Category Archives: Research

Sold for a Mess of Pottage

Posted on March 17, 2018 by Athene Donald

A couple of weeks back I undertook another trip to Europe. A trip that got extended by nearly a day due to snow which disrupted my travel plans, thereby making it impossible for me to get back to the UK … Continue reading →

Posted in Research, Science Culture, Science Funding | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Measurements: the Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Posted on November 19, 2017 by Athene Donald

Measuring us seems endemic to academic life now (as indeed to the NHS or local Councils or any other part of our civic society). The Forum for Responsible Research Metrics is charged with coming up with ways to use metrics … Continue reading →

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Higher Education Through the Looking Glass

Posted on October 29, 2017 by Athene Donald

I feel as if the Higher Education sector has somehow stepped through Alice’s mirror. Everything is topsy-turvy and has been for some time.  It is hard to know where the next attack will come from. Labour peer Lord Adonis started … Continue reading →

Posted in Research, Science Funding | Tagged , , , | 16 Comments

Are Things Getting Better for Postdocs in Cambridge?

Posted on July 16, 2017 by Athene Donald

As a recent article in Nature pointed out, housing costs in Cambridge are a significant issue for new recruits to the university. As a city it suffers both from its proximity to London – well within commuter belt, as the … Continue reading →

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The Importance of Finding Nothing Out

Posted on July 12, 2017 by Athene Donald

‘Melts in the mouth, not in the hand’: so said a chocolate advertisement from my youth for the predecessor of Minstrels (a discontinued brand called Treets). Melting temperature is of course an important consideration when it comes to the elegance … Continue reading →

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