Blue skies open wide

Environmental and biological scientists will face more competition for blue-skies research funding now that the Natural Environment Research Council and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council will consider bids for funding from scientists at the other's research centres and institutes. The two councils' agreement means that up to £2 million of Nerc's £18 million responsive mode funding will be available to BBSRC researchers, and £2 million of the BBSRC's £77 million blue-skies research fund will be available to Nerc researchers.