Research

Incoming staff and students risk losing jobs and funding over delayed checks in ‘sensitive’ fields

Failure to expel crackpot social scientists from Russia’s academy has allowed dangerous dogma to dominate public discourse, says Andreas Umland

Academic research leaders welcome shift from Trump hostilities but see unnecessary limits on foreigners in US labs, and uncertainties over unification of disclosure rules

With a Nobel for nudge theory and growing political interest in ‘choice architecture’, the future of behavioural sciences seemed bright. But its experts were often ignored – even dismissed as ‘charlatans’ – when life-or-death calls on Covid were made. Two professors reflect on where the discipline goes next

The emphasis on bringing in money above all else is killing researchers’ passion for discovery, says Aymen Idris

The world’s problems are too big for one sector to figure out: academics must team up with doers in fair, equal partnerships, says Carmen Geha

Revealing desk rejection rates, peer review processing times and other useful operational data would do more to correct slipshod journal practices than an ‘author’s bill of rights’, says Jerry Jacobs

Hepi report advocates creation of new prizes and fellowships to recognise research leadership

Earlier engagement with African research partners will lead to improved outcomes and institutional relations, says global health expert Margaret Gyapong

This year’s Maddox Prize winner shows how community-led research can help communities escape polarised debates over scientific evidence

Interdisciplinary degrees focused on sustainability challenges would excite undergraduates more than discipline-led courses, says KAUST president

As THE’s Global Sustainable Development Congress kicks off at the University of Glasgow, Oxfam’s chief executive Danny Sriskandarajah explains why universities are increasingly important in the fight against poverty and social injustice

Ambitious plans announced at China’s National Congress will push elite universities towards supporting research spin-offs and graduate start-ups, says Hao Ni

Encouraging students to embody their institution’s distinctive values will allow it to present a more rounded view of the true worth of higher education, says Claire Taylor

Changes that pretend scientists do not care about publishing in highly selective journals will end eLife’s crucial role in science publishing, says long-time supporter Paul Bieniasz

Emissions from an entire online conference similar to amount produced by a single hour-long car journey, study finds

Nigerian-born Cornell University professor Olúfẹ́mi Táíwò explains why academia – particularly in Africa – should consider the drawbacks of decolonisation alongside its benefits

Ex-Warwick vice-chancellor says ‘maybe 40’ institutions conduct best of UK’s research and suggests select few should become postgraduate-only

Many reacted to Karl Andersson’s autoethnography on cartoon child porn by asking how it could have been allowed to go ahead. But amid doubts about who it harmed and ongoing concerns about research bureaucracy, many are wary of a further ramping-up of ethics procedures. Jack Grove reports

Following order of 2025 deadline for taxpayer-funded science to be made freely available to the public, major scientific society warns of costs, especially for women and youth

Scholarship that does not acknowledge the legitimacy of alternative views is inimical to knowledge generation, says Katy Barnett

Boosting innovation and supporting democracy requires a global, comprehensive approach, says Jan Palmowski

Foreign interference and cybersecurity are ‘right problems’ for university leaders to be focusing on, minister tells chancellors

Coming out becoming ‘increasingly risky’ on Chinese campuses, says academic who left the country

For two decades, Times Higher Education’s rankings have both tracked and contributed to an ever more connected world. Now universities face an unwelcome shift in global dynamics

Lack of institutional support in meeting the growing demand for data sharing must be addressed, says global study of attitudes towards publishing

Asian superpower’s drift away from international partnerships a result of the pandemic, says president of National Natural Science Foundation of China

The global picture is changing, as five countries enter the ranking for the first time – all of them in Africa. Rosa Ellis reports 

Some presidents advocate cutting ties with universities in rival states, while others urge maintaining academic links even when diplomatic ones are straitened

Former US central banker who bailed out banks during the 2008 financial crash is recognised for research on bank runs in the 1930s Depression

Pioneering conference for leading black cancer scientists is part of drive to diversify UK science

Relying on overseas expertise is foolish for a country that abounds with specific economic issues, says Jagjit Chadha

Survey of Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting attendees shows even those tipped for glory feel insecure and underdeveloped

Are research careers meritocratic? Do universities do enough to support researchers? Is impact more important than publications? Is interdisciplinarity the key to new discoveries? Can internationalisation survive the current global tensions? We present the views of more than 400 future sector leaders

Global research collaboration is on the rise but faces a fundamental shift amid an increasingly unstable geopolitical landscape, says Meric Gertler

Surprise news that the UK is achieving its long-term target for research spending does not dent case for more public investment, says David Willetts

Appointment may reflect shift towards a ‘harder-edged, more hawkish’ attitude towards research collaboration, say experts

Compelling stories of how foreign-born founders drive economic prosperity are more likely to convince policymakers about the need to embrace overseas students, says Alice Gast, who recently stepped down as president of Imperial College London

Scholars warn that Tokyo’s cash injection will reward the few over the many, pushing top institutions closer to industry at the expense of basic research, social sciences and humanities

Entrepreneurs are the new kings, but academics doing basic research are key to our future – and they need proper funding, says Brian Schmidt

Scholars from the Global South have vastly fewer international options than those from the Global North, says Srila Roy

At an institution already known for inclusivity, Valerie Sheares Ashby plans to apply those values to her ambitions to grow UMBC’s infrastructure and research activity

As global talent shifts, National Academies experts warn nation increasingly has more to gain than lose in a less restrictive atmosphere

Founder of China’s New Education Initiative will use award money to expand programme’s reach to rural areas

The Italian physicist known for making complex science intelligible explains how radical student politics, hallucinogenic drugs and hitch-hiking around America helped him become one of science’s foremost thinkers

New wave of funding schemes aims to counter ‘parachute research’ and brain drain

Bigger focus flagged on Indigenous knowledge, climate science and critical technologies

Spin-off companies from Russell Group universities boast largest annual turnovers, data reveal

The cost-of-living crisis is bringing to a head the inadequacy of current funding and support for doctoral students, says Ellie Munro

Westminster refers to alternatives rather than arbitration, after unproductive Brussels meeting triggered by legal action

Aleks Subic suggests UK universities need to be ‘an active collaborator’ with government, rather than going on the defensive

Research support must be realistic, the cost of educating UK students must be properly met, and overseas students remain welcome, says Ian Walmsley

Northumbria University’s transformation, reflected in its QR allocation, will allow it to do more for its students and its region, says Louise Bracken

Backed by state government, an ambitious university-led initiative is aiming to restore the Ruhr Valley’s former industrial glory. John Morgan meets academics behind the experiment in driving regional renewal by building a reputation for world-class science

The toxic dispute over the rights of transgender people and how freely these matters should be discussed remains academia’s most divisive issue. Laura Favaro explains what she learned from speaking to both sides

World-first study highlights need for clear sexual harassment policies, suggesting that men became more wary of collaborating with female colleagues

Researchers concerned about increased bureaucracy attached to government proposals

Science powerhouse will sever research and financial links with firms linked to Chinese military ‘within months’

Supporting young researchers to peer-review and edit journal submissions will also accelerate their training, says Quan-Hoang Vuong

While funding streams appear safe for now, academics debate whether they should continue to engage with an increasingly sceptical government