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Knighthood in Hand, Astrophysicist Prepares to Lead U.S. Fusion Lab

Knighthood in Hand, Astrophysicist Prepares to Lead U.S. Fusion Lab

Steven Cowley takes over Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory on 1 July.

Wide Racial Gaps Persist in College Degree Attainment

Wide Racial Gaps Persist in College Degree Attainment

Compared to White adults in the United States, Black adults are two-thirds as likely to hold a college degree and Latino adults are only half as likely – with both groups attaining degrees at a lower rate in 2016 than White adults did back in 1990, according to a new report by The Education Trust.

Why the Medical Research Grant System Could Be Costing Us Great Ideas

Why the Medical Research Grant System Could Be Costing Us Great Ideas

Funding is harder to find in general, and the current approach favors low-risk research and proposals by older scientists and white men.

U.S. Legislators Back Larger Facilities Budget for NSF

U.S. Legislators Back Larger Facilities Budget for NSF

Spending bills would boost construction account without cutting research grants, marking the second year that lawmakers have rejected President Donald Trump’s plans for the agency, which called for deep cuts in 2018 and flat funding in 2019.

 

Controversial NIH Study of "Moderate Drinking" Will Be Terminated After Scathing Report

Controversial NIH Study of "Moderate Drinking" Will Be Terminated After Scathing Report

The drinking study had raised concerns because NIH officials had solicited funding for the $100 million project from liquor companies, with the money funneled through the private NIH Foundation.

Trump's NASA Chief Changed His Mind on Climate Change. He Is a Scientific Hero.

Trump's NASA Chief Changed His Mind on Climate Change. He Is a Scientific Hero.

When asked why he changed his mind, Bridenstine told The Washington Post, "I heard a lot of experts, and I read a lot. I came to the conclusion myself that carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas, that we've put a lot of it into the atmosphere, and therefore we have contributed to the global warming that we've seen."

In the Trump Administration, Science Is Unwelcome. So Is Advice.

In the Trump Administration, Science Is Unwelcome. So Is Advice.

As the president prepares for nuclear talks, he lacks a close adviser with nuclear expertise. It’s one example of a marginalization of science in shaping federal policy.

US EPA Science Advisers Question ‘Secret Science’ Rule on Data Transparency

US EPA Science Advisers Question ‘Secret Science’ Rule on Data Transparency

Independent board will review agency decisions to repeal or change climate regulations and rules on the use of non-public data.

New Cancer Treatments Lie Hidden Under Mountains of Paperwork

New Cancer Treatments Lie Hidden Under Mountains of Paperwork

The National Cancer Institute has invested millions of dollars into determining the genetic sequences of patients’ tumors, and researchers have found thousands of genes that seem to drive tumor growth.  But until patients’ medical records are linked to the genetic data, life-or-death questions cannot be answered.

The Wealth Gap PLUS Debt: How Federal Loans Exacerbate Inequality for Black Families

The Wealth Gap PLUS Debt: How Federal Loans Exacerbate Inequality for Black Families

Something strange began happening with a U.S. Department of Education loan program known as Parent PLUS, under which parents borrow money from the government to finance their children’s education.

Michael Eisen Takes on Eric Lander and the Scientific Establishment

Michael Eisen Takes on Eric Lander and the Scientific Establishment

Michael Eisen is anything but silent. In his career as a scientist, which has included a slapdash U.S. Senate campaign, blog posts, and nearly 39,000 tweets, he has lobbed grenades at the powers that be.

Billionaires Are Rushing into Biotech. Inequality Is Following Them into Science

Billionaires Are Rushing into Biotech. Inequality Is Following Them into Science

In this era of billionaires and unequal funding, where is research going? And perhaps more importantly, how will our changing resources affect the training, success, and diversity of the scientists of our future?

National Science Board Reflects on Role in Spotlighting China’s R&D Rise

National Science Board Reflects on Role in Spotlighting China’s R&D Rise

With several members departing and new leadership incoming, the National Science Board used much of its May meeting to reflect on how it has ramped up its engagement on policy matters in recent years. One focus of discussion was how the board has increasingly drawn attention to the emergence of China as a global leader in science and engineering.

Funding for Fundamental Research Is Under Threat

Funding for Fundamental Research Is Under Threat

The US now faces a dilemma over the future of this national achievement and the supporting arrangements making it sustainable. The ‘social contract’ for science and research now looks more tentative than at any time since the Space Race.

U.S. Climate Scientists Flee For France To 'Make Our Planet Great Again'

U.S. Climate Scientists Flee For France To 'Make Our Planet Great Again'

Fourteen climate researchers, including six from U.S. universities, have been selected for French President Emmanuel Macron’s “Make Our Planet Great Again” initiative. The scientists applied to move to France to carry out climate science projects in the country’s top research laboratories.

Addressing STEM Culture and Climate to Increase Diversity in STEM Disciplines

Addressing STEM Culture and Climate to Increase Diversity in STEM Disciplines

While over a third of black, Latino, and Native American students enter college with an interest in studying STEM, only 16 percent go on to obtain bachelor’s degrees in these fields.

Federal Partners Release Interagency Strategic Plan for Microbiome Research

Federal Partners Release Interagency Strategic Plan for Microbiome Research

A group of 23 U.S. government agencies, including the NSF, have joined to produce the Interagency Strategic Plan for Microbiome Research, which outlines the objectives, structure and principles for coordinated research in this important field of study.

US Government Considers Charging for Popular Earth-Observing Data

US Government Considers Charging for Popular Earth-Observing Data

Images from Landsat satellites and agricultural-survey programme are freely available to scientists - but for how long?

E.P.A. Announces a New Rule. One Likely Effect: Less Science in Policymaking

E.P.A. Announces a New Rule. One Likely Effect: Less Science in Policymaking

The agency plans to publish a new regulation Tuesday that would restrict the kinds of scientific studies the agency can use when it develops policies.

An Empirical Study of the per Capita Yield of Science Nobel Prizes: Is the US Era Coming to an End?

An Empirical Study of the per Capita Yield of Science Nobel Prizes: Is the US Era Coming to an End?

For the USA, the entire history of science Noble prizes is described on a per capita basis to an astonishing accuracy by a single large productivity boost decaying at a continuously accelerating rate since its peak in 1972.

Panel Calls for a Postdoc Tax and Other Measures to Help Biomedical Scientists Find Jobs

Panel Calls for a Postdoc Tax and Other Measures to Help Biomedical Scientists Find Jobs

By limiting how long postdocs can be federally funded and by making it more expensive to keep them designated as trainees, research institutions will have an incentive to employ more permanent staff scientists, providing a much-needed additional career option for young scientist.

Empowering Early Career Scientists to Engage in Science Advocacy, Policy and Communication

Empowering Early Career Scientists to Engage in Science Advocacy, Policy and Communication

Preparing early career scientists for a career that connects science and society.

Cancer Researchers Push to Relax Rules for Clinical Trials

Cancer Researchers Push to Relax Rules for Clinical Trials

US government examines whether criteria for participating in drug studies unnecessarily exclude some people.

NIH Rejected Study of Alcohol Advertising While Pursuing Industry Funding

NIH Rejected Study of Alcohol Advertising While Pursuing Industry Funding

"This will NOT happen again," an NIH official promised an alcohol industry lobbyist in an email, referring to a study linking marketing to underage drinking.