Mix and match approach muddles the results of the REF Richard Black on data manipulation and the problems with multidisciplinary subpanels 4 December
The dark side of the impact agenda Academics’ engagement activities are valuable, says Alison Phipps. But a public profile comes at a price, especially for women who study gender 4 December
Wellcome Trust to boost early career funding Trust director Jeremy Farrar says more fellowships and seed grants will address pinch points By Paul Jump 27 November
The (predicted) results for the 2014 REF are in Research team hopes that predictions will help to clarify the value of metrics in assessment By Paul Jump 27 November
Amnesia in the outback An academic talks about her experience, the impact on her work and the long road to recovery By Paul Jump 27 November
Glasgow academic denies financial interest in paper on fracking Energy engineering professor Paul Younger says that the accusations of a conflict of interests are ‘beyond risible’ By Chris Parr 20 November
Suspended Bedfordshire academic fights for reputation Senior lecturer William Brown awaits professional conduct verdict as an earlier inquiry on a retracted paper is queried By Holly Else 20 November
Imperial College London back at top of research council income table The London university, which was awarded £114 million, heads the list of grant winners in a ‘difficult funding climate’ By Paul Jump 20 November
Fall in grant application success rates at five research councils Fewer applications prompt concerns over drop in funding and inflationary pressures By Holly Else 20 November
High and popular culture to meet in new postcolonial studies centre More football, less theory, says heroin scholar at the head of new hub By Matthew Reisz 20 November
Wellcome Trust announces major funding scheme changes Early career researchers among those targeted for extra support By Paul Jump 18 November
Comet mission inspires Classics research Classicists and archaeologists are benefiting from technology remarkably similar to that used on the module that landed on Comet 67P By Matthew Reisz 16 November
Health regulators risk ‘sleepwalking’ into a repeat of drug trial disaster Overhaul of NHS regulation may fail to prevent another Northwick Park incident By Holly Else 13 November
Can post-publication peer review endure? The process may mean greater scrutiny but is it legally viable? By Paul Jump 13 November
Regular diet of metrics 'lite' may make full REF more palatable Hefce submissions call for less onerous approach to research assessment By Paul Jump 13 November
Nerc ramps up demand management Move follows dip in success rates to 11 per cent in most recent grant call By Paul Jump 9 November
UK-based academic’s film well received in Zimbabwe A controversial film by an academic about inter-racial love has been unexpectedly well received in Zimbabwe. By Matthew Reisz 9 November
Medical Research Council ‘immune’ to budget rise demand Nobel laureates warn that the UK’s position in the wider scientific community could be undermined if EMBO’s request is refused By Paul Jump 6 November
UCL unit ditches mooted authorship policy Policy draft stated that all publications be reviewed by pair as part of ‘quality assurance’ By Paul Jump 6 November
Who benefits from the impact agenda? Ansgar Allen questions the motives of a growing band of champions 6 November
Quitting EU would cost UK in Horizon cash, says Leru head A Brexit would reduce the UK’s relationship to the EU to that of Botswana’s or Chile’s, research expert claims By Chris Havergal 6 November
Metrics survey reveals widespread scepticism There is widespread ‘scepticism’ about the use of metrics to assess research, according to evidence submitted to an independent review By Holly Else 5 November
More postdocs, more data skills top biology sector wish list Early results of 2014 vulnerable skills survey by BBSRC and MRC highlight concerns and importance of multidisciplinarity By Holly Else 23 October
Peter Piot: there is a ‘moral responsibility’ to go out and stop Ebola The man who helped to identify the virus has encouraged staff and students to volunteer By Paul Jump 23 October
Why philanthropy merits scholarly study As giving grows in importance, universities need to engage seriously with the topic, says Charles Keidan 23 October
Performing lost Jewish music and theatre University of Leeds musicologist heads a team in receipt of a £1.5 million grant to recover pre-war artworks By Matthew Reisz 16 October
Dissemination of dissent: lessons from Iran’s revolution Iran shaped the career of Annabelle Sreberny, professor of global media and communications at Soas, but doing research there remains difficult By Matthew Reisz 16 October
Hidden leopard-skin G-string exposed Swiss-French scientist says he just wants to have fun By Paul Jump 16 October
Intellectual cowardice Scholarship can be a fearsome activity, as Chris Walsh discovered when he set out to investigate the figure of the coward 16 October
Africa needs to ramp up STEM research World Bank report says countries of sub-Saharan Africa need more and better postgraduate qualifications By Holly Else 9 October
Eugenics: the academy's complicity Nathaniel Adam Tobias Coleman on the long shadow cast by Francis Galton’s theory 9 October
Do the social sciences need a shake-up? Amanda Goodall and Andrew Oswald examine the state of the disciplines 9 October
Nobel Prize for Chemistry awarded for nanoscale microscopy work The 2014 Nobel Prize for Chemistry has been shared by three scientists for their work on the development of nanoscale microscopy. By Holly Else 8 October
Nobel Prizes: US dominates predictions US-based scientists and economists dominate a list of Nobel Prize predictions derived from their high citation counts By Paul Jump 4 October
Eight sanctioned at Imperial College after animal testing investigation Eight people at Imperial College London were sanctioned by the Home Office for failings in animal welfare standards, it has emerged By Paul Jump 2 October
Application shows where the research cash went, worldwide ÜberResearch unveils Dimensions for Funders, a digital tool detailing grant awards from 66 major funders By Holly Else 2 October
Unveiled: papers from British residencies in the Gulf British Library and Qatar Foundation digitisation project to unlock a treasure trove of source materials for researchers By Matthew Reisz 2 October
History: the key to decoding big data The academic discipline is invaluable in detecting and debunking myths about the past and future, say Jo Guldi and David Armitage 2 October
Altmetrics: what’s not to like? 1:AM forum on altmetrics weighs pros and cons of tracking research impact via blogs, ‘likes’ and social media traffic By Paul Jump 2 October
How to win a Nobel prize Four scientists reflect on the perks and drawbacks that go hand in hand with winning the most prized prize 2 October
Publisher’s restrictive copyright stifles debate on stripy nanoparticles Blog post accuses Wiley of harming science’s ability to self-correct By Paul Jump 25 September
Making the ancient seem modern Scholars strive to find explanations that clarify without stereotyping By Matthew Reisz 25 September
Season of academic fruitfulness As the new academic year approaches, Shahidha Bari reflects on the restorative nature of the summer break 18 September
EU states urged to progress on Europe-wide research area Country-level reforms are the next stage needed in the development of a Europe-wide research area, according to a new report. By Holly Else 17 September
Walport puts forward plan for northern research institute The government’s chief scientific adviser has proposed that a new national research institute be established in the north of England. By Holly Else 11 September
Majority of research funding goes to minority of institutions 71 per cent went to 31 universities because of ‘narrowed’ definitions of excellence, claims report By Holly Else 11 September
Animal research: public support falls Public support for animal experimentation has fallen again, according to a new survey. By Paul Jump 5 September
Lifts: social spaces worthy of academic study A new history of the elevator prompts Sally Feldman to consider life’s ups and downs 4 September
US researchers protest at rules restricting drone use Lawsuit led by 200 universities over regulations allowing hobbyists to keep rights while academics face virtual no-fly zone By Jon Marcus 4 September
Benefits culture: rethinking Mozart on Maggie’s dole Nicholas Till acknowledges his debt to Margaret Thatcher and explains why he regrets his Cambridge degree 4 September
How not to enhance a presentation What could be easier than adding audio-visuals to your conference paper? John Corner on waiting for the gift of sound and vision 4 September
Warning over EU research budget Negotiations on the European budget could result in cuts to Horizon 2020, the European University Association has warned By Holly Else 31 August
Hackney has become ‘focus of academic study’ Hackney is one of the most highly-researched places in the UK, a conference has heard By Jack Grove 30 August
Institute a ‘veneer for the state’s projects’, claims professor US scholar says he was sacked after speaking out at National University of Singapore institute By Holly Else 28 August
Dame Ann Dowling makes a case for ‘use-inspired’ research First female president of the Royal Academy of Engineers hopes to change UK’s ‘sniffiness’ about applied research By Holly Else 28 August
Research ethics: when friends become work Social scientist mulls the perks and pitfalls of using personal networks in research By Matthew Reisz 28 August
Today’s intellectuals: too obedient? Fred Inglis on the obligation of academics to speak truth to power 28 August
Maryam Mirzakhani: the right woman at the right time After almost 80 years, a woman has won the Fields Medal. Caroline Series on female mathematicians coming of age 21 August
Fracking protesters invade campus development Swansea University has defended a new BP-funded research institute that anti-fracking protesters claim will hasten dangerous climate change By David Matthews 19 August
Research misconduct ‘not as costly as you might think’ Fears about how much research funding is being wasted on fraudulent projects may be overstated. By Paul Jump 17 August