Researcher (junior)

Most doctoral candidates show ‘clear preference’ for academic career despite high exit levels from sector, finds Higher Education Policy Institute study

Beyond the challenges of Brexit and Covid-19, the UK’s new science chief is seen as likely to seek reforms to ‘workaholic’ research culture practices and the REF

Young scholars’ lack of reputation and digital prominence risks seeing them excluded from online conferences, says Scott Rich

The ability for PhD students to research previous students’ experience with particular examiners could reduce bad practice 

Covid-19 has underlined the need for more coordinated and comprehensive engagement with policymakers, say David Price, Sarah Chaytor and Andrew Wathey

It is those who commit research misconduct – not those who expose them – that damage science, according to David Sanders. But while the biologist has embraced the role of data detective thrust upon him, he wishes more scientists would share the thankless, legally fraught burden

The cash injection announced by the government last week is the most ambitious plan of its kind Ed Byrne has seen in 40 years

Prizewinners argue that researchers have ‘stuck to a line’ about the pandemic’s danger in order to get politicians to listen – risking open debate

Law professor who sits on Germany's constitutional court warns that far-right attacks on ‘weaker’ subjects would be followed by criticism of more mainstream disciplines

The prizewinning economist discusses how economics must focus on beliefs and identity, along with the influence of TV on our choices

We will need wisdom and common purpose to update multiple layers of norms, says Jinghai Li

Doctoral graduates’ occupation of Higher Education Ministry will do little by itself to solve a structural problem, says Kenneth Nsah

Extra funds for science are welcome, but tipping the balance towards challenge-led research must not become the new normal, warns Jan Palmowski

Landmark US agreement is hailed as ‘significant milestone’ in shift to open access publishing in North America

The urge to be proved right and the mantra of publish or perish amount to a toxic scholarly brew. Reflection is the best policy, says Simone Eringfeld 

Ashley Mears brings personal experience as a model to her academic work on the gender politics of beauty. For her latest book on mega-rich men’s use of beautiful women as a form of currency, she went on more than 100 glamorous nights out – and sometimes even enjoyed it, she tells Matthew Reisz 

As most universities digitise all their teaching, they are finding it very difficult to deliver education online. Gorgi Krlev offers three challenges to conventional wisdom

Universities warn research allocation is insufficient to brace against potential future pandemic shocks

Using critical comments about a preprint, Bild launched a front-page attack on Christian Drosten. Scientists fear this will chill academic discussion of preliminary results

Policymakers, civil society and industry can all benefit from more open science, say Åse Gornitzka and Svein Stølen

Making findings open source may enable certain companies and countries to corner the vaccine market, warn Virginia Driver and Tom Woodhouse

At a time of upheaval, early career researchers need more support than ever. Here, three experts offer their advice on mentoring when online is the only option

The problem is measuring all women, with or without children, against patriarchal standards, says Srila Roy

World’s biggest academic publisher signs ‘global first’ open science agreement with Dutch universities and research councils

Social scientists should be more open that their policy advice is usually based on small experiments done in university settings, study recommends

Policy experts express fears that public and politicians will hold scientists responsible for the economic and social damage of lockdown

Protecting the European research budget offers better long-term hopes of saving the European project

Scientists fighting for more publicly available research say changes made during Covid-19 crisis have influenced their efforts

A renewed European Research Area can be a fresh call to arms for scientific excellence across the continent, says Jan Palmowski

Filling the gaps between disciplines and between science and technology could lead to greater progress than AI, says Jinghai Li 

Survey results from Germany also suggest people think public disagreement between scientists is good, as it will lead to better results

Yes, excess haste can lead to mistakes, but the same is true of natural science, says Sandro Galea

Impact usually originates in discoveries by smart people who could not possibly have dreamed of the application, says Douglas Kell

The coronavirus means that Christiaan De Beukelaer’s research on a sailing cargo ship is lasting a lot longer than he bargained for

The lockdown is affecting not only final-year students. Without a blanket funding extension, many others will suffer and drop out, says Ross Goldstone

Financial incentives for developing new mass-testing methods would be more effective than coordinating research centrally, says economist Paul Romer

If contributing to knowledge is the name of the game, what is wrong with description, asks Michael Marinetto

Myths notwithstanding, devolving research agendas to disciplines has a poor record of success, says Steve Fuller

The UK’s new Knowledge Exchange Concordat will help institutions boost their effectiveness in the wake of Covid-19, says Phil Clare

Quarantined patients, laboratories in lockdown and huge drop in charity income may cause drug trials to fail, warn research leaders

‘There is a life in science beyond the virus,’ warns German rectors’ head, amid calls for attention to the trade-offs between shutdowns and scientific progress

Unexpected numbers are tuning into doctoral and master’s defences, with shutdown likely to lead to longer-term reforms to vivas, says Dutch professor

Whatever the truth around Mauro Ferrari’s resignation from the ERC, the affair raises an important issue, says Luca Magnani

Mauro Ferrari departed after suggesting launch of a coronavirus programme, but critics warn against abandoning blue-skies science, even in a crisis

Rolling Stone shows how improvisation in difficult circumstances can lead to memorable results, but scholars must also be honest about trade-offs caused by lockdown, say Bailey Sousa and Alexander Clark

Mauro Ferrari leaves after just four months in role following rejection of his suggestion that council launch a programme to fight Covid-19

Funding bodies should reconsider case-by-case assessments to minimise bureaucracy and student distress, say researchers

Six months of devastating and unprecedented destruction has brought home the reality of climate change to many Australians. But with time for mitigation short and some politicians still in denial, what more can universities do to save the ‘lucky country’ – and the rest of the planet? John Ross reports

Varying personal circumstances highlight the need for accommodations that outlive the coronavirus, says Phil Emmerson

As campuses and labs close amid the coronavirus crisis, Jack Grove hears how senior scientists are managing their teams and research projects

Denying legitimate authors their fair share of credit amounts to academic misconduct, says David Sanders

Slashing research will be a dangerous temptation for politicians desperate for savings, warns Jan Palmowski

Science minister announces new joint team of government departments to consider assistance for sectors

Project delays, as universities and labs shut down, prompt grant flexibility – but levels of leniency vary

As UK research laboratories close, research-intensive universities call for extra funds to cover cost of disruption to science

Colleagues’ doubts about whether he deserved a prize make Aymen Idris wish people did not see his achievement as tokenism

As labs shut, researchers in Milan fear losing months of work – and urge colleagues abroad to prepare now for similar restrictions

Many universities have begun to teach online amid concerns that traditional classes could spread the coronavirus. Yale-NUS lecturer Catherine Shea Sanger explains how it can be done quickly and effectively

Consulting citation data would ameliorate the all-too-human shortcomings of departmental review, says a Russell Group professor

But social media spats also reflect people’s desire for truth, social justice and greater openness, says Jingtai Tang