Beware ‘brain-based learning’ Enthusiasm for ‘neuroeducation’ risks blinding people to its potentially limited efficacy, argues Steven Rose 12 December
Imperial animal testing report ‘should resonate’ across sector A list of recommendations on improving management of animal research at Imperial College London should “resonate” across the UK, their authors say By Paul Jump 10 December
UK punching further above weight on citation impact UK research has higher citation impact than that of any comparator nation, a report commissioned by the government has revealed. By Paul Jump 6 December
Quantum technology gets boost from autumn statement The government has given quantum technologies research a boost in the autumn statement. 5 December
REF selectivity fears ‘prove unfounded’ Fears that universities would be more selective about who they submitted to the 2014 research excellence framework have proved unfounded. By Paul Jump 5 December
Medievalist shares ripe fruit of penis tree New Generation Thinker Sarah Peverley likes to disseminate elements of her work for public By Matthew Reisz 5 December
Lament for the dawn chorus Bird numbers in Britain and Ireland - monitored with the aid of citizen scientists - are falling. Tim Birkhead calls for action 5 December
Black scholars: trapped on the race track? African American scholars still struggle for public prominence outside discussions of racial justice, says Daniel Matlin 5 December
REF ‘contextual data’ decision could enrich league tables HESA announces publication date for data on number of researchers eligible for submission By Paul Jump 3 December
Ten more universities gain award for supporting research careers A further 10 UK universities have gained an award that recognises commitment to developing the careers of researchers. By Holly Else 1 December
Mental health and social science explored in new booklet A new booklet has been launched on the role of social science in promoting “mental wellbeing”. By Matthew Reisz 30 November
EPSRC calls for more CDT cash Council pushes government to provide additional funding in light of abundance of high quality bids to run centres for doctoral training By Paul Jump 28 November
Westminster programme integrates arts and science Student collaboration blends skills to take fresh look at knowledge By Matthew Reisz 28 November
REF more burdensome than RAE, pro v-cs state THE straw poll shows efforts to lighten load have backfired By Paul Jump 28 November
Must academics researching authoritarian regimes self-censor? In the case of Rwanda, it is wrong to argue that only academics working outside the country are capable of critical comment, says Phil Clark 28 November
Independent Scotland would seek research council access An independent Scotland would seek to continue to share research councils with the remainder of the UK, a new blueprint for independence has said. By David Matthews 26 November
Sir Ivor Crewe to be next Academy of Social Sciences president Sir Ivor Crewe - master of University College, Oxford - has been appointed as the next president of the Academy of Social Sciences. By Matthew Reisz 23 November
Queen’s Anniversary Prize winners announced Twenty institutions have been announced as winners of the Queen’s Anniversary Prizes for Higher and Further Education. By Chris Parr 22 November
Feud for thought over Israel chair Geoffrey Alderman offers to supervise critic’s doctorate By David Matthews 21 November
Academics ‘the rudest people on earth’? Hardly The idea that universities are hotbeds of incivility is implausible, says Emrys Westacott 21 November
Education policy and research are linked in online The Economics of Higher Education network aims to highlight neglected areas of economic research on the sector By John Morgan 21 November
Finch Group defends open-access evidence base Review rejects MPs’ criticisms of gaps in its data By Paul Jump 21 November
Corruption in universities: a blueprint for reform Corruption in the academy is being challenged by a ‘clean universities’ ranking and the power of press coverage, says Alina Mungiu-Pippidi 21 November
Cherry-pick submissions or risk picking up REF tab Greater selectivity over future research excellence framework submissions urged under tougher funding regime By Paul Jump 21 November
Open access body needed ‘to coordinate implementation’ A formal body should be set up to coordinate efforts to implement open access, the Finch Group has recommended. By Paul Jump 18 November
Sketchy information: illustration as a tool of understanding Symposium considers drawing’s role in refining and communicating knowledge, from geology to surgery to unicorns By Matthew Reisz 14 November
Research needs more poetry, not more cash ‘Big money’ grants foster ‘bookkeeping’ work at the expense of small-scale but potentially groundbreaking efforts, says Gary Thomas 14 November
UCL leads grant income table London research giant attributes success to interdisciplinary approach By Paul Jump 14 November
Research grant success rates, 2013 Research councils show value of restraint By Paul Jump 14 November
Scottish independence will threaten research, BIS claims Scotland risks losing its thriving research base if it becomes independent, analysis by Department of Business, Innovation and Skills has claimed By Holly Else 11 November
Korean president visits Imperial College The president of South Korea has visited Imperial College London to mark a series of agreements between the institution and Korean universities. By Holly Else 7 November
Pro v-c cited his unwritten book in study Major report on selective education used ‘inappropriate’ references By Paul Jump 31 October
Government-commissioned researchers 'leaned on' LSE research points to Whitehall ‘trying it on’ By Chris Parr 31 October
REF 2020 open access rules not ‘scary’, forum hears Reassurance and concerns stated over new framework’s requirements By Paul Jump 31 October
Lancaster historian appeals against his inclusion in REF Scholar hopes his ‘surreal’ action will show that excluded colleagues were ‘discriminated’ against By Paul Jump 31 October
Six months’ notice too restrictive, says scholar Academic denied permission to start new job until after REF deadline By Jack Grove 31 October
Bedfordshire under fire for multiple PhD resubmission ‘Seriously flawed’ decision broke university regulations, QAA finds By Jack Grove 31 October
EPSRC chief wants words of advice from critical voices But extant strategic decisions will not be revisited, Paul Golby says By Paul Jump 31 October
Sheffield’s Furnace Park forges scholarly collaboration Brownfield reclamation unites academics, artists and community By Matthew Reisz 31 October
Research cluster explores all things gothic Manchester Met launches interdisciplinary Centre for Gothic Studies By Matthew Reisz 24 October
JoVE journal’s videos take strain out of new science Model is saving research from ‘scourge of irreproducibility’, says founder Moshe Pritsker By Elizabeth Gibney 24 October
Elegy in a country churchyard The death of his father prompts Nicholas Till to consider the interconnectedness of things 24 October
Animal research debate votes against full ban Students taking part in a huge nationwide debate have overwhelmingly disagreed with the notion of a full ban on animal testing in research By Emily Seymour 22 October
Animal research under the microscope Students across the UK are this week taking part in what organisers believe will be the biggest public debate on animal research ever held. By Elizabeth Gibney 17 October
Imperial considers REF trade-off between quality and quantity Minutes suggest the pros and cons of strategies for submission By Elizabeth Gibney 17 October
REF and policymakers overlook state-funded research Vital academic work still missed by impact criteria and civil servants, forum hears By Matthew Reisz 17 October
Boost enterprise partnerships, GSK head tells universities Witty recommends more collaboration, more funding and more weight for impact in REF By Elizabeth Gibney 17 October
Evolution of the REF As the 2014 REF census date approaches, Paul Jump talks to the architects of previous rounds of assessment about how it all began and their views on the research excellence framework By Paul Jump 17 October
UK boasts ‘biggest bioscience cluster in Europe’ The UK is the “biggest biosciences cluster in Europe” a report by the BioIndustry Association has said. By Elizabeth Gibney 15 October
UK ‘overtakes Japan’ on Chinese collaboration The UK has overtaken Japan to become China’s second most prolific research collaborator. By Elizabeth Gibney 14 October
Willetts announces latest research investment fund money The last three universities to benefit from the current round of the government’s Research Partnership Investment Fund have been announced. By Elizabeth Gibney 10 October
Compromise after Conflict gives peace a chance Academic project aims for truth and reconciliation after the bloodshed By Matthew Reisz 10 October
Sign language standardised for astronomical terms Scottish glossary breaks down communication barriers By Elizabeth Gibney 10 October
Wellcome offers cash for public engagement Dedicated funding and support for UK scientists By Paul Jump 10 October
Sir Paul Nurse: science needs inspiration, not top-down allocation Backing winners can lead to poor-quality research, warns Royal Society head By David Matthews 10 October
Libraries combine to preserve vanishing sources online Perma CC consortium aims to host primary source material for ever By Jon Marcus 10 October
Computer modelling scientists win chemistry Nobel Three scientists have won the 2013 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for laying the foundations for the computer modelling of chemical processes. By Elizabeth Gibney 9 October
Higgs tipped for Nobel Prize Physicist Peter Higgs is prominent among this year’s list of Nobel Prize predictions by Thomson Reuters citation analyst David Pendlebury By Paul Jump 5 October
Social path through Pasteur’s quadrant University research is an astonishing force for good in the world, argues Leszek Borysiewicz 3 October
Europe faces longer wait for single market in research Academics still hidebound by national rules, Commission finds By Elizabeth Gibney 3 October