc training

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 09:26:53 +0100

Chief Exec of the AAAS says that there is too much variability in what postdoc training involves, across institutions and among the laboratories within them.

New Royal Society Fellows

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 09:24:30 +0100

Royal Society elects new Fellows for 2012.

Summary of immigration rule changes

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 17:59:07 +0100

New Immigration Rules took effect on 6 April that will change the way that research centres, universities and other employers recruit workers from outside of Europe. More changes are due on 14 June 2012.

EU should amend tech transfer rules

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 17:57:28 +0100

The existing EU rules on tech transfer agreements may be intellectually stimulating for competition lawyers and economists, but they often make little sense to businesses.

Should we have just one Research Council?

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 07:57:21 +0100

Times Higher article asks why UK needs seven Research Councils rather than just one.

DELSA - transdisciplinary global collaboration in life sciences

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 08:21:28 +0100

DELSA Global (Data-Enabled Life Sciences Alliance International), which aims to accelerate and deepen collective, community-wide innovation in the life sciences.

European facilities take global partners

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 08:18:54 +0100

International collaborations seek far-flung members to close budget gap.

Endowment to create fellowships at Broad Institute

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 08:34:45 +0100

The Merkin Family Foundation today announced a commitment to the Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT to establish the Merkin Institute Fellows, a program that will support some of the most promising and ambitious scientists pursuing bold research at the Broad Institute.

French presidential candidates' views on science policy

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 08:03:40 +0100

Nature quizzes the French presidential frontrunners on research policies.

Physics and interdisciplinary biology

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 08:08:33 +0100

Paul O'Shea, in a special issue of The Lancet, reviews the role of physics in future medical and biological research.

Orientation paper on the FP7 Health work programme

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 13:35:31 +0100

The European Commission has published an orientation paper (3rd draft, version 4th April 2012) on the FP7 2013 Health work programme.

Difficult future for US R&D funding

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 09:03:21 +0100

President Barack Obama’s 2013 budget request includes modest increases in R&D funding for several agencies but as a share of the total federal budget, R&D investment would fall to its lowest level in more than 50 years, AAAS’s chief budget analyst told a Capitol Hill briefing.

Retractions and the pressure on scientists

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 09:00:55 +0100

Editors are concerned about the increasing numbers of retractions.

Challenges for new researchers in NZ

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 09:04:43 +0100

There’s a lot of angst in the scientific community about the apparent whittling away of opportunities for emerging scientists in New Zealand as a result of the dismantling of the FRST postdoctoral fellowship scheme.

Niceness and innovation don't mix

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 09:14:47 +0100

Harvard Business Review blogger says: If you want to create a really transformational innovation, you'd better be in an organization that's designed to support, not merely tolerate, someone as challenging as Steve Jobs. Otherwise forget it.

Max Perutz Science Writing Award

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 11:23:22 +0100

The Max Perutz Science Writing Award is aimed at encouraging and recognising outstanding communication among MRC scientists. The 2012 competition opens on 1 May and welcomes entries from all MRC-funded PhD students as well as early-career researchers with a maximum of six years experience following completion of their first PhD.

MRC annual report 2010/11

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 09:49:41 +0100

Medical Research Council annual report and accounts 2010/11.

Stem cell researcher fabricates data

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 08:35:30 +0100

A scientist who claimed to have injected monkey embryonic stem cells into the eyes of rats to improve their vision accepts the penalty for research misconduct.

Getting really interdiscipilinary

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 08:38:17 +0100

The Annual Conference on Science & Technology in Society. It is an international, interdisciplinary program organized by and for graduate students in programs of S&T studies or S&T policy.

Genomics boom continues

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 08:36:33 +0100

Market-analysis company DeciBio predicts that the global genomics life science research tools market will grow some 6 percent over the next 5 years,

Making labware with a 3D printer

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 08:32:50 +0100

Researchers have used 3D printing and bathroom sealant to cast reaction vessels.

Engaging with Parliament

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 08:53:03 +0100

The opportunities and challenges offered by parliamentary engagement.

Source code should be open

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 08:49:17 +0100

Despite increasing reliance on computing in every domain of scientific endeavor, the computer source code critical to understanding and evaluating computer programs is commonly withheld, effectively rendering these programs black boxes in the research work flow.

Emerging Science and Bioethics Advisory Committee

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 09:24:44 +0100

The Emerging Science and Bioethics Advisory Committee (ESBAC), will replace the Human Genetics Commission (HGC), which was abolished in the government's recent bonfire of the quangos.

Francis Collins on the difficulty of translational medicine

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 09:37:33 +0100

Francis Collins, head of the National Institutes of Health, painted a stark picture at TEDMED about the difficulty of translating basic scientific knowledge into applications that could be useful to patients.

In praise of scientific workhorses

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 09:34:57 +0100

Blogger Lynn Zechiedrich says we should acknowledge and reward the burgeoning class of highly skilled, underpaid and highly stressed workhorses in research laboratories.

Biomedical Catalyst fund launching soon

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 10:39:34 +0100

The Biomedical Catalyst fund will open for applications at the end of April. It will see the Medical Research Council (MRC) and the Technology Strategy Board working together to take the best British medical breakthroughs through to commercial success

How economics shapes science

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 09:31:08 +0100

James Wilsdon applauds an acute analysis of the mixed influence money has on scientific practice.

Interdisciplinary biology

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 09:13:49 +0100

Editorial in Science magazine on the challenges of an interdisciplinary approach in biology.

Salzburg University fires crystallographer for fake data

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 09:27:24 +0100

The crystallographer who confessed to data fabrication that has forced the retraction of a structure in a Journal of Immunology paper on birch pollen allergen — but later recanted — has been fired by the University of Salzburg.

Special feature on computational biology

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 09:06:55 +0100

Science magazine has a special feature on computational biology.

New questions for science policy

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 09:22:13 +0100

Steven Hill calls for more openness in science policy.

Research Concordat to have a light touch

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 08:43:11 +0100

Research funders' long-awaited "concordat" on research integrity deliberately steers clear of "heavy-handed regulation", one of its authors has said.

Wellcome fellowships - increased flexibility

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 09:02:39 +0100

The Wellcome Trust is increasing the flexibility of its senior level schemes, aligning its Principal and Senior Research Fellowships with its Investigator Awards to increase the number of opportunities for fellowship candidates to apply for funding.

The big idea of technology transfer

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 08:54:20 +0100

Naturejobs careers feature on the interface between science and business.

A new record for retractions?

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 09:06:02 +0100

Editors representing 23 journals have publicly asked officials at seven Japanese institutions to investigate the integrity of 193 publications authored by anesthesiologist Yoshitaka Fujii.

Biobank data is the envy of the world

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 08:46:22 +0100

UK Biobank offers treasure trove of genetic information to researchers. Report in Times Higher.

Large molecule drugs are favoured

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 08:59:56 +0100

Large molecules are more likely to make it to the pharmaceutical market these days than small molecules, according to new reports.

Indian science needs leadership

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 08:51:12 +0100

For a nation of its talent and education, India deserves higher scientific standing. It needs clear and honest leadership, not more money, says Gautam R. Desiraju writing in Nature.

The ALSPAC birth cohort study turns 21

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 08:49:59 +0100

Researchers in Britain have tracked thousands of children since their birth in the 1990s. Now the study is 21, and turning to the next generation.

MRC Centenary Early Career Awards

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 09:45:15 +0100

To mark 100 years of achievements by MRC scientists, the MRC is offering the very best of its early career researchers the opportunity to accelerate their research and their career development.

Neglect of the basic sciences in medicine

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 17:20:10 +0100

An editorial in the Lancet says that scientists on the front lines of research report, at best, complacency about, and, at worst, prejudice against the basic medical sciences.

Genetic data may not be confidential

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 08:54:46 +0100

Researchers say they have figured out a way to link a person's DNA to their anonymous genetic data in a certain kind of public research database.

Journal meets Wikipedia

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 09:11:29 +0100

PLoS Computational Biology has published an article that did not only follow the journal’s own author guidelines but also those for writing articles on the English Wikipedia, where a copy of the journal article has been placed.

Sweden's SciLifeLab gets fresh funding

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 08:55:35 +0100

Sweden's Science for Life Laboratory (SciLifeLab), a collaboration between four Swedish universities, is to get new funding.

UN to appoint scientific adviser

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 08:43:01 +0100

Ban Ki-moon, the secretary general of the UN, said that he is taking forward a recommendation to appoint a chief scientific adviser or scientific board, as suggested to him by a panel of experts on global sustainability.

The case for government funded R&D

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 08:40:31 +0100

A discussion sponsored by AAAS looked at the value of federal research and development spending for economic growth and prosperity.

Is conference travel worth the cost?

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 08:44:16 +0100

Janet Raloff questions the value of attending scientific conferences.

Academic spring

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 08:53:49 +0100

Alok Jha reports on how a Cambridge mathematician's protest has led to demands for open access to scientific knowledge.

Latest immigration changes protect science and engineering

Thu, 5 Apr 2012 11:25:21 +0100

CaSE reports on the Home Office's latest 'Statement of Intent' on immigration.

Genome data in the Cloud

Thu, 5 Apr 2012 11:23:47 +0100

Data from the 1000 Genomes Project is to be hosted on the Amazon cloud.

Portable legal consent framework for genomic research

Thu, 5 Apr 2012 11:21:25 +0100

PHG Foundation highlights this tool from the Consent to Research project.

Tapping all our talents - report on women in STEM

Thu, 5 Apr 2012 11:19:19 +0100

The Royal Society of Edinburgh has launched its report on women in STEM in Scotland.

Spanish scientists hit by 25% budget cut

Wed, 4 Apr 2012 11:35:58 +0100

Spanish science has had its budget severely reduced in the 2012 national budget.

CaSE April E-Bulletin published

Wed, 4 Apr 2012 11:32:14 +0100

The bulletin summarises CaSE's activities in the TalkScience event on science and politics.

PhDs leave the ivory tower

Tue, 3 Apr 2012 11:49:01 +0100

UK doctoral training centres prepare students to run a lab - or work outside academia.

Stratified medicine initiative announces short-listed proposals

Tue, 3 Apr 2012 11:43:27 +0100

The MRC has announced the short-listed proposals and areas of future development that could be funded under its £60m Stratified Medicine Initiative, which aims to boost our understanding of why groups of patients with the same diagnosis, differ in their response to treatment.

Big money for big data

Tue, 3 Apr 2012 11:47:14 +0100

The Obama administration pledges $200 million for better ways of managing and extracting information from large data sets.

Comments invited on draft research integrity concordat

Tue, 3 Apr 2012 11:45:45 +0100

Research Councils UK (RCUK) is working with Universities UK, the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), the Wellcome Trust and government departments to develop a concordat to support research integrity.

RCUK grant indexation

Tue, 3 Apr 2012 11:44:32 +0100

RCUK has announced its rates of grant indexation for next 3 financial years.

MRC Technology and Mount Sinai School of Medicine in new monoclonal antibody collaboration

Tue, 3 Apr 2012 11:49:51 +0100

The Mount Sinai Medical Center and MRC Technology (MRCT), the technology transfer organization for the United Kingdom’s prestigious Medical Research Council, have reached an agreement to collaborate on the development of monoclonal antibodies that can be commercialized as drugs to control infection and treat diseases.

Cancer Research UK to join forces with venture capitalist

Mon, 2 Apr 2012 11:12:41 +0100

The charity Cancer Research UK has teamed up with a venture capital organisation to launch a £50 million investment fund aimed at boosting the translation of its discoveries into new cancer treatments. The European Investment Fund and the charity’s commercial arm, Cancer Research Technology, will make equal contributions to the CRT Pioneer Fund.

CASE comments on 2012-12 HEFCE allocations

Mon, 2 Apr 2012 11:13:49 +0100

HEFCE have announced an allocation of £5.3 billion. There are additional allocations for postgraduate students

More scrutiny for senior scientists in USA?

Mon, 2 Apr 2012 11:20:00 +0100

The NIH plans an extra layer of review for scientists with at least $1.5 million in existing grants.

Canadian budget hits basic science

Mon, 2 Apr 2012 11:22:36 +0100

Innovation wins over basic research and the environment as Canada seeks to stimulate economy and balance to budget by 2015.

US biosecurity board revises stance on mutant-flu studies

Mon, 2 Apr 2012 11:20:52 +0100

The US National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity (NSABB) today recommended the publication of two controversial avian flu papers.

Open or closed?

Mon, 2 Apr 2012 11:17:58 +0100

US House of Representatives continues to debate whether government funded research should be made available to the public.

Biobank opens to researchers

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 08:53:00 +0100

A unique data resource of the health and lifestyles of half a million Britons - including 26 000 people with diabetes and 50 000 with joint disorders, 41 000 teetotallers, and 11 000 heart attack patients - becomes available for research today.

A science agenda for Parliament

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 08:51:53 +0100

CaSE Director Imran Khan calls on the scientific community to provide better scientific advice to Parliament.

To stay or to move?

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 08:38:12 +0100

Science magazine readers respond to the question: Does the standard practice of applying for postdoc and new faculty positions outside one's home institution make sense?

Questions about science and journalism

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 08:55:33 +0100

Alice Bell examines questions arising out of the recent RI debate on science and journalism.

POSTNote: Consumer Genetic Testing

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 09:13:48 +0100

Four-page parliamentary briefing exploring the scientific, regulatory, and ethical issues related to genetic tests.

Maternity leave in academia - how long?

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 09:19:29 +0100

Musings on how long to take off for maternity leave.

Oceanography Centre to suffer staff cuts

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 08:45:50 +0100

The United Kingdom’s national centre for ocean research is slashing the number of scientific staff as it struggles to cope with government austerity measures, Nature has learned.

1000 genomes on Amazon

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 08:50:06 +0100

The world's largest set of data on human genetic variation, produced by the international 1000 Genomes Project, is now publicly available on the Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud.

Collecting cancer data

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 08:48:42 +0100

Two new cancer cell line databases bursting with genomic and drug profiling data may help researchers identify drug targets.

Best places for postdocs, 2012

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 11:13:36 +0100

Results of The Scientist’s annual 'Best Places to Work for Postdocs' survey.

Scientists must be taught to manage

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 11:06:02 +0100

Young scientists need more help to set up and run research labs, says Jessica C. Seeliger writing in Nature.

Mistakes in papers are increasing

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 11:04:25 +0100

Too many sloppy mistakes are creeping into scientific papers. Lab heads must look more rigorously at the data - and at themselves.

EPSRC requires research to have impact

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 11:21:26 +0100

EPSRC has moved from using academic excellence as the sole criterion in science funding and now requires grant proposals to clearly identify the national importance of the proposed research project.

What is biology's equivalent of the Higgs?

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 11:06:51 +0100

Biologists ponder what fundamental discoveries might match the excitement of the Higgs boson.

European network of structural biology facilities

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 11:02:55 +0100

Structural biologists whose countries join a sharing arrangement will be able to access facilities such as the Diamond Light Source and others across Europe.

Flu surveillance needs improving

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 11:05:01 +0100

Global systems for monitoring threats from flu need a radical overhaul says Nature.

Speaking out on animal research

Wed, 28 Mar 2012 13:21:12 +0100

Fiona Fox writes about the transport of animals for research and the need for scientists to speak out.

A new strategy for UK regenerative medicine

Wed, 28 Mar 2012 13:22:34 +0100

Four UK Research Councils and the Technology Strategy Board will today unveil a new roadmap for UK regenerative medicine research, which will include £75m of investment into translational science.

New Director for MRC Mitochondrial Biology Unit

Wed, 28 Mar 2012 09:03:45 +0100

Dr Massimo Zeviani MD has been appointed as the Honorary Director of the MRC Mitochondrial Biology Unit in Cambridge.

US Supreme Court orders review of gene patents

Wed, 28 Mar 2012 08:58:58 +0100

The US Supreme Court has set aside an appeals court ruling that allows human genes to be patented and ordered that court to rehear the case.

Most science journalists read the papers on which their stories are based

Wed, 28 Mar 2012 09:15:19 +0100

A survey of science, health and environment journalists reveals the importance they attach to reading research papers.

R&D Funding and Public Engagement

Wed, 28 Mar 2012 08:55:27 +0100

A difficult funding environment and changes in science demand a fundamental rethinking of how the research and development community uses funding and conducts research, AAAS CEO Alan I. Leshner says.

DIY biology

Wed, 28 Mar 2012 09:00:56 +0100

BBC reports on DIY biology setup, MadLab, in Manchester.

LMB to expand brain research

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 09:41:17 +0100

The MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology (LMB) in Cambridge has been awarded £49m over the next five years to examining the biology of the brain at a molecular level.

Heineken Prize for Hans Clevers

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 09:39:36 +0100

The Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences has awarded the 2012 Dr A.H. Heineken Prize for Medicine (USD 150,000) to Hans Clevers, for his unique understanding of how tissue growth is regulated, both in normal development and in cancer.

Vatican cancels stem cell conference

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 09:23:33 +0100

The Vatican has abruptly cancelled a controversial stem-cell conference that was set to be attended by the Pope next month.

New head for Dutch science academy

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 09:38:47 +0100

Molecular biologist Hans Clevers was elected president of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW).

The potential power of synthetic biology

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 09:36:13 +0100

BBC feature on synthetic biology.

Mitochondria - guide; new research centre

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 09:26:30 +0100

The Wellcome Trust has awarded £4.4 million to Newcastle University to establish the Wellcome Trust Centre for Mitochondrial Research. Wellcome News published a quick guide to mitochondria.

Olivier Pourquié ousted

Mon, 26 Mar 2012 09:15:29 +0100

Developmental biologist Olivier Pourquié, Director of the Institute of Genetics and Molecular and Cellular Biology in Strasbourg, has been informed that his term as director will end on 1 June.

Dementia research funding to rise

Mon, 26 Mar 2012 09:34:57 +0100

Funding for research into dementia is to be doubled to £66m by 2015 to try to make the UK a world leader in the field.

Greater oversight needed for genomic tests

Mon, 26 Mar 2012 09:25:38 +0100

A report called 'Evolution of Translational Omics', from the US Institute of Medicine (IOM), says tests require greater regulatory oversight and more transparent data-sharing before they should be allowed to move from the lab to the clinic.

Academies challenge cuts to Lords scitech committee

Mon, 26 Mar 2012 08:55:27 +0100

The Royal Society has joined forces with the Academy of Medical Sciences, the British Academy and the Royal Academy of Engineering to condemn proposals to slash the budget of the House of Lords Science and Technology Committee.

Jessell, Ravetch and Greenwood among 2012 Gairdner prize winners

Fri, 23 Mar 2012 08:25:18 +0000

Scientists studying biological clocks, neuron communication and autoimmune disease have won this year’s Canada Gairdner Awards.

Writing like a scientist

Fri, 23 Mar 2012 08:53:38 +0000

The problem with scientific writing.

My DNA, my results

Fri, 23 Mar 2012 08:31:22 +0000

People who have donated biological material and data to science have a right to be informed of any significant discoveries that may arise from research down the line, according to a National Institutes of Health-funded committee.

Accreditation scheme tackles bioscience skills gap

Fri, 23 Mar 2012 08:44:51 +0000

The Society of Biology’s Accreditation Programme responds to the need to ensure bioscience graduates have the core skills that biomedical research employers want.

Oscar Miller retrospective

Fri, 23 Mar 2012 08:19:40 +0000

Oscar Lee Miller Jr. died on 28 January 2012 in Charlottesville, Virginia, at the age of 86. He was a molecular cytologist, whose stunning views of active genes provided new insights into gene expression.

The 2012 budget - what does it do for science?

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 09:05:13 +0000

The Campaign for Science and Engineering (CaSE) has welcomed the Chancellor’s announcement of £100m new investment into science and engineering research in UK universities, along with other measures to improve commercialisation of such research, but warned that the Government must be more ambitious to achieve its goal of rebalancing the economy.

The 2012 budget - further details

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 09:05:44 +0000

Response to the 2012 budget and further details from David Willetts, Science Minister.

MRC signs UK-Japan funding agreement

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 09:15:45 +0000

The MRC and the Japan Science and Technology Agency have announced a new Japan-UK Partnership for Advances in Health Research, a commitment to jointly fund research proposals.

Pharma invests in biotech

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 08:55:51 +0000

GlaxoSmithKline and Johnson & Johnson contribute a total of $100 million to early-stage biotech endeavors.

Academic salaries are not keeping up

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 08:44:50 +0000

Academic salaries are no longer sufficient to attract the brightest and best into the sector, according to the co-author of a new global survey of higher education pay.

Politics for scientists

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 09:07:06 +0000

A report of an event organised by CaSE and the British Library, on science policy.

Inspiring future scientists

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 09:00:09 +0000

AAAS policy fellows inspire future scientists at young women’s conference on non-traditional careers.

Renato Dulbecco obituary

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 08:54:43 +0000

Molecular biologist Renato Dulbecco, who proved that virus-derived genes can trigger cancer, died in February.

Publishers protest over RCUK OA policy

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 08:45:56 +0000

Tensions between publishers and funding bodies over open access to research papers have flared up again after the Publishers Association accused Research Councils UK of riding roughshod over publishers' concerns in a new draft policy on open access.

NIH director grilled over translational research center

Wed, 21 Mar 2012 09:29:24 +0000

Francis Collins, the director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), found himself on the defensive today before a House of Representatives subcommittee intent on scrutinizing the NIH’s shiny new translational medicine center.

Horizon 2020: needs more work

Wed, 21 Mar 2012 09:17:50 +0000

Science|Business polled some of the main stakeholders of the EU’s next research funding programme about the proposed simplifications. The verdict: Nice try, but let’s work on the details

Mayor of London calls for cash for science institute

Wed, 21 Mar 2012 09:36:43 +0000

Boris Johnson has made a bid for extra cash to help fund a science campus in east London.

US Supreme Court upends diagnostics patents

Wed, 21 Mar 2012 09:18:35 +0000

The US Supreme Court has rendered invalid two patents covering a method for determining proper drug dosage.

Numbers of young scientists declining in Japan

Wed, 21 Mar 2012 09:19:40 +0000

Government policies are hampering Japan's next generation of research leaders, advisory body says.

Wellcome Trust creates biotech start-up fund

Tue, 20 Mar 2012 09:24:27 +0000

The Wellcome Trust is creating a £200m fund to invest over the very long term in start-up biotechnology companies, in a nod to the origins of its wealth in the pharmaceutical industry.

MRC responds to Monbiot

Tue, 20 Mar 2012 09:09:13 +0000

Letters from MHRA and MRC to The Guardian respond to George Monbiot's recent article.

Wellcome News - spring issue

Tue, 20 Mar 2012 08:53:24 +0000

The latest ‘Wellcome News’ is out now, with stories about the people, projects and research that WT supports. In this issue, we hear from people working in a variety of fields about what motivates them, including Eva Frickel.

Simon DeNegri to be NIHR public engagement director

Tue, 20 Mar 2012 08:51:54 +0000

The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) has announced Simon Denegri, as its first National Director for Public Participation and Engagement in Research.

Voice of the Future 2012

Tue, 20 Mar 2012 08:45:31 +0000

The Science and Technology Committee hosted a unique session ‘Voice of the Future 2012’ which was the Society of Biology’s major contribution to the National Science & Engineering Week 2012.

Careers advice for researchers

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 08:45:44 +0000

A survey and interviews, with both researchers and researcher developers, were used to explore how researchers use their social capital to elicit careers advice, who they ask, how they rate their networking skills and their career aspirations, attitudes and constraints.

Human enhancement and the future of work

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 08:33:43 +0000

Brief report on a joint meeting organised by the Academy of Medical Sciences, British Academy, Royal Academy of Engineering and the Royal Society on human enhancement and the future of work.

Time to write a human genome?

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 08:32:19 +0000

One blogger says it's high time for a second Human Genome Project - writing one.

Simon Jenkins rants against Universities' research focus

Fri, 16 Mar 2012 08:26:49 +0000

Writing in The Guardian, Simon Jenkins argues that universities should break free from the the slavery of government research funding.

Fewer UK universities in international rankings

Thu, 15 Mar 2012 11:31:00 +0000

Two UK institutions have dropped out of Times Higher Education's academic prestige top 100 in the face of increased competition from Asia and mainland Europe.

Europe needs strong research

Fri, 16 Mar 2012 08:43:44 +0000

Over 600 researchers from all round Europe have contributed to a critical review of Horizon 2020. They say collaboration is needed across disciplines for the €80B research programme to deliver

Interview with president of Howard Hughes

Fri, 16 Mar 2012 08:48:53 +0000

Robert Tjian, who this month completes his third year as HHMI president, spoke to Nature about new awards, other new initiatives and the funding environment for biomedical scientists.

Breathing new life into life science

Fri, 16 Mar 2012 09:06:34 +0000

Dr Mark Downs, Chief Executive of the Society of Biology, details the challenges facing the life sciences in the UK.

Cell - special issue on translation

Fri, 16 Mar 2012 08:17:41 +0000

The 2012 Special Review Issue of Cell on Human Disease looks at how a deeper and richer understanding of the biological basis of disease lays the groundwork for developing new treatments.

Merck launches non-profit translational research institute

Fri, 16 Mar 2012 08:35:37 +0000

Merck has launched a nonprofit research institute to help academics turn their basic biology insights into drug compounds ready for human tests.

Lilly partners with NIH NCATS

Fri, 16 Mar 2012 08:52:58 +0000

The drug company Eli Lilly will screen more than 3,800 approved and investigational medicines to find potential new uses for the drugs in a partnership with the US National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS).

Newsletter on spinouts

Fri, 16 Mar 2012 08:41:30 +0000

News and comment on the spinouts sector.

Norton Zinder - retrospective

Fri, 16 Mar 2012 08:38:14 +0000

Norton Zinder, a founder and leader of the then nascent field of molecular biology half a century ago, passed away on the 3rd of February.

Biochem Soc award winners announced

Thu, 15 Mar 2012 10:07:39 +0000

The Biochemical Society has announced the 2013 awards winners, including Alec Jeffreys, Tom Blundell, Marius Clore and Robin May.

Scientists and journalists

Thu, 15 Mar 2012 10:23:04 +0000

Report of a discussion event on the interface between science and news. What do journalists want from scientists? And how should scientists engage with the public?

Call for synthetic biology moratorium

Thu, 15 Mar 2012 10:16:53 +0000

Synthetic biology needs more oversight, and the government needs to put in place regulations specific for this field, says a report from 111 environmental, watchdog, and other organizations.

WHO chief - a post-antibiotic era?

Thu, 15 Mar 2012 10:01:16 +0000

Keynote address by Margaret Chan, WHO Director-General, at the conference on Combating antimicrobial resistance: time for action.

Problem transporting animals

Thu, 15 Mar 2012 09:39:42 +0000

Leading scientists are warning pressure from animal rights activists is reducing the number of animals being brought into Britain for research.

China’s budget backs science

Thu, 15 Mar 2012 09:59:07 +0000

Chinese scientists fear that too little money will be spent on good-quality basic research.

Mental health research plan

Thu, 15 Mar 2012 09:53:01 +0000

Thomas R. Insel and Barbara J. Sahakian describe what the next decade of mental-health drug development should look like.

Science funding boost for Russia

Thu, 15 Mar 2012 09:51:10 +0000

Vladimir Putin will aim to establish several world-class research universities in Russia by 2020.

PLoS ONE and failed replication studies

Thu, 15 Mar 2012 10:13:02 +0000

Science progresses when repeat studies back or refute previous research, but getting 'replications' published can be a nightmare

Science and art

Thu, 15 Mar 2012 09:36:41 +0000

Feature in Times Higher on science and art

Wellcome Trust Science Writing Prize

Thu, 15 Mar 2012 10:04:12 +0000

Wellcome Trust Science Writing Prize 2012 is open for entries.

Delayed retirement blocks younger researchers

Tue, 13 Mar 2012 17:08:56 +0000

Academics who delay retirement could create roadblocks for early-career researchers.

The voice of researchers in Europe

Tue, 13 Mar 2012 17:06:16 +0000

The European Commission has launched a call for expression of interest targeting researchers of all ages, nationalities and disciplines residing in Europe. The aim is to select 20 excellent candidates, full of insight and constructive ideas.

Geroge Monbiot criticises makeup of MRC Council

Tue, 13 Mar 2012 13:04:46 +0000

Guardian columnist George Monbiot suggests that "the direction of publicly funded medical research is being set by a weird and unbalanced board".

Science & Diplomacy

Tue, 13 Mar 2012 12:55:57 +0000

Science & Diplomacy is a new free online publication that will explore the intersection of international scientific cooperation, foreign relations, and public policy. It is published by the AAAS Center for Science Diplomacy.

Russell Group adds four new members

Mon, 12 Mar 2012 16:09:43 +0000

The Russell Group of research-intensive universities is to expand its current membership of 20 to include four more institutions.

Mice People: Cultures of Science

Mon, 12 Mar 2012 11:19:37 +0000

Gail Davies talks about laboratory mice, and the scientists who study them.

Women in science survey

Mon, 12 Mar 2012 09:19:03 +0000

The Prospect trade union has a survey which is part of a research project into the experiences of women working in scientific roles.

Bioscience economy highlighted in Parliament

Mon, 12 Mar 2012 08:56:08 +0000

The potential of the bioeconomy to generate jobs, economic growth and wellbeing in the UK was highlighted at a meeting in the Houses of Parliament on 8th March.

Science policy - the unanswered questions

Mon, 12 Mar 2012 08:49:54 +0000

A group of researchers has created a list of 40 key unanswered questions in an attempt to ease tensions between scientists and policy-makers.

Biomedical inflation is eroding value of NIH funding

Fri, 9 Mar 2012 09:23:05 +0000

The flat budget for the National Institutes of Health proposed last month will translate into less money for research, fewer grants, and lower success rates for investigators, because biomedical inflation is eroding the value of the funding, according to a new analysis by FASEB.

Work-life balance in science

Fri, 9 Mar 2012 09:13:11 +0000

Drawing data from 4,225 publishing scientists and researchers worldwide, the Association for Women in Science (AWIS) finds that lack of flexibility in the workplace, dissatisfaction with career development opportunities and low salaries are driving both men and women to re-consider their profession.

Willetts speech on science and the City

Fri, 9 Mar 2012 09:06:35 +0000

In a speech to an audience from the insurance sector, David Willetts makes the case for high-tech growth.

LRI schools event in Camden

Fri, 9 Mar 2012 08:56:31 +0000

School children get opportunity to question top scientists.

How to turn researchers into entrepreneurs

Fri, 9 Mar 2012 08:54:19 +0000

To create spin-offs and boost tech transfer, universities must actively help young researchers to become entrepreneurs.

Roy Britten retrospective

Fri, 9 Mar 2012 08:49:51 +0000

Roy Britten (1919-2012) made fundamental discoveries in DNA sequence organization and gene expression that influenced the fields of evolutionary and developmental biology and heralded the era of modern genomics.

New twist in debate over lab-made H5N1

Fri, 9 Mar 2012 08:40:52 +0000

A researcher who created one of the H5N1 mutants and a leading U.S. health official say the threat has been blown out of proportion, offering what they said were clarifications and new data to better gauge the risk it presents.

Break barriers between technology and industry

Fri, 9 Mar 2012 08:55:13 +0000

The barriers between technology and industry must be knocked over to unleash European innovation, says Jean J. Botti of EADS

MRC Network - Spring issue

Thu, 8 Mar 2012 13:56:12 +0000

In this issue: Regeneration: reconstructing a voicebox from stem cells; Children of the 90s turn 21; MRC Working Life: Mark Gardiner, MRC Harwell; Professor Jean Golding on data-sharing.

Crowdfunding science

Thu, 8 Mar 2012 10:05:16 +0000

Petridish.org has announced its first class of crowdfunded science and research projects.

Nature comments on Paul Nurse's lecture

Thu, 8 Mar 2012 08:34:21 +0000

The practice of science cannot be, nor should it be, entirely apolitical.

The postdoc dilemma

Thu, 8 Mar 2012 08:42:17 +0000

Balancing a career and the obligations of a full-time job can be deceptively difficult, says Gaston Small in Nature.

Wellcome fellowships now awarded twice a year

Thu, 8 Mar 2012 08:52:58 +0000

Building on the success of the Sir Henry Wellcome Postdoctoral Fellowship scheme and the achievements of the Fellows supported so far, applications will now be accepted twice a year, giving candidates greater flexibility around when they can apply.

Nine ways to improve science journalism

Thu, 8 Mar 2012 09:19:20 +0000

Genuine advances in the quality of science news will require both journalists and scientists to get their houses in order

ERC rejects impact agenda

Thu, 8 Mar 2012 08:25:25 +0000

The adoption of an impact agenda by the European Research Council would destroy the organisation and will never be countenanced, its president has pledged.

Knowledge divide puts women at disadvantage

Thu, 8 Mar 2012 08:50:58 +0000

Research presented at AAAS Annual meeting shows that, despite progress in last decade, women are still under-represented in science and engineering and in leadership positions.

Shared service centres canned by NAO

Wed, 7 Mar 2012 11:58:41 +0000

The National Audit Office have issued a report "Efficiency and reform in government corporate functions through shared service centres".

Booklet on mentoring in research

Wed, 7 Mar 2012 08:47:54 +0000

The Academy of Medical Sciences has published a booklet on mentoring: Supporting tomorrow's leaders today.

Vince Cable's letter to David Cameron

Wed, 7 Mar 2012 08:57:54 +0000

William Cullerne Bown explains how to read Vince Cable's letter on industrial policy to David Cameron.

Increased biosecurity for flu labs?

Wed, 7 Mar 2012 09:05:41 +0000

Four papers published today in the online, open access journal mBio offer wide-ranging perspectives about the biocontainment facilities that researchers should use to work with bird flu viruses that can transmit in mammals.

Dundee gets Strategic Translation Award for neglected tropical disease research

Wed, 7 Mar 2012 09:02:45 +0000

The University of Dundee has received a five-year Strategic Translation Award from the Wellcome Trust to further the fight against some of the world’s most neglected parasitic diseases, including support for a multi-million pound partnership with GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) to discover new drug treatments.

The flame challenge

Wed, 7 Mar 2012 08:55:01 +0000

Actor Alan Alda proposes a challenge to scientists: "Would you be willing to have a go at writing your own explanation of what a flame is - one that an 11-year-old would find intelligible, maybe even fun?" he writes in Science. The winner will receive at VIP pass to the World Science Festival.

Funding uncertainty strands Spain's young scientists

Wed, 7 Mar 2012 08:53:17 +0000

Spanish researchers are feeling the budget squeeze — until now restricted to creditors of Spain's regional governments — as the country scrambles to negotiate a 2012 budget.

Pharma R&D is not easy

Tue, 6 Mar 2012 09:08:35 +0000

Drug discovery has always been hard and that there have been spectacular failures over the years in pursuit of what is retrospectively viewed as "low hanging fruit".

Another bumper year for Chinese science

Tue, 6 Mar 2012 09:17:44 +0000

China has earmarked 32.45 billion yuan ($5.14 billion) for basic research in 2012, up 26% from last year's appropriation

Changes to Wellcome/DoH Health Innovation Challenge Fund

Tue, 6 Mar 2012 09:12:29 +0000

Changes to the Health Innovation Challenge Fund will now make it easier for organisations and groups to submit research proposals for projects that will further the development of innovative healthcare products.

UK Plan for rare diseases consultation

Tue, 6 Mar 2012 09:11:06 +0000

The Department of Health has launched a consultation on the first ever UK plan on rare diseases.

Jules Hoffman to become immortal

Tue, 6 Mar 2012 09:18:59 +0000

Jules Hoffman, one of last year's Nobel prize winners for physiology or medicine, was selected to become an immortal yesterday. That is the moniker given to the 40 members of the French Academy, a body established in 1635 to define the French language and ensure that its standards are maintained.

National Attitudes to Science Funding

Mon, 5 Mar 2012 09:28:14 +0000

Stephen Moss comments on attitudes in UK, France and Spain.

Big science teams up to kick-start European cloud computing

Mon, 5 Mar 2012 09:26:09 +0000

Three of Europe’s biggest research centres (CERN, EMBL and ESA) have announced a partnership to launch a European cloud computing platform.

The struggle to communicate how science benefits society

Mon, 5 Mar 2012 09:21:25 +0000

Comments on the US National Science Foundation's Broader Impacts Merit Review criterion.

Who needs Big Pharma scientists?

Mon, 5 Mar 2012 08:58:02 +0000

The Chief Exec of Sanofi has said that the best people in science do not work for large drugmakers.

Chief scientists are not superheroes

Mon, 5 Mar 2012 09:02:48 +0000

Comments on the recent House of Lords report about scientific advisers in government.

Strengthening EU-Singapore research links

Mon, 5 Mar 2012 08:55:19 +0000

The EU Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science is visiting Singapore in the context of the EU-ASEAN Year of Science, Technology and Innovation 2012'.

Nuffield Council enquiry on neurotechnologies

Mon, 5 Mar 2012 17:21:26 +0000

A Working Party of the Nuffield Council on Bioethics will explore the ethical, social and legal issues arising from the development and impact of 'novel neurotechnologies'.

Settlement restrictions: exemption for scientists

Fri, 2 Mar 2012 09:47:33 +0000

The Campaign for Science and Engineering (CaSE), the UK’s leading independent advocacy group for the sector, welcomed today’s announced exemption of most scientists and engineers from the Government’s new restrictions on settlement rights for migrants.

Paul Nurse calls for a new Enlightenment

Fri, 2 Mar 2012 09:48:36 +0000

Paul Nurse, the Director of the Francis Crick Institute and President of the Royal Society, has called for science to be placed centre stage in our culture and economy.

Americans share: a commitment to science.

Fri, 2 Mar 2012 09:47:57 +0000

William Press points out that many Americans share a commitment to science. He cites polls showing that the public believes science is vital to a strong economy and international presence, and that scientists are trustworthy and prestigious citizens.

Academia's gender imbalance

Fri, 2 Mar 2012 09:29:40 +0000

A new paper by two developmental psychologists on the dearth of women in academic science argues that the cause of the gender imbalance is the primacy of motherhood in Western society.

SciLifeLab - new Swedish research collaboration

Fri, 2 Mar 2012 09:47:07 +0000

An investment of SEK 177 million will create a centre for high-throughput research, including genomics, comparative genetics, proteomics, bioimaging, and other biomedicine and environmental science projects.

US CDC in financial trouble

Fri, 2 Mar 2012 09:48:12 +0000

Proposed budget changes threaten disease prevention and surveillance programmes.

Controversial bioethicist quits stem-cell company

Fri, 2 Mar 2012 09:48:24 +0000

Bioethicist Glenn McGee has resigned his position as president of ethics and strategic initiatives at the stem-cell firm Celltex Therapeutics.

NIH database of genetic tests

Fri, 2 Mar 2012 09:51:10 +0000

Hoping to clear up confusion about the growing welter of genetic tests, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) today unveiled a new database that lists thousands of tests voluntarily submitted by companies and non-profit labs.

CaSE welcomes latest immigration report

Wed, 29 Feb 2012 09:02:54 +0000

The Migration Advisory Committee (MAC’s), the Government independent immigration policy advisers, today released their latest recommendations on ‘Tier 2' immigration limits.

Research Works Act is dropped

Wed, 29 Feb 2012 09:10:12 +0000

In a victory for open access advocates, two U.S. lawmakers yesterday dropped a bill that would have banned the National Institutes of Health from requiring that its researchers submit their peer-reviewed manuscripts to a public archive.

BBSRC Annual Report published

Wed, 29 Feb 2012 09:05:11 +0000

The BBSRC Annual Report and Accounts for 2010-2011 have been officially published.

Government ignores or sidelines its scientific advisers

Wed, 29 Feb 2012 09:08:43 +0000

Chief scientific advisers must be consulted early and throughout policymaking, Lords committee recommends.

Paul Nurse to give Richard Dimbleby Lecture

Tue, 28 Feb 2012 09:10:29 +0000

Sir Paul Nurse, President of the Royal Society, will give the 2012 Richard Dimbleby Lecture.

Wellcome Trust assessment framework Report 2010/11 and strategic plan update

Tue, 28 Feb 2012 09:21:39 +0000

The Wellcome Trust actively tracks the outputs and impact of activities to assess progress in furthering the vision in the ten-year Strategic Plan 2010-20, The Assessment Framework Report summary for 2010/11 and two-year Strategic Plan update provide an overview of what WT have achieved and their emerging strategic priorities.

CaSE responds to Lib Dems on Science Policy

Tue, 28 Feb 2012 09:20:50 +0000

Dr Julian Huppert, the MP for Cambridge, asked CaSE to contribute to his review of Lib Dem Science Policy.

Universities at the heart of the economy

Tue, 28 Feb 2012 09:17:19 +0000

A report published today calls for universities to be at the heart of the economy to promote growth in the UK and improve the employability of our graduates.

RCUK welcomes the Wilson Review

Tue, 28 Feb 2012 09:36:06 +0000

Research Councils UK welcomes the Review of Business University Collaboration conducted by Professor Sir Tim Wilson.

We need to balance basic and applied research

Tue, 28 Feb 2012 09:31:03 +0000

There's no question of abandoning blue-skies research, but there needs to be a balance between basic and applied work, argue Imran Khan and Stephen Curry writing in The Guardian.

New research infrastructure for integrated structural biology

Tue, 28 Feb 2012 09:38:41 +0000

The EU project ‘Instruct’ has launched a new distributed research infrastructure for the science of structural biology.

Elsevier withdraws support for the Research Works Act

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 11:12:53 +0000

While it continues to oppose government mandates in OA, Elsevier is withdrawing support for the Research Work Act. They hope this will address some of the concerns expressed and help create a less heated and more productive climate for ongoing discussions with research funders.

The 3Rs: what is progress?

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 09:22:03 +0000

Advances in science will present some people with new dilemmas. What if new research methods mean more primate-based studies but using fewer animals overall?

New risk assessment for Boston biocontainment lab

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 09:07:18 +0000

An NIH advisory panel has released a new risk assessment for a controversial high-security biocontainment lab located near Boston’s bustling downtown core.

The essence of doing research

Fri, 24 Feb 2012 10:22:20 +0000

Enrico Coiera has distilled 25 years of research experience into 20 tweets.

Collaboration is essential says Tooke

Fri, 24 Feb 2012 09:47:12 +0000

Sir John Tooke,incoming president of the Academy of Medical Sciences, says that forging closer ties between industry and the academy is very important.

Has science sold its soul to business?

Fri, 24 Feb 2012 10:09:52 +0000

Ananyo Bhattacharya, writing in the Guardian, says that a "devil's bargain struck by scientists with government has led to the downgrading of basic research".

Early career clinical postdoctoral fellowship schemes

Fri, 24 Feb 2012 10:11:54 +0000

The Wellcome Trust is offering a portfolio of opportunities for clinicians wishing to undertake a period of postdoctoral training in the best research environments in the UK and overseas.

Who gets the most from NIH?

Fri, 24 Feb 2012 09:53:29 +0000

An analysis by Nature reveals who holds the most grants from the US National Institutes of Health.

Science funding in Nigeria

Fri, 24 Feb 2012 10:08:29 +0000

Nigeria is to get a dedicated science fund similar to the US National Science Foundation, to provide support for research in the country.

India's 'Science for All' Academy

Fri, 24 Feb 2012 10:01:51 +0000

Raghunath Mashelkar, writing in Science, says that India needs a Young Academy for science.

What will be the impact of the REF's impact measures?

Fri, 24 Feb 2012 09:44:47 +0000

Katherine Smith and Nasar Meer argue in the TImes Higher, that the REF's impact agenda may have unintended consequences.

Career intentions of doctoral researchers

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 09:50:37 +0000

Vitae has published a survey of over 4,500 researchers undertaking doctoral study in the UK, charting their career trajectories into postgraduate research and also their future career aspirations and how these are shaped by their experiences

Anti-anti-science

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 11:14:13 +0000

Jack Stilgoe says that ‘anti-science’ is a term that is imaginary and unhelpful. It describes almost nobody and it gets us nowhere.

Henry Dale Fellowships open for application

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 08:51:07 +0000

The Royal Society and Wellcome Trust Sir Henry Dale Fellowships provide support for outstanding postdoctoral scientists wishing to build their own UK-based independent research career addressing an important biomedical question.

The tenure track career

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 09:08:51 +0000

Becoming a university professor requires a lot of work for very little financial reward, compared to most other professions.

Wellcome Trust Engagement Fellowships - deadline 30 March 2012

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 09:18:55 +0000

Wellcome Trust Engagement Fellowships aim to support and develop upcoming stars in public engagement with science.

Mega-corrections vs retractions

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 08:46:13 +0000

"Mega-corrections" are starting to creep into the scientific record, say Ivan Oransky and Adam Marcus in Lab Times.

US Supreme Court considers taking on gene patent case

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 08:50:08 +0000

The Supreme Court of the United States on Friday began considering whether to take up the case between Myriad Genetics, the Association of American Pathology, and other plaintiffs and defendants that could either shore up or change current US laws covering gene patenting.

How would you define a successful career in science?

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 09:35:55 +0000

Report from a workshop on how to track researchers’ careers, including how success in a science career should be defined for the purposes of career tracking.

Sequence a human genome in just 15 minutes?

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 09:49:37 +0000

Oxford Nanopore Technologies revealed the initial results from its GridION system - technology they say will sequence a human genome in just 15 minutes.

Consensus statement on research integrity

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 09:46:43 +0000

The UK Research Integrity Office has welcomed calls for it to be placed at the centre of a toughened research integrity oversight regime in the UK.

Equal prospects for both sexes in science

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 09:51:23 +0000

Women are as likely as men to be promoted, but fewer apply for jobs.

Government policy damaging UK’s research position in Europe

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 17:02:02 +0000

Figures released by the European Union show that the UK is the only country to have cut public investment in science and research ahead of meeting the Lisbon targets.

Canadian government is muzzling its scientists

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 09:59:11 +0000

The Canadian government has been accused of "muzzling" its scientists.

Call for greater integrity, openness, clarity and public engagement

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 10:12:07 +0000

Report of a session on public engagement at the AAAS meeting

Flu experts agree H5N1 research critical, but extend delay

Mon, 20 Feb 2012 09:55:14 +0000

Public health and influenza experts at a WHO-convened meeting agreed to extend the temporary moratorium on research with new laboratory-modified H5N1 viruses. They also recognised that research on naturally-occurring H5N1 influenza virus must continue in order to protect public health.

Profile of Susan Lindquist

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 09:11:51 +0000

Susan Lindquist has challenged conventional thinking on how misfolded proteins drive disease and may power evolution. But she still finds that criticism stings.

US scientific pre-eminence at risk

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 08:41:29 +0000

Alan Leshner, CEO of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, gave a hard-hitting speech saying that America's scientific eminence is at risk.

WHO calls flu experts to debate controversial H5N1 work

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 08:47:54 +0000

The World Health Organization has invited 22 experts from around the world to discuss whether and how to publish the research, which describes how scientists made the H5N1 avian influenza virus transmissible between ferrets.

H5N1 data - to disclose or not?

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 08:29:53 +0000

Proponents of full disclosure, including the researchers who conducted the work, contend that knowing the genetic signatures of these potentially devastating viruses might prove pivotal to shoring up surveillance measures and controlling an emerging threat.

POSTnote on biotech patents

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 09:00:16 +0000

This POSTnote considers how patent law is applied to biomedical inventions and examines the potential impact on patient access to diagnostic tests and innovation.

Wellcome Trust investigators named

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 08:45:41 +0000

The latest Investigator Awards in the biomedical sciences have been made. The eight Awards range in value from just over £900 000 to £1.9 million and will last between five and seven years.

The next step for female scientists

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 09:37:15 +0000

Michelle Obama announced a 10-year plan to help men and women balance research careers with their personal lives.

Tips on winning grants

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 09:16:55 +0000

Research ideas are not on their own to guarantee the success of a grant application. You must follow application guidelines to the letter, and ensure that your proposal is both high-impact and innovative.

Should research data be exempt from FOI?

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 09:10:37 +0000

UUK seeks to exempt research data from FOI as MPs and Lords debate the Act's impact.

New guidance on bioinformatics funding

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 09:23:00 +0000

A new statement outlines the remits of the three main research councils in bioinformatics to help researchers identify the right council when submitting proposals.

Sequencing set to alter clinical landscape

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 09:15:01 +0000

Access to whole genomes shifts potential for diagnosis, but poses challenges for doctors and regulators.

Women in Science Award for Susan M. Gasser

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 17:21:09 +0000

Swiss biologist, Susan M. Gasser, will receive the 2012 FEBS/EMBO Women in Science Award for her research on chromatin biology and epigenetics.

UAE's scientific ambitions

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 09:13:13 +0000

The soaring incidence of diabetes is driving the United Arab Emirates' science ambitions.

International advisory boards are all the rage

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 09:04:44 +0000

Close ties with Nobel laureates, global entrepreneurs and distinguished academics can boost an institution's international profile, as well as providing fresh insights, experience - and a hint of glamour.

NIHR research professors created

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 09:33:40 +0000

Eight of the UK’s most promising leaders in medical health research will be awarded a National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) professorship, the Government has announced.

Interview with Anne Glover, EU chief scientific adviser

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 09:29:44 +0000

Last month, Scottish microbiologist Anne Glover took office in Brussels as the first European chief scientific adviser (CSA). Glover will provide the European Commission with evidence-based policy advice and will be a European spokesperson on scientific issues.

Motherhood detrimental to women's scientific careers?

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 09:37:11 +0000

Women with advanced degrees in math-intensive academic fields drop out of fast-track research careers primarily because they want children – not because their performance is devalued or they are shortchanged during interviewing and hiring, according to a new study at Cornell University.

Four women scientists from the recent past

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 09:26:41 +0000

March is National Women’s History Month - a good time to remember the women scientists of the first eighty years of the twentieth century.

DIY biology in Ireland

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 09:24:21 +0000

Cathal Garvey dropped out of a PhD program to create a DIY biotech lab in his family's house in County Cork, Ireland, says Technology Review.

Next generation of supercomputers for UK researchers

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 14:23:13 +0000

The launch of two giant computers, HECToR and BlueGene/Q, based at the University of Edinburgh's Advanced Computing Facility, marks the next chapter in the UK's supercomputing programme.

Call for proposals for ERC Proof of Concept

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 14:16:30 +0000

The European Commission has published a call for proposals for the European Research Council (ERC) Proof of Concept.

RCUK consultation for a Capital Investment Roadmap

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 09:52:37 +0000

Research Councils UK (RCUK) has issued a consultation inviting views from the research community and research users as part of the development of a Capital Investment Roadmap for research and research-led innovation. The aim of the Roadmap is to set out the capital funding priorities for the UK research community.

France's excellent initiative

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 08:55:15 +0000

The Idex initiative is helping to create a group of five to 10 world-class research and higher education clusters across France.

Wellcome Trust creates London 2012 science legacy

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 09:15:55 +0000

Pupils at every school and college across the UK will get the opportunity to learn how their bodies work during exercise, movement and rest with free experiment kits from the Wellcome Trust’s In the Zone initiative, inspired by the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Open data in practice

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 08:59:36 +0000

Sage Bionetworks is part nonprofit research organization, part think tank, one with a grand vision of creating a 'commons' where researchers come together to share and analyze vast amounts of biomedical data.

Croatian Institute in trouble

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 08:57:16 +0000

The Mediterranean Institute for Life Sciences, in Split, is mired in controversy and appears to be on the brink of collapse.

Why am I writing this?

Thu, 9 Feb 2012 15:59:28 +0000

Sylvia McClain highlights some sage advice on writing scientific papers.

Open access journals: are we asking the right questions?

Thu, 9 Feb 2012 13:40:57 +0000

The academic publisher Elsevier is being boycotted by the online HE community due to the prohibitive costs of its journals. But is an open access model the right solution?

Putting lab life under the lens

Thu, 9 Feb 2012 13:36:14 +0000

Scott Stern is expert in the social-scientific study of the scientific enterprise, looking at issues such as the flow of knowledge in biology, the financial incentives facing scientists and the role of patents in spreading or limiting knowledge.

Patients and researchers

Thu, 9 Feb 2012 11:20:41 +0000

Misha Angrist argues, in Nature, that it is beneficial for researchers to meet patients.

Plans for the REF 2014 published

Thu, 9 Feb 2012 09:19:54 +0000

The assessment season in HEIs was formally kicked off last week by the publication of the final version of the panel criteria and working methods for the 2014 research excellence framework.

What is the best size for a research group?

Thu, 9 Feb 2012 09:14:45 +0000

New research postulates that the quality of research groups increases proportionally to their size, but ceases to rise significantly beyond an upper critical mass.

First European strategy to tackle neurodegenerative disease

Wed, 8 Feb 2012 08:33:26 +0000

Working with European partners, the Medical Research Council (MRC) has led the development of a broad, Europe-wide research strategy aimed at tackling the challenge of age-related neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases.

Experimental project gives big pharma its youth back

Wed, 8 Feb 2012 08:32:34 +0000

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) is starting to see results from an experimental programme that aims to make it feel and react like a nimble young start-up.

Double funding

Wed, 8 Feb 2012 08:31:09 +0000

Craig Grimes, previously at Pennsylvania State University, pleaded guilty to accepting grants from the Department of Energy (DOE) and the US National Science Foundation (NSF) to fund the same research.

Award-winning microscope videos

Wed, 8 Feb 2012 08:28:35 +0000

Nikon's photomicrography contest now includes video, with their Nikon Small World in Motion competition. The best of more than 200 videos show amazing microscopic activity, including cells dividing, ants feasting and asexual yeast budding.

Impostor syndrome in research

Tue, 7 Feb 2012 17:42:02 +0000

A blogpost by Athene Donald discusses impostor syndrome in the world of scientific research

Nancy Rothwell appointed to Council for Science and Technology

Tue, 7 Feb 2012 15:37:02 +0000

The Prime Minister David Cameron has appointed Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell, the President and Vice-Chancellor of The University of Manchester, to the Council for Science and Technology as its new Co-Chair.

BBSRC seeks advisory panel members

Tue, 7 Feb 2012 08:22:35 +0000

BBSRC is looking to appoint high calibre, committed individuals from the academic and industrial sectors to potentially increase the membership on their Strategy Advisory Panels.

Breaking the power of 'glamour journals'

Tue, 7 Feb 2012 08:38:39 +0000

Interesting discussion about how realistic it is to boycott publication in non-open access journals.

Independent commission to look at postgrad education

Mon, 6 Feb 2012 16:12:01 +0000

An independent inquiry has been launched to investigate postgraduate education.

Manifesto for a gender sensitive Horizon 2020

Mon, 6 Feb 2012 08:49:27 +0000

As a follow up to the First European Gender Summit, a new Manifesto aims to overcome the gender inequalities that still compromise research and innovation excellence.

EPO looks at impact of the patent system

Mon, 6 Feb 2012 08:44:33 +0000

The Economic and Scientific Advisory Board of the European Patent Office will advise on the economic, practical and societal impact of the patent system: the role and structure of fees, the importance of patent quality and challenges to the functioning of the patent system from overlapping sets of patent rights, so-called patent thickets.

Petition to boycott Elsevier

Fri, 3 Feb 2012 15:41:31 +0000

Cost of Knowledge petition criticises 'exorbitantly high' price of Elsevier's scientific journals and the publisher's 'huge profits'.

The science of science policy

Fri, 3 Feb 2012 15:38:32 +0000

Despite the excellent work of UK organisations such as CaSE, NESTA and the Royal Society, we lack an equivalent, large-scale effort to look systematically at how the UK’s science and innovation system is changing and how it can be strengthened.

Plans for Horizon 2020

Fri, 3 Feb 2012 15:35:50 +0000

Teresa Riera Madurell, member of the European Parliament from Spain, was appointed last month as the rapporteur responsible for establishing Horizon 2020, She tells Nature how she hopes the programme will develop.

How to make science the engine of growth

Fri, 3 Feb 2012 15:27:00 +0000

Only world-class science will deliver the innovation and growth Europe so desperately needs.

Commission attempts to create single EU market for research

Fri, 3 Feb 2012 15:26:20 +0000

The European Commission proposes to unite national funding agencies in ‘pacts’ to complete the European Research Area (ERA) by 2014 deadline - without further legislation.

Foundation donates $32m to Broad Institute

Fri, 3 Feb 2012 15:20:32 +0000

The Broad Institute has received a $32.5 million gift to map the molecular circuitry inside several kinds of mammalian cells.

Science visualisation challenge

Fri, 3 Feb 2012 15:16:22 +0000

Science Magazine and the National Science Foundation present the winners of the International Science and Engineering Visualization Challenge.

Research at the heart of the NHS

Thu, 2 Feb 2012 11:37:19 +0000

The government have made some changes to the Health & Social Care Bill which will ensure that health research is a core role of the NHS.

AstraZeneca keeps Cambridge neuroscience R&D

Thu, 2 Feb 2012 11:36:10 +0000

AstraZeneca announced a restructuring affecting research and development capabilities.

MRC Experimental Medicine Challenge Grants launched

Thu, 2 Feb 2012 09:13:49 +0000

MRC has launched a new funding scheme - the Experimental Medicine Challenge Grants - to stimulate clinical and translational research.

Science, industry and growth

Thu, 2 Feb 2012 09:29:07 +0000

To make the case for cash, we must forge a consensus on how science should stimulate growth, argues Imran Khan.

Elsevier boycott gains supporters

Thu, 2 Feb 2012 09:11:24 +0000

A movement to boycott scientific publishing giant Elsevier because of the high price of its journals is rapidly gathering steam.

The Biochemist - special issue on drug discovery

Thu, 2 Feb 2012 08:38:36 +0000

A special issue of The Biochemist looks at drug discovery in the academic environment, pharma's changing business models, MR Technology, and much more.

MRC re-structures its Management Board

Thu, 2 Feb 2012 09:14:34 +0000

The MRC today announced a re-structuring of its senior management team following the departure last summer of its Chief Operating Officer, John Jeans.

Japan plans to merge major science bodies

Thu, 2 Feb 2012 08:52:44 +0000

Japan's government is gearing up to make cost savings through a root-and-branch reform of the country's science system, merging some of its most prominent research organizations.

Nurturing emeriti

Thu, 2 Feb 2012 08:48:28 +0000

A study, reported in the Times Higher, finds many scholars believe their best work has come after retirement.

International collaborations and clinical trials

Thu, 2 Feb 2012 08:54:17 +0000

Mastering scientific protocols is only half the battle when it comes to conducting a clinical study in another country, says Andrew Fung, writing in Nature.

BBVA award for Varshavsky

Wed, 1 Feb 2012 15:19:41 +0000

The BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award in the Biomedicine category has gone to the Russian-born biochemist Alexander Varshavsky for discovering the mechanisms involved in protein degradation and their critical importance in biological systems.

H5N1 manuscript redaction controversy

Wed, 1 Feb 2012 08:52:37 +0000

MBio has published a series of commentaries by prominent scientists, including the acting chair of the NSABB, discussing whether the recommendations to withhold data on a novel strain of the bird flu virus, H5N1, were necessary and what role biosecurity considerations should play in the dissemination of research findings.

Survey on genomic information

Wed, 1 Feb 2012 08:43:14 +0000

The Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute has launched an online survey to gather views on genomic information and how it should be shared.

WHO prioritises neglected diseases

Wed, 1 Feb 2012 08:41:41 +0000

The World Health Organization has laid out plans to control or eliminate a swathe of diseases that predominantly affect the world’s poorest people.

NIHR briefing documents updated

Wed, 1 Feb 2012 08:45:17 +0000

The NIHR briefing documents set out the aims and the measures the NIHR has in place to achieve this. The briefing documents were updated in January 2012, and two new documents were published – 4.11 Research Capability Funding and 4.12 Translational Research Partnerships.

Roche's challenge to Illumina

Wed, 1 Feb 2012 08:40:21 +0000

If drug giant Roche succeeds in its plans for a merger, the sequencing-technology firm Illumina will struggle to maintain its dominance in the sequencing industry, say those who have worked in it for many years.

Crick publishes clinical translation guide

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 08:55:42 +0000

Recommendations aimed at helping The Francis Crick Institute to accelerate the benefits to patients from its work have been made by a group of experts.

New international standards for biological data

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 09:08:19 +0000

Led by researchers at University of Oxford (UK) and the Harvard Stem Cell Institute (HSCI) at Harvard University, (USA), more than 50 collaborators at over 30 scientific organizations around the globe have agreed on a common standard for integrating biological data sets.

Boffin's blog blast births boycott of publisher Elsevier

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 09:39:38 +0000

The ongoing world protests against SOPA, PIPA, and ACTA have helped inspire a revolt among scientists over the role of academic publisher Elsevier and its business practices.

Voice of the Future 2012

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 16:46:04 +0000

The Society of Biology is organising Voice of the Future 2012, .an opportunity for young scientists and engineers to participate in a Science Question Time with Members of the House of Commons Select Committee on Science & Technology.

Twelve UK universities recognised for excellence in researcher development

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 16:38:46 +0000

12 UK institutions have been awarded the HR Excellence in Research Award by the European Commission for their work to implement the Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers.

Invitation to comment on new MRC guidance on good research practice

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 09:49:00 +0000

The MRC is currently revising the principles and guidelines on good research practice and welcomes views on the new draft which has been developed.

Whistleblower posts on YouTube

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 09:39:03 +0000

An anonymous whistleblower has created a YouTube video that details alleged duplication of images by a prominent Japanese scientist.

How to make open innovation work

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 09:37:12 +0000

Governments can play a key role in triggering new models of collaboration, concludes the Science Business Innovation Board.

Better support for researcher mobility

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 16:57:04 +0000

A group of UK funders of research fellowships and other stakeholders have announced agreement of a number of principles to support researchers who move between the UK research base and other nations around the world.

Ethics and translational research

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 16:52:11 +0000

Bioethicists argue that IRBs are ill-equipped to provide consultation to researchers on thorny protocol design issues in translational areas such as DNA banking and stem cell therapies..

Matthias Mann and Fiona Powrie get Jeantet Prize

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 16:09:19 +0000

The 2012 Louis-Jeantet prizewinners are Matthias Mann, specialist in systems biology at the Max-Planck Institute of Biochemistry in Martinsried, and Fiona Powrie, at the John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford.

The paperless lab

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 09:15:59 +0000

Nature says (again) that electronic notebooks are poised to become increasingly popular among researchers.

Researchers struggle with knowledge transfer

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 08:54:59 +0000

A significant number of academics feel it is not part of their job to help businesses bring their research to market, according to an investigation into attitudes to knowledge transfer.

Postdoc opportunities in China

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 09:19:42 +0000

There is a wealth of fellowships and postdoctoral openings in China for foreign researchers who aren't afraid of culture shock.

Open access? Show us the money, says Nature

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 09:14:09 +0000

nature editorial says that to create a sustainable, open research literature, governments need to find the finances to make it viable — and recognize that adding value to diversifying research outputs has its own costs.

Genomic innovation and the NHS

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 16:05:42 +0000

In its report to Government on genomic technology published today, the Human Genomics Strategy Group, chaired by Professor Sir John Bell, highlights the UK’s achievements in genetics research to date and proposes a strategic vision to realise the future benefit of genomics.

Japan prize awarded to leukemia therapy pioneers

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 09:26:40 +0000

The 2012 Japan Prize for Healthcare and Medical Technology has been awarded to Janet D. Rowley, Brian J. Druker and Nicholas B. Lydon, who each played significant roles in the development of a revolutionary therapy for cancers with fusion genes

Ronald Evans wins Wolf prize

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 09:19:35 +0000

Ronald Evans has been awarded the 2012 Wolf Prize in Medicine, for his discovery of the gene super-family encoding nuclear receptors and elucidating the mechanism of action of this class of receptors.

ERC announces 294 Advanced Grant winners

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 09:15:56 +0000

The European Research Council (ERC) has announced funding for 294 researchers in the fourth competition for its Advanced Grants.

HHMI chooses 28 award winners

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 08:54:39 +0000

The Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) has announced the 28 winners of a new $20 million program to jump-start the labs of young biomedical scientists in countries outside of the United States.

BBSRC investment in bioscience skills and training

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 08:56:56 +0000

£67 million of new investment in postgraduate training and development in the biosciences, from BBSRC, includes support for 14 Doctoral Training Partnerships (DTPs) across the UK as well as a number of industrial CASE (iCASE) studentship awards.

Peter Thompson to be HFEA Chief Executive.

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 09:13:30 +0000

Professor Lisa Jardine, Chair of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), today announced that Peter Thompson has been appointed as the Authority’s new Chief Executive.

Patent filings hit new record

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 09:08:16 +0000

In 2011 the EPO received 243 000 applications, 3% up on the 2010 record figure of 237 500. It granted 62 115 patents, 7% more than in 2010.

Occupy science?

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 08:59:09 +0000

Biomedical research can learn from citizen science, which is grounded in strong relationships with study participants.

Asian research powers ahead

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 08:50:59 +0000

Asia, led by China, is on track to displace the United States as the world’s science and technology powerhouse.

H5N1 flu research is paused

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 09:02:37 +0000

Scientists working on the transmission of the H5N1 avian influenza strain have voluntarily agreed to halt research for 60 days to allow time for international discussion on its benefits and potential harms.

Varshavsky awarded Faisal Foundation prize

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 09:51:33 +0000

Alexander Varshavsky has been awarded the Faisal Foundation prize for biology for 2012.

HFEA consults on ethics of mitochondria transfer

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 09:55:19 +0000

The Secretary of State for Health together with the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills have jointly asked the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) to seek public views on emerging IVF techniques designed to prevent the transmission of mitochondrial disease.

Opportunities to partner with industry

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 09:36:46 +0000

The MRC has announced three new mechanisms to help MRC fellows develop successful partnerships with industry.

US National Academy of Sciences announces honours

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 09:32:55 +0000

The National Academy of Sciences will honor 17 individuals with awards in recognition of their extraordinary scientific achievements in a wide range of fields spanning the physical, biological, and social sciences.

New CaSE board of directors

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 09:45:33 +0000

CaSE has several new members of its Board: Professor Colin Blakemore, Ms Aisling Burnand MBE, Dr Tom Crick, Ms Becky Purvis, Mr Alom Shaha, Professor Sandy Steacy and Dr Chris Tyler.

NESTA to become a charity

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 09:31:04 +0000

The National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts (NESTA) is to become a private sector charity .

Science and journalism, again

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 12:43:24 +0000

Can science journalism change, asks Brian Switek.

Nuffield consults on mitochondrial donation

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 12:42:28 +0000

The Nuffield Council on Bioethics is inviting written submissions of evidence to inform its consideration of ethical issues arising from emerging techniques to prevent the transmission of inherited mitochondrial disorders.

Nature and Science magazines come out against RWA

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 09:11:22 +0000

Nature Publishing Group and the AAAS have issued statements explaining that they do not support the proposed Research Works Act in the USA.

Alliance for Biomedical Research in Europe and Horizon 2020

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 09:02:31 +0000

The Alliance for Biomedical Research in Europe has issued proposals for Horizon 2020.

Philanthropy in science

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 08:56:53 +0000

Academic researchers are increasingly turning to private funders and wealthy individuals- turned-philanthropists to pay for their work.

Royal Veterinary College opens new centre

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 08:48:02 +0000

A new teaching and research centre at the Royal Veterinary College aims to remove the barriers between undergraduates and postgraduates.

UCL Academy takes shape

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 08:44:38 +0000

A topping out ceremony was held for the UCL Academy school, due to be completed in a few months' time.

Understanding science in the news media

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 09:34:58 +0000

If reporters wrote stories the way some scientists seem to want, few people would read science coverage.

Roslin BioCentre strikes innovation deal

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 09:31:48 +0000

BioCity Scotland Ltd, a joint venture between BioCity Nottingham and the Roslin BioCentre, has acquired the former MSD research facility at Newhouse, Lanarkshire in order to develop a dedicated base in central Scotland for growing bioscience, pharmaceutical, medical technology companies.

Peerage of Science

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 09:44:04 +0000

Peerage of Science is a new initiative that aims to improve on some of the perceived problems with peer review, independently from journals and publishing houses.

Analysis of Willetts' speech on science and growth

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 10:41:25 +0000

William Cullerne-Bown dissects David Willetts' speech on economic growth and innovation.

AstraZeneca seeks partnerships

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 09:12:16 +0000

AstraZeneca has set up a Science and Technology Integration Office, which will develop collaborations with business, universities, governments and charities.

New animal virus

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 08:56:22 +0000

Scientists in northern Europe are scrambling to learn more about a new virus that causes fetal malformations and stillbirths in cattle, sheep, and goats.

David Shukman to be BBC science editor

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 09:01:02 +0000

Long-serving BBC correspondent David Shukman has been appointed the corporation's first science editor.

Scientific citizens will be important in the future

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 08:57:19 +0000

Former Royal Society President Lord Rees offered a tour de force of recurrent issues in science policy, speaking at the Cambridge Centre for Science and Policy.

Scientific misconduct is prevalent in the UK

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 10:00:16 +0000

One in seven UK based scientists or doctors has witnessed colleagues intentionally altering or fabricating data during their research or for the purposes of publication, found a survey of more than 2700 researchers conducted by the BMJ.

Does pharma R&D earn its investment?

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 11:09:21 +0000

They are some of the largest spenders on research. But now, as pharmaceutical companies look to external collaboration and in-licensed products to fuel innovation, the internal R&D operation is having to justify the return on investment for the first time.

NIH creates Living Lab Structural Biology Center

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 11:28:54 +0000

A new type of lab has been created to utilize near-atomic resolution microscopy and other structural biology technologies to help accelerate medical research.

NHGRI reorganisation

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 11:39:07 +0000

A proposed reorganization of NHGRI involves the establishment of six new divisions.

A genome in one day?

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 11:29:44 +0000

Two companies have announced the release of bench-top sequencing machines which will be able to sequence whole genomes in one day.

Strategic plan for science, in Peru

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 11:11:34 +0000

The Peruvian government will provide US$100 million for a new project aiming to finance and promote the development of science and technology (S&T) links between the private sector, universities, and public and private research centres.

Making the case for science funding, in India

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 11:02:53 +0000

India's science advisory council warned that Indian laboratories are rife with mediocrity and the PM to take steps to create centers of excellence around top-shelf investigators.

Greek science on the brink

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 10:22:15 +0000

Greece's financial woes are spurring controversial reforms of the country's research system. These include merging institutions , modernising governance and giving greater autonomy to boost competition and transparency.

Bill blocking NIH public access policy draws fire

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 10:16:14 +0000

The Research Works act being discussed in the US legislature conflicts with NIH policy of grant holders posting papers in Pubmed Central.

John Jeans appointed chairman of Cardiff University Council

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 10:19:44 +0000

John will succeed the chairman Sir Keith Peters on 16th January.

US translational-science centre gets under way

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 09:00:50 +0000

Mission of newly formed NCATS is to dramatically speed up production of drugs and other therapies, but sceptics question agency’s ability to deliver.

Interview with NCATS acting director

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 09:03:53 +0000

Thomas Insel, the acting director of NCATS, talked to Science magazine about the new NIH translational center's aims and structure.

US biomedical research workforce is ageing

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 08:58:52 +0000

An analysis of Nobel Prize winners from 1980 to 2010 shows that 96 scientists won the Nobel Prize in medicine or chemistry for work related to biomedicine, and that their groundbreaking research was conducted at an average age of 41 - one year younger than the average age of a new investigator at NIH.

Publishers attack US open access

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 09:21:45 +0000

A new bill, the Research Works Act, is currently going through the US legislature and proving controversial.

Imperial College expands to the west

Mon, 9 Jan 2012 17:35:28 +0000

Imperial College has revealed its masterplan for a massive new campus on the former BBC site in Wood Lane, to be called 'Imperial West'.

New ways to measure science

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 09:02:20 +0000

For too long, the measurement of scientific contribution has centered on the publication.Wired Science argue that it should be more about being involved in making discoveries and creating new knowledge.

Science and the Olympic and Paralympic Games

Mon, 9 Jan 2012 09:56:40 +0000

The Wellcome Trust is leading a London 2012-inspired UK-wide initiative to engage the public with the science of how their own body works during exercise, movement and rest.

Neglected tropical diseases

Mon, 9 Jan 2012 09:55:46 +0000

Feature: Neglected tropical diseases - a new handle on old problems

NC3Rs studentships granted

Fri, 6 Jan 2012 09:12:05 +0000

Fifteen PhD studentships have been awarded to leading research groups for projects covering all of the 3Rs.

The cost of research

Fri, 6 Jan 2012 09:01:53 +0000

Research costs are up 47% - and a new EU study analyses why.

Starter grants for clinical academics

Fri, 6 Jan 2012 08:52:10 +0000

A grants programme provides modest ‘starter’ funds to enable research active Clinical Lecturers to pursue their research work, gather preliminary data and so further strengthen their applications for longer-term fellowships and funding.

Interview with Broad's Eric Lander

Thu, 5 Jan 2012 12:19:56 +0000

An interview in the New York Times with The Broad Institute's director, Eric Lander.

MRC Economic Impact Report 2010-11

Wed, 4 Jan 2012 18:15:09 +0000

The MRC Economic Impact Report (formerly known as the Economic Impact Reporting Framework or EIRF) report contains information requested by the government on selected aspects of the organisation’s performance.

India's science funding to increase

Thu, 5 Jan 2012 09:19:46 +0000

India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has vowed to more than double his nation's spending on R&D over the next 5 years and build two major research facilities.

Trust and changing models of authorship

Thu, 5 Jan 2012 09:08:53 +0000

As models of authorship and collaboration change in the digital age, we must rely on trust to filter the products of research, says Jerome Ravetz, writing in Nature

Grant scheme for Gender Equality in Science

Thu, 5 Jan 2012 09:43:30 +0000

The Biochemical Society has announced a new grant scheme for Gender Equality in Science. Anyone can apply.

Detecting plagiarism

Thu, 5 Jan 2012 09:09:24 +0000

Duplication is easily detected by software, yet it remains a problem. Ten experts explain how to stamp it out.

Willetts - make Britain the best place in the world to do science

Wed, 4 Jan 2012 11:29:50 +0000

In a speech at Policy Exchange, Universities and Science Minister David Willetts has argued that our greatest national assets - our universities, our science facilities and researchers - are the best single hope for making our way in the high-tech world of the future, creating jobs and opportunities and boosting high tech economic growth.

Last chance to enter Wellcome Image Awards 2012

Wed, 4 Jan 2012 14:45:01 +0000

Judging for the Wellcome Image Awards 2012 will take place at the end of January, and all images submitted by 16 January 2012 will automatically be considered for inclusion.

A year with RCUK

Wed, 4 Jan 2012 09:18:48 +0000

A review of discoveries and achievements from across the Research Councils in 2011.

Missing clinical trial data

Wed, 4 Jan 2012 09:23:02 +0000

Editorial and research in BMJ draws attention to the problem of missing clinical trial data

School of Pharmacy merges with UCL

Tue, 3 Jan 2012 11:28:10 +0000

The School of Pharmacy, University of London, has merged with UCL. It is now a part of UCL Faculty of Life Sciences, and will officially be known as the UCL School of Pharmacy.

Genetics for social and behavioral scientists

Wed, 4 Jan 2012 09:14:09 +0000

NIH has launched a free, web-based genetics course for social and behavioral scientists.

A decade in drug discovery

Tue, 3 Jan 2012 16:19:30 +0000

Nature Reviews Drug Discovery marks its tenth anniversary this month, providing an opportunity to reflect on the evolution of the landscape of drug research and development.

Call to censor flu studies draws fire

Wed, 4 Jan 2012 09:13:09 +0000

Critics say the controversy in the US over publication of mutant-H5N1 research highlights biosecurity weaknesses.

New Year honours - research and education

Tue, 3 Jan 2012 09:44:34 +0000

Three British Nobel Prize winners head the list of academics recognised in this year’s New Year honours list.

Nature's review of 2011

Tue, 3 Jan 2012 09:46:24 +0000

Nature tells the human stories behind this year's events in science.

Cancer researcher in IP dispute

Tue, 3 Jan 2012 10:04:39 +0000

The Leonard and Madlyn Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute, at the University of Pennsylvania, is alleging that researcher Craig Thompson concealed his involvement with a biotechnology company.

Celebrities, nonsense and science

Tue, 3 Jan 2012 10:31:37 +0000

Alice Bell, writing in the Guardian, wonders whether the annual Sense about Science report, debunking scientific nonsense that celebrities spout, is a useful tactic for science.

WHO is concerned about H5N1 research

Tue, 3 Jan 2012 10:00:39 +0000

WHO is deeply concerned about the potential negative consequences of research into whether changes in the H5N1 influenza virus can make it more transmissible between humans.

The State of Science Policy

Tue, 3 Jan 2012 09:56:28 +0000

Scientists must work constantly to build relations with lawmakers and the public, experts said at an event marking the retirement of Al Teich, former AAAS director of science and policy.

Research news for Jan-Dec 2011

Fri, 30 Dec 2011 18:34:27 +0100

Research news for 2011