From this week’s Nature, News in Brief (447, 519; 2007).

US hedge-fund managers have teamed up with scientists to launch a competition for the next big idea in cancer research. Applicants must first be accepted by an Internet-based club , whose membership will be vetted by a scientific advisory panel that includes cancer experts such as Bert Vogelstein of the Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions in Baltimore, Maryland. Members can then submit their idea — in fewer than 1,000 words — for a research project in basic cancer research, or in cancer diagnosis, prevention or treatment.

The person whose idea is judged to have the greatest potential will win US$1 million, even if they will not themselves be carrying out the research to test it. Another prize of $250,000 will be given in paediatric oncology. The ideas that emerge will be shared with other cancer-research funders.

The organizers say that current funding opportunities tend not to support untested ideas and that the annual Gotham prize will help fill this gap.

The shortlist for this year’s Royal Society science books awards was announced last month, featuring in Nature‘s Spring Books issue of 12 April 2007 (page 731). The winner will be announced this evening (15 May). Tipped to win is Daniel Gilbert’s Stumbling on Happiness. Whatever the result, one of the shortlisted books, The Rough Guide to Climate Change, has been doing very well in the UK charts, having sold more than 9,500 copies by the beginning of May since its first publication in September last year.

The Rough Guide to Climate Change is described by the publisher as “a complete, unbiased guide to one of the most pressing problems facing humanity. From the current situation and background science to the government sceptics and possible solutions, this book covers the whole subject.” And, appropriately for a travel-guide series, the book “also includes lifestyle advice and tips for consumers who want to make a difference in tomorrow’s climate, and comes complete with a glossary of websites for further information.”

The author, Robert Henson, is a past contributor to Nature’s news pages. Here is one of his stories: “The heat was on in 2005”, from news@nature.com.

Congratulations to Annette Thomas, head of the Nature Publishing Group, who has won the Kim Scott Walwyn prize, set up in 2004 to celebrate outstanding achievements by women in publishing.

The prize honours a career that includes 14 years at Nature Publishing Group, where Annette rose from the role of assistant editor on Nature to launch editor of Nature Cell Biology, to launch publisher of the Nature Reviews Journals, to her current position as managing director, and her appointment in 2000 to an executive director’s position at Macmillan Publishers.

Here is an article in The Guardian about Annette’s award.

And here is Richard Charkin, CEO of Macmillan, on the same topic.

The Association of Learned and Professional Society Publishers (ALPSP) and publishing solutions provider The Charlesworth Group, typesetters of Nature, have announced four new awards to recognize significant achievement in the field of learned and professional publishing.

The awards — for best learned journal; best online journal; publishing innovation; and best new journal — are open to all publishers, societies and journal owners across the globe. A panel of independent experts will judge the applications.

All entries should be submitted on or before 31 May 2007. The winners will be announced at the Annual Dinner of the ALPSP in London on 13 September 2007. More information on the awards is available here.