Four leading scientists have been appointed Royal Society research professors, including two who will move from the US to the UK to continue their work. Richard Ellis , an astronomer from the California Institute of Technology, will join the department of astrophysics at Oxford University. Russell Lande , an expert in ecology and evolution at the University of California, San Diego, will join the Centre for Population Biology at Imperial College London. Physicist Michael Cates and molecular biologist David Baulcombe have also been appointed.
* Salford University has appointed Simon Attwell director of finance. He was formerly director of financial strategy at Roehampton University and previously held posts at British Telecom and Racal Electronics.
* Alison Oram has joined Leeds Metropolitan University's School of Cultural Studies as professor in social and cultural history. She joins from Northampton University, where she was a reader in gender studies.
* The University College for the Creative Arts has appointed Kevin Wilson , former head of communications for the BBC World Service Trust, its new head of marketing and external relations. He has previously been director of marketing and communications at the South Bank Centre and Royal Festival Hall and director of corporate affairs at Sunderland University.
Full listings of grants, appointments and honours appear on The Times Higher website Netgazette@thes.co.uk