NOVA: Science Behind the Headlines -- Geothermal Energy.    30/07/09 [More]

Italy to Institute a National Research Evaluation Program.    29/07/09

     Amidst continued controversy the Italian government has finally given the go-ahead for a national research evaluation agency. [More]

US National Research Council Report: America’s Energy Future: Technology and Transformation.    29/07/09

    Harold Shapiro, chair of the study: "Long-term problems require long-term solutions". [More] 

UK Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, Baron Mandelson, Asks for New Ways to Encourage Collaboration Between Researchers and Industry.    28/07/09 [More]

Obama: Green Jobs the Way Forward or Get Left Behind.    27/07/09

     Billions of dollars to be made directly available to the US renewable-energy market. [More]

Czech Scientists Protest Publicly Against Severe Budget Cuts to Czech Academy of Sciences.    25/07/09

    Starting next year, core funding for Czech universities and research institutes will be allocated according to rigorous metrics. [More]

Schematics of UK Governmental Science and Engineering Advice as Was and As Recommended.    24/07/09 [More]

Comparison of Expenditure on Research and Development 18 Nations.    24/07/09

    The table is taken from the UK House of Commons Innovation, Universities, Science and Skills Committee's report Putting Science and Engineering at the Heart of Government Policy. [More]

European Research Council's "Original Sin": Separation Between Science and Management.    24/07/09

    It should not be acceptable today in Europe that non-scientists [...] run major European research programmes! [More]

Australian Malcolm Gillies Resigns as V-C of City University, London.    24/07/09

    The acting chair of the university council: "The council and the vice-chancellor had... differing views on matters of governance." [More] 

Royal Society:  Hidden Wealth: the Contribution of Science to Service Sector Innovation.    23/07/09

    A major study on the role of science in UK services sector innovation has just been published by the Royal Society. [More] 

Catching Up To the OECD? -- Place Your Bets.    22/07/09

     "We are so far behind ... our OECD competitors in research and it's going to take us at least 10 years to catch up." [More]

Site of Thirty Meter Telescope to be Summit of Mauna Kea, Hawaii.    22/07/09

    The TMT will be sited at 19°49′14.39″N while the Giant Magellan Telescope GMT will be at 29°00′54″S  a separation of almost 50^o of latitude. So while the regions of the sky that will be observed will overlap, there also will be significant singular contributions. [More] 

Sydney University V-C Sees Danger for Future of Overseas Student Income.    20/07/09

    The University of Sydney's vice-chancellor, Michael Spence, has warned that Australia risks squandering its $15.5 billion higher education export industry within 10 years, unless the Federal Government takes urgent action. [More]

Australia to Allocate $88.4 Million from EIF to Help Support Construction of the 24.5-metre Giant Magellan Telescope.    20/07/09 [More]

A Fool's Errand?    20/07/09

    The European Space Agency, the only agency actually stating potential overall costs, estimates €100 (A$176) billion for the entire International Space Station over a period of 30 years. [More]

UK Government Has Published Its Low Carbon Transition Plan.    17/07/09

    And The Royal Society welcomes the Government's recognition that decarbonising electricity and transport and increasing energy efficiency are essential (Martin Rees, President). [More] 

34 U.S. Nobel Laureates Call for Steady Funding to Support Clean Energy Research.    17/07/09

    In a letter dated June 16, 2009 thirty-four of the US' Nobel Prize winners have written to US President Barack Obama calling on him to enjoin Congress to provide the means for research into the methodology for clean energy production. [More]

Science Goes Social.    17/07/09

    In an effort to communicate with a greater segment of the world's population, particularly the younger set, the journal Science has been building its presence on various online social networks. [More]

Jerzy Buzek, Former Prime Minister of Poland, a Strong Supporter of Research, Elected President of the European Parliament.    16/07/09

     EU president, Professor Buzek could provide valuable help as ERC leaders ask the European Union for more autonomy. [More]

Further to US Congress' Progress on the "American Clean Energy and Security Act".    16/07/09 [More]

Australian Academy of Science Offers Some Advice on Federal Science Policy.    15/07/09

    With the passage of two months since Budget night, the Academy's Policy Secretary has added to initial comment. [More] 

The President Proposes and Congress Disposes.    14/07/09

    It is in fact a couple of proposals which the US Secretary for Energy, Nobel Laureate, Steven Chu has proposed and for which the requested funding has been severely cut by Congressional committees. [More] 

AAAS with Pew Research Survey American's Attitude to Science and Scientists.    13/07/09

    Large majorities hold positive views of science. But scientists are concerned about Americans' ignorance of scientific findings. [More]  

NSW Premier To Enlist Vice-Chancellors to Aid Economic Recovery.    13/07/09

    Nathan Rees has directed the state's Chief Scientist to convene a roundtable in Sydney on July 20. [More]

Upsurge in R&D Support: China, India, Japan.    12/07/09

Recent announcements regarding the R&D budgets of our northern populous neighbours ought to give us some pause. [More]

University of California President Releases Furlough Plan to Save US$184 Million.    11/07/09

    The 10 campuses of the University of California must cut US$800 million from its budget in the next two years. [More]

Obama Nominates Francis Collins NIH Director.    09/07/09

    US President Barack Obama has named the former director of the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) Francis Collins (59) to head the US$30.6 billion National Institutes of Health. [More]

Probing the Dark Side: An Early Announcement.    08/07/09

    Looking for the unseeable is an intriguing and even a seductive way of spending one's life, and come October 1, 2009 Royal Society Fellow, Sarah Bridle, will be explaining the hows and whys. [More]

A Day in the Life of the Chief Scientist.    07/07/09

   Last Thursday, July 2,  ABC1 TV's Catalyst aired a five minute segment titled "A day in the life of the Chief Scientist". Her job description?  "Keeping abreast of scientific developments, advising government and working closely with the Prime Minister’s office." [More]

Sweden's Carbon Emissions and the EU Presidency.    05/07/09 [More]

Just How Much Importance Does Kevin Rudd Place on Science.    03/07/09

    Peter Pockley in Australasian Science summarises the budget's positive affect on Australian science but notes some disturbing aspects regarding the treatment of CSIRO. [More] 

University of California's Researchers Tell Its President to Think Before Making Cuts.    03/07/09

    The University of California expects a cut of US$800 million from the US$3.2 billion in state funding. [More]

CSIRO Contributes to Analysis Consistent With Permafrost Melt Posing Major Contribution to Climate Change.    02/07/09

    If as little as 10% of the permafrost melts, the resultant feedback could result in an additional 80 ppm carbon dioxide equivalent released into the atmosphere, equating to about 0.7°C of global warming. [More]

Having Arrested the Disease What's Required for the Cure.    01/07/09

    "What the Deputy Prime Minister in the budget outlines is the arrest of a progressive decline in funding, which has occurred over the last dozen years or so, rather than a substantial increase." [More]