Quicker NHS trials bid may miss its mark Some fear plan to streamline approvals from trusts will not end local roadblocks By Holly Else 22 May
Closure of Institute of English Studies would be a ‘disaster’ University of London proposal will have negative impact on the discipline and postgraduates, academics warn By Matthew Reisz 22 May
V-cs highlight benefits of EU membership ahead of elections Open letter from UUK board members points to research funding and mobility as being ‘central’ to success By David Matthews 19 May
Climate researcher rejects claims of “deliberate suppression” A climate scientist has distanced himself from newspaper suggestions that his paper on global warming was rejected by a journal for political reasons By Paul Jump 19 May
University of London 'plans closure' of Institute of English Studies Proposal prompts resignation of advisory board chair By Matthew Reisz 17 May
Science on stage, fully rehearsed Behind the scenes at science plays: the writers, their intentions and what they achieve By Matthew Reisz 15 May
Research is now a global game Which countries are steaming ahead in scientific output and power? Simon Marginson analyses the worldwide data 15 May
Sector signs up to animal research openness Signatories commit to greater transparency to assuage public concerns By Paul Jump 15 May
Conor Gearty to ‘grill’ his LSE colleagues on camera Senior scholar says his filmed 5-minute debates may expose the “tensions and contradictions’ in academics’ work By Matthew Reisz 15 May
Birkbeck pop-up takes Great War stories to the streets University’s 10-week project featured talk by Michael Berlin on First World War conscientious objectors By Matthew Reisz 15 May
Animal testing agreement aims at more transparency But animal rights group criticises move for not going far enough By Holly Else 14 May
Women in STEM campaign aims to bridge gender gap The government has launched a campaign to attract more women into careers in science, technology, engineering and maths. By Paul Jump 8 May
Colin Pillinger dies aged 70 An academic best known for his attempt to land a spacecraft on Mars has died aged 70. By Holly Else 8 May
CRUK plans to make Britain ‘go-to place’ for cancer research UK cancer charity is building on ‘monumental progress’ in treating the disease with more funding for researchers By Holly Else 8 May
Academia.edu founder on Open Access dreams Discoveries by laypeople are rare but free access to research results would increase the likelihood, says Richard Price 8 May
Grant panels ‘should have equality training’, says report All members of research council grant awarding boards and panels should have training to avoid unconscious bias. By Holly Else 7 May
Proposed data changes ‘threaten’ EU research The European University Association warns restrictions could cause continent’s scientists to fall behind global rivals By Holly Else 1 May
Try DIY, not green or gold open access Sector-endorsed routes aid publishers, not scholars, say journal editors Harvey Goldstein and John Bynner 1 May
The importance of play Recreational deprivation has been linked to criminality, obesity and declining creativity. Rob Parr asks why having fun is not taken more seriously By Rob Parr 1 May
Why animal researchers are ending their silence Extremists silenced institutions and scientists for years, but researchers are now willing to speak up for good practice and valuable results By Paul Jump 1 May
Independence no risk to research funding, says Scottish government The Scottish government has guaranteed that independence would not result in a cut to research funding in the country, even if universities north of the border lose access to UK-wide research councils By David Matthews 30 April
‘Pot schools’ crop up as US states relax laws But federal restrictions on cannabis are hampering US research, scholars warn By Jon Marcus 24 April
The perils of REF 'irradiation' Academics have internalised research assessment to such a degree that the effects may be irreversible, fears Thomas Harrison 24 April
Birkbeck team gets ?300,000 to look at monotheism A major new research project is to explore the different meanings of monotheism in today’s Britain. By Matthew Reisz 20 April
Research councils ‘should develop metrics’ to measure success But BIS review of system says all seven councils should be retained By Holly Else 18 April
No regrets, says outgoing EPSRC chief David Delpy ‘Thick skin’ helped research council boss take the flak for controversial shaping capability measures By Paul Jump 17 April
Rowan Williams: there’s no fooling about impact The academy’s greatest gift is in cultivating a critical citizenry who cannot be treated as fools, argues the former Archbishop of Canterbury 17 April
Rowan Williams decries narrow impact agenda Former Archbishop of Canterbury says universities are in danger of neglecting their core mission By Paul Jump 17 April
ID from medical data could spark ‘crisis’ Researchers face ‘ethics’ scandal over security of records, warns computer scientist By Holly Else 10 April
Satisfy your morbid interests at Barts Death Salon Death and its contributions to our culture are the topic of a London event By Matthew Reisz 10 April
Hefce looks at overseas links for research excellence Willetts sees potential in tie-ups with Australia, New Zealand and Hong Kong By David Matthews 10 April
Willetts’ eight are not great but ‘nonsense’ Research areas championed by government dismissed as poor investments by technology expert By Holly Else 10 April
Boris: scientists in UK have ‘certain fastidiousness about money’ Commercialising research can do ‘far more’ for humanity than Nobel Prizes, says Mayor of London By Holly Else 8 April
David Willetts moots overseas universities taking part in the REF England’s funding council has been asked to look at whether overseas universities could take part in future research excellence frameworks. By David Matthews 3 April
Athena SWAN extended to research institutes Six publicly funded research institutes have won Athena SWAN awards for promoting good employment practices for women in science. By Holly Else 3 April
Overhaul of metrics usage could cut frequency of REF Chair of review into use of metrics suggests REF interval could be cut to once a decade By Paul Jump 3 April
A team built by?numbers won’t add up to much Universities won’t be sustainable or fulfil their missions if they manage academics using research metrics alone, says a senior manager 3 April
Zygmunt Bauman rebuffs plagiarism accusation Sociologist claims high-quality scholarship does not depend on obedience to technical rules on referencing By Paul Jump 3 April
Deepwater Horizon disaster spurs research into underwater ecology BP-funded oceanographers warn of the dangers of neglecting research By Jon Marcus 3 April
Softening of line on Open Access-only REF Non-OA journals acceptable only when they are “the most appropriate publication” By Paul Jump 31 March
Cinematic deconstruction: Derrida gets a close-up Film draws on 1980 work to expose philosopher’s ideas to general audience By Matthew Reisz 27 March
Boards of investigation: on surfing and learning The academic who says riding the waves can boost cross-cultural communication and sustainable tourism By Matthew Reisz 27 March
‘Weak’ handling of disputed study risks trust in science Researcher warns of ‘developing credibility crisis’ in reflection on retracted paper By Paul Jump 20 March
Growing appetite for university-industry collaborations REF and ‘impact agenda’ makes sector look at collaborations with extra interest, scholars say By Holly Else 20 March
Fashion has been stitched up Its study is not frivolous, and it deserves academic recognition, says Sally Feldman 20 March
Swiss count cost of defying EU border rules Shut out of Horizon 2020, researchers ponder fallout of anti-immigration vote By Paul Jump 20 March
Research councils may tie funding to diversity accreditation Scepticism that proposal to encourage diversity could effectively regulate sector By Holly Else 20 March
Sex and the REF Does research assessment discriminate against female academics? asks Barbara Graziosi 20 March
A reading room of one’s own New space at the LSE for The Women’s Library is the first chapter in exploiting a vast resource By Matthew Reisz 13 March
Cambridge postdocs should be given ‘stronger identity’ Early career researchers to be represented on university committees By Holly Else 13 March
N8 to pool research to make a big splash But critics warn of funding eligibility problems in plan to collaborate on projects By Holly Else 13 March
Women trail men in securing research council grants Research Councils UK analysis reveals gender difference in success rates By Holly Else 13 March
R&D spending drops as share of GDP, new statistics show UK spending on research and development as a proportion of gross domestic product fell in 2012, according to new figures. By Holly Else 12 March
UK government commits ?300 million to international science projects The UK is to commit ?290 million to three international microscope and telescope projects. By Paul Jump 11 March
Small firms lack resources to make most of open access SMEs need tools as well as content to pinpoint research ‘nuggets’, says Elsevier chief By Paul Jump 27 February
Nerc casts wide net for science funding ideas Council to seek suggestions from industry and the public on grant award decisions By Holly Else 27 February
The REF: how was it for you? Research heads and other university staff on the burdens of submitting to the inaugural research excellence framework By Paul Jump 27 February
Switzerland downgraded by EU on research involvement Move follows referendum decision to restrict immigration By Paul Jump 26 February
British Academy looks for solutions on ageing society The British Academy is launching a major series of free public debates examining the crucial issues of our time By Matthew Reisz 21 February