From Science's Educational Forum Gender Gaps for Math and Reading and a Telling Correlation.    (30/05/08

    To assess the relative importance of biological and cultural explanations, the authors studied gender differences in test performance across a number of countries. [More]

Will the US Congress Resurrect a Program to Have the ISS Do Some Meaningful Science?    (30/05/08

    Although getting a ride for the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer is a long shot, it might at least give the International Space Station something useful to do. [More]

Throughout the OECD the Shortage of Academic Talent is Being Felt.    (30/05/08

    Australia is slowly getting underway to reverse the oncoming train wreck of tertiary education. But will the effort be too late. [More]

Lord Patten, Chancellor of Oxford University -- Universities are Being Pressured to Lower Entry Requirements.    (30/05/08

    "It does nobody any good to think that you can deal with the problems of secondary education by lowering standards in our universities." [More] 

Gavin Brown to Become Inaugural Director of the Royal Institution of Australia.    (30/05/08)

    Gavin Brown will retire from the vice-chancellorship of The University of Sydney on July 10th 2008, having served as V-C for 12 years. Oxford's Michael Spence to take up the post. [More]

An Italian's View of Peer Review.    (26/05/08)

    It ought to be of some interest to those engaged in those governmental reviews which will ultimately affect research funding in Australia. [More]

Future Fellowship Consultation Paper Released -- Views Sought.    (23/05/08)

    The program is designated to offer up to 1,000 four year fellowships ranging from $95,000 to $135,000 per annum plus 28% on-costs and $50,000 to the Fellow's institution. [More]

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Appointing a New Chief Executive to CSIRO.    (22/05/08) [More]

That One-Off $500 Million For University Infrastructure Upgrades -- Who Gets What.    (22/05/08)

The breakdown of the $500 million Federal Budget allocation for the Better Universities Renewal Fund (BURF) is tabulated for the forty-one institutions affected.. [More]

University of Sydney V-C Begins His Leave-taking With Some Incisive Commentary.    (21/05/08)

    Gavin Brown's twelve-year tenure as vice-chancellor of The University of Sydney ends next month. [More]

Mathematics in Australia.    (21/05/08)

    It's taken years of effort by a some of Australia's most gifted mathematicians and statisticians... is the crisis in research and the teaching of maths/stats in Australia beginning to gain recognition where it matters? [More]

An Update on the $500 Million Better Universities Renewal Fund.    (19/05/08) [More]

Albert Einstein's Letter to Philosopher Eric Gutkind. (17/05/08)

    The creator of what is arguably the most brilliant abstract conception of the human intellect, the Theory of General Relativity, is in the news once again. [More]

Minister Says Second Rate Research Isn't Good Enough.    (16/05/08) [More]

And the Winners Are -- ARC Names 14 Federation Fellows for 2008.    (16/05/08)

    It's old news -- the announcement of those awarded Federation Fellowships this year was made on April 22^nd, but why were only 14 of the 25 on offer awarded? [More]

US Department of Energy Looks to the Wind.    (16/05/08)

    The United States' Department of Energy (DOE) is considering a rethink for its US$50 million pa budget as regards harnessing wind power. [More]

The AAAS' CEO Alan Leshner's Editorial in the May 16 Issue of Science is as Pertinent for Australia as for the United States.    (16/05/08)

    The Rudd Labor government's 2008-09 allocation for the  Australian Research Council is up 5.9% from last year.  Inflation is expected to top 4% [More]

The Federal Budget as Seen from Various Quarters.    (15/05/08)

    The initial views regarding the Rudd government's 2008-09 Federal Budget as it effects the university and public research institutions can be summarised as it being a curate's egg. [More]

The Shade of John Howard Pervades the Parliamentary Opposition; Beware the Academic.    (15/05/08)

    If you thought the the abject irrational fear of the university sector, a hallmark of John Howard's reign, had passed... [More]

The Federal Budget 2008-09 as Regards Higher Education and Research. (14/05/08) [More]

Korea Turns Its Focus Towards Basic Research; Ought Australia to Take Notice?    (10/05/08)

    An arresting report in Science's ScienceScope this week should send a signal to the Rudd Labor Government. [More]

Vicki Sara Tells it Like it Is, But Will Mr Rudd Pay Any Attention?    (10/05/08)

    A former Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Research Council, current chancellor of the University of Technology, Sydney, Professor Vicki Sara, in a short interview on ABC-Radio is prepared to speak out -- loud and clear, while the redoubtable Bob Park reports on US$33 billion of governmental science allocations gone to pork. [More]

USQ Reported to Reduce Job Cuts in Math/Stats/CT by Three.    (07/05/08)

    Sweeny Todd, The Daemon Barber of Fleet Street would appear to have a counterpart in the University of Southern Queensland's administration. [More]

Conference on Bibliometrics, League Tables and the UK's Research Excellence Framework (REF).   (06/05/08)

    A one-day conference, Beyond the RAE 2008: Bibliometrics, League Tables and the REF, took place at King's college, London on April 30, 2008. [More] 

The National Innovation System and the Group of Eight's Submission.    (05/05/08)

    The Group of Eight has submitted to the Federal Government an extensive and carefully crafted document for the National Innovation Summit. [More]

Fin Review Gives Maths a Boost.    (05/05/08)

    The Australian Financial Review: "Employee demand for maths graduates is far outstripping supply, positioning those with a head for numbers among the hottest property in the job market". [More]

Rumbles for an Overreaching Change in Europe's Research System.    (05/05/08)

    Luke Georghiou: Neither the grand challenges nor the policy-focused research can be achieved through [Europe's] present research system. [More] 

Nature Drops a Clanger Suggesting Systematics is in Real Trouble.    (02/05/08)
    Systematists are the chaps who spend their time ordering the complexities of life animal and vegetable. [More]

PM Addresses Members of Government Senior Executive Service.    (02/05/08)

    As Budget day approaches Kevin Rudd took time to speak to the Federal government's Senior Executive Service, with universities and research getting a bit of a mention. [More]