I Am Unapologetically... Pro All Forms of Knowledge That Can Increase Our Capacity to Satisfy Human Needs and Aspirations, Kim Carr. 30/09/09
Yesterday the Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research addressed the BioMelbourne Network CEO Forum. [More]
ABS Releases Statistics on Business Expenditure on Research and Development. 28/09/09
One September 25 the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) released its latest compilation of business' expenditure on research and development (BERD). [More]
Views of Two Nobel Laureates on the Mitigation of Anthropogenic Global Warming. 25/09/09
Princeton University Economist, New York Times Columnist and Nobel Laureate Paul Krugman, and US Secretary of Energy, Physics Nobel Laureate Steven Chu have a few things to say. [More]
115 NIH Grants for "High-Risk Research and Innovation. 25/09/09
The NIH is awarding US$348 million specifically to encourage investigators to explore bold ideas that have the potential to catapult fields forward and speed the translation of research into improved health. [More]
Protests by University of California Students & Staff Ignite. 25/09/09
UC Berkeley Chancellor Robert Birgeneau: "...it's the obligation of the state of California to support this great educational system." [More]
UK Government Reveals Plans for its Research Excellence Framework. 24/09/09
"While we remain concerned to reduce the burden of the assessment, we believe we have exhausted the main options for any radically different alternative approach [to the RAE]." [More]
Climate Change Matters on the United States Front. 24/09/09
The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) reports on climate change from the viewpoint of the US political scene. [More]
They Can't be Serious, Can They? 23/09/09
People are anxious about government intruding into academic affairs. [More]
Chief Scientist for Australia Welcomes News of Counterpart in European Union. 22/09/09
I am encouraged by this announcement as it is a strong signal that the EU acknowledges the vital role science should play in informing policy. [More]
Missile Defence and Scientific/Technological Advice. 21/09/09
On July 2, 2009 a letter with twenty signatories, half of whom are Nobel Laureates, was sent to US President Barack Obama explaining why the Bush/Gates anti-missile plan was ill conceived. [More]
University of California Staff and Students to Unite in Protest. 18/09/09
With the beginning of the 2009/10 academic year the staff and students of the ten campuses of the University of California have called for a walkout on September 24. [More]
"Tenure and the Future of the University". 18/09/09
Dan Clawson's article in the May 29, 2009 issue of Science evoked a marked response. We reprint three letters received by Science as well as Professor Clawson's reply. [More]
President of the European Commission Promises to Appoint a Chief Scientist for Europe. 18/09/09
"I want to set up a chief scientific adviser who has the power to deliver proactive, scientific advice..." [More]
US University Student Loans -- a Quick Look Through Gail Collins' Eyes. 18/09/09
New York Times Columnist Gail Collins' wit gives her the ability to make her points cogently and concisely. [More]
The Mismeasurement of Science and The Granting System. 17/09/09
People do not realize that when it comes to arguing their case for more funding, scientists who do basic research are the least articulate... [More]
With the ARC Examining Its Peer Review Procedures the Science Blog "Are We Drowning Our Young Scientists in Paperwork? A ScienceInsider Conversation" is Instructive. 16/09/09
Click
here
to download the PLoS Biology article by Peter Lawrence which is referred to in
the blog.
[More
to go to the blog]
ARC Undertakes Review of Its System of Peer Review. 16/09/09
On September 14th the Australian Research Council (ARC) announced the publication of a Peer Review Processes Consultation Paper. [More]
Richard Holmes' The Age of Wonder Wins Royal Society Book Prize. 16/09/09 [More]
Irrigate and Forest the Desert and Cool the Planet. 15/09/09
Available online, the journal Climatic Change, has published simulations predicting the effect of converting the Sahara desert and central Australia to a forested expanse in order to mitigate global warming. [More]
The Hard Yards For Science Teaching. 14/09/09
In "Building the Education Revolution" the Rudd Labor government is making "a $16.2 billion investment over three financial years... and a critical component in the Australian Government’s Nation Building Economic Stimulus Plan". [More]
Australian Universities' Review Publishes "University Rankings 2.0". 14/09/09
Twice a year Australia's National Tertiary Education Union publishes the Australian Universities Review "to encourage debate and discussion about issues in higher education and its contribution to Australian public life. [More]
Report Summary on Human Space Exploration Released by Obama Administration. 11/09/09
The select committee chaired by former Lockheed-Martin executive, Norman Augustine delivered its report to US President Barack Obama at the beginning of the month. [More]
The Marionette Master Continues to Pull the Strings of a Yet to be Still Born ERA. 09/09/09
This morning Federal Senator Kim Carr, Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, dropped in on the "National Academies Forum Symposium on ERA" to tell them a few facts of political life. [More]
Minister Announces the Awarding of the Inaugural Australian Research Council Future Fellowships. 09/09/09
The announced aim of the ARC Future Fellowships is to attract and retain the best and brightest mid-career researchers. [More]
Announcement of the Passage of the Higher Education Support Amendment (2009 Budget Measures) Bill. 08/09/09
To state the bleedin' obvious, the establishment of the independent Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) of itself will not be sufficient to bolster improvement. [More]
The Onus Falls as Much on the Science Sector as Industry to Develop Convincing New Faces of Science. 07/09/09
A critical challenge for industry, universities and science organisations is to develop convincing profiles of scientific work in the 21st century -- John Rice & Bradley Smith. [More]
Federal Coalition Claims Political Bias in Science and Language Centre Funding. 07/09/09
The lack of adequately trained secondary school teachers in science and mathematics remains effectively unaddressed by the incumbents and appears not worth mentioning by the opposition. [More]
Editorial Correction. 04/09/09
The figure for Monash University's international student percentage, given as 32%, includes students at overseas campuses. International students at Monash's Australian campuses constitute 24%. See the corrected editorial for details. [More]
David Goldston Sounds a Note of Caution on the US Science and Technology Budget for Fiscal Year 2011. 03/09/09
A memorandum of August 4 places: "emphasis on tightly linking research programmes to solving what are pointedly labelled as 'practical challenges'." [More]
Phillip Adams Chats with Terry Tao. 03/09/09 [More]
Royal Society Publishes Geoengineering the climate: Science, governance and uncertainty. 02/09/09
In some 90 pages a committee of twelve, chaired by Professor John Shepherd, delivered its assessment of the options for fighting global warming with geoengineering. [More]
