Archive by date | March 2013

UK budget leaves science funding falling slowly

If UK researchers thought they would catch a sneak glimpse of June’s hotly-anticipated multi-year spending plan for science in today’s 2013 budget, they were disappointed. In his budget speech, Chancellor George Osborne gave a tantalising hint that “existing protections” would apply for future spending – meaning that research budgets may be left undamaged – but made no specific mention of science.  Read more

AstraZeneca continues research cuts

In a fourth series of cuts in six years, UK-based drug firm AstraZeneca said yesterday that it would cut 1,600 staff – 1,300 of whom are researchers, about 10% of the company’s current research capacity – in a restructuring plan that would see scientists concentrated in three major research sites: Cambridge, UK; Gaithersburg, Maryland, and Mölndal, Sweden.  Read more

Drug-resistant bacteria and lack of new antibiotics pose ‘catastrophic threat’

The danger of antibiotic resistant bacteria should be placed alongside pandemic influenza and terrorism on the UK government’s list of threats to national security, the country’s most senior medic has advised.  Read more

Italian seismologists appeal L’Aquila ruling

Sseven scientists, engineers and government officials who were found guilty of manslaughter after the 2009 earthquake in the city of L’Aquila all filed their appeals against the verdict in time for a 6 March deadline.  Read more