Science

Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell’s graduate scholarships will help students from under-represented groups

There are reasons to be optimistic that we can start to know something about whether life exists elsewhere. But, says Charles Cockell, a more remarkable finding might be that we are exceptional

It’s still early days for the £650 million biomedical research centre, but its director believes it is showing signs of fulfilling its promise

Findings suggest markets could be used to help prioritise which experiments need repeating most urgently 

Independent research institutes are hailed as hothouses for cutting-edge science, but they seem to be falling out of fashion. Rachael Pells asks if concentrating research in universities is a better strategy

Growing pressure to publish only in elite tier ignores the vital importance of lesser-ranked titles to academia and society, says Adam Graycar

Life as a comedian at the Edinburgh Fringe has many parallels with the experiences of early career academics, explains Anna Ploszajski

Nearly 50 years since war on cancer was declared, declarations of victory remain a distant prospect. Here, six cancer researchers assess the lie of the land

Cutting partner labs out of awarded grant budgets is a common but destructive phenomenon in modern academia, says Anne Carpenter

Academic Jack Davis tells John Morgan of his surprise at learning that his history of the Gulf of Mexico had won a Pulitzer prize and his hope that it will help to deliver a pro-environmental message

Seekers of dispassionate truth may be irritated by the moral passion of the likes of Dostoevsky, Zola and Chekhov, but it is a much stronger influence on public opinion, says David Aberbach  

Researchers welcome ambition of new initiative but question whether it will give scholars the autonomy that they need

Renowned Harvard particle physicist and humanitarian campaigner remembered

Chemistry laureate Michael Levitt also warns younger scientists are now far less likely to be awarded grants

New book sets human history in the light of the wider trends that have shaped the universe

Legal action should not be required to convince universities to do more to help expectant mothers graduate without delay, says John Kaag 

Data from THE’s World University Rankings underscore that many more women are studying some science subjects in the Mena region, but does this translate into employment?

A rediscovered fascination for space means blue-sky opportunities for universities

Government pledges huge windfall for research facilities, but much of it will not be seen until the next decade

Women are less likely to become principal investigators than equally qualified male scientists, Yale University researchers claim

Funding for organisation expected to be confirmed in federal budget

Canadian institution comes under fire over decision to hand award to David Suzuki, a critic of province’s energy industry

Thirty years on from the start of the push to get more girls into science, the sense of urgency and commitment is waning, says Karen Russ

Concerns that France’s flagship research body is too large and unwieldy to move with the modern times are unfounded, says former president Alain Fuchs

Stanford's Londa Schiebinger warns that failure to account for differing impact of interventions on men and women is costing lives

But observers warn that open data initiative is progressing too slowly and researchers lack incentives to join up

Project set up between scientists and schools could help reverse the effects of a brain drain on the region in the long term

Edge Hill vice-chancellor John Cater explains why the new non-Russell Group medical schools are so vital

Contagion!, set to be broadcast on 22 March, estimates a death toll of 890,000 from an outbreak of a Spanish flu-type virus

Announcements are part of wider initiative to increase number of training places by 1,500 over three years

Aston researchers calculate the tensile forces at work when Spider-Man prevents a ship from splitting in two

Cambridge v-c says professor’s ‘exceptional contributions to scientific knowledge and the popularisation of science and mathematics have left an indelible legacy’

Report from African Academy of Sciences also claims that scientific research in continent must better align with sustainable development goals

New schemes will provide grants to master’s and PhD students and postdoctoral researchers

Pro-science party failed to make inroads against populist movements

Accusations are a ‘cruel and empty provocation against dedicated scientist’, say sector leaders

Academics celebrate major increase in basic research funding, but pledges fall short of recommendations in Naylor report

Funding rises for fundamental science with be welcomed even if they fall short of some scholars’ expectations, says Creso Sá

Talk of making arts degrees cheaper than science courses disregards the mix of disciplines that creative industries demand, says Bashir Makhoul

More liberal environments may encourage women to follow their interests, psychologists suggest

University of Colorado Boulder master’s programme will ‘bring the laboratory experience’ to students at home

Asian universities in particular are embracing a technological future, but they should bear in mind the words of two wise Americans, says Alice Gast

Canadian scientists’ impressive campaign for increased basic science funding risks splintering as victory looms, says Jim Woodgett

Collaboration within the Gulf region was rare but now the few oases in the desert risk running dry, says Hilal Lashuel 

Those who cross distant disciplinary boundaries are seen as unusual and viewed with suspicion. A handful of scholars tell Matthew Reisz why it suits them to stray

Alpacas may be one of the symbols of Peru, but disease has hitherto ravaged a species essential to fibre production

Imperial College London centre will aim to speed up development of vaccines

The Imperial College London stem cell biologist discusses her Italian roots, the search for a cancer cure and dealing with a crowded commute

Hilary Benn also suggests that UK’s future in Horizon 2020 is not necessarily contingent on free movement

Report from Elsevier suggests more collaboration with poorer nations is needed

Hypermasculine men may be more likely to take part in trials, misrepresenting the male population, scientists warn

Patrick Vallance to take over from interim government adviser Chris Whitty from March next year

The Royal College of Science for Ireland was a progressive experiment in technical education that ended abruptly in the messy wake of Irish independence. Shane McCorristine recounts a cautionary tale of how education and nationalist politics can come into conflict

Accreditation of research methods should be a mandatory requirement for publication in journals, says Peter Thompson

Scientific developments from the microscopic to intergalactic deemed worthy of this year’s awards

The Leicester space physicist on winning Astronauts, exploring uncharted mountains, and scientists’ social skills

Student accommodation wardens are latest to be imprisoned in Turkey's anti-Gülenist crackdown

After this year’s laureates were announced, 50 winners share the secrets of their success

New facility should provide crucial information for detecting crimes

Researchers Rainer Weiss, Barry Barish and Kip Thorne recognised for their work on the international Ligo project