Category Archives: Research Councils

What do We Lose if We Lose Access to the ERC?

Posted on 9 February 2018 by Athene Donald

This week I was in Brussels in my capacity as a Scientific Council Member of the European Research Council. One of the roles we are all expected to fulfil from time to time is as observer of the various panels … Continue reading →

Posted in Brexit, Brussels, Research Councils, Science Funding, Unconscious bias | Comments Off on What do We Lose if We Lose Access to the ERC?

Moving Beyond a Silo Mentality

Posted on 6 October 2015 by Athene Donald

Wherever I turn currently I seem to come up against the questions that assessing interdisciplinary research throws up. Nature recently had a special issue highlighting some of the challenges and rewards, but taking a very broad brush approach. Its editorial … Continue reading →

Posted in committee meetings, ERC, Interdisciplinary Science, refereeing, Research Councils, Science Funding | Comments Off on Moving Beyond a Silo Mentality

The rules

Posted on 3 December 2014 by Frank Norman

Rules can help us get by in life – everyone agreeing to drive on the left probably reduces the accident rate on roads quite a bit. But rules have a tendency to take over, a bit like Lord Acton’s dictum on power. … Continue reading →

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Attacks on the Royal Society Miss the Point

Posted on 12 May 2014 by Athene Donald

This post was originally posted at ScienceGrrl. Another year, another occasion to thump the Royal Society for the make-up of its new fellows. This time it was Nature that screamed ‘Royal Society still trails the US National Academy in female … Continue reading →

Posted in Equality, refereeing, Research Councils, Royal Society, Women in science | Comments Off on Attacks on the Royal Society Miss the Point

Sir Charles Harington (1897-1972)

Posted on 17 August 2011 by Frank Norman

I have been working for a few weeks to put together some posters for a small internal exhibition about Charles Harington, one of our past directors.  I hope it might be of interest to a wider audience, so I have … Continue reading →

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Walter Morley Fletcher

Posted on 21 March 2011 by Frank Norman

The lecture hall in my Institute dates back to the 1930s. It has a simple design with excellent acoustics, typical of its era. It is called the Fletcher Memorial Hall, which begs the question – who he? Just outside the … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Research Councils | Comments Off on Walter Morley Fletcher