Visa restrictions for foreign researchers and students, political attacks targeting some of the world’s leading research universities, and sudden suspensions of public funding, particularly in the fields of climate and the environment: since Donald Trump’s re-election in November 2024, these decisions have generated considerable media surprise. They are often presented as a radical break with […] … learn more→

The most exciting landmark scientific achievements don’t happen without researchers sharing and collaborating with others outside their field. When people first landed on the Moon in 1969, Neil Armstrong’s first footsteps marked the realization of a century-long vision that integrated a variety of scientific fields. Landing on the Moon required expertise in electrical, mechanical, chemical […] … learn more→

Earlier this year, I realised that there was no Wikipedia page for ‘research culture’. I was surprised by the omission, but I probably shouldn’t have been. English Wikipedia’s coverage is huge, but it isn’t perfect. So, I set out to write a page that would provide some bare bones for people to build on. On […] … learn more→

So you know what researcher positioning is and why it matters. Now comes the practical question: how do you actually write about it in your thesis? This is where many doctoral researchers get a bit stuck. You know you need to address your positionality, but it can feel pretty darn awkward writing about yourself in what’s […] … learn more→

At times, I feel exhausted and irritable. I might get angry at a petty request to sign another PDF or because I have to send another reminder. I end up trapped between past times when I had the patience and time to take care of everything and my current need to minimise frustration and take […] … learn more→

You’ve probably come across the term “researcher positioning” in methods texts or heard it thrown around in doctoral seminars, and perhaps wondered what al the fuss is about. Positioning might sound like one of those unnecessarily complicated concepts but actually, it’s pretty straightforward once you get your head around it. More importantly, it gets at […] … learn more→

Most research development models assume that time, energy, and executive functioning are equally distributed across scholars. They aren’t. Especially not for early career researchers in teaching-heavy roles, and certainly not for neurodivergent academics trying to survive in systems not designed for their minds. We need a better way to support scholarly growth—one that respects rhythm, […] … learn more→

Differences between men and women in intelligence and behaviour have been proposed and disputed for decades. Now, a growing body of scientific evidence shows hundreds of genes act differently in the brains of biologically male or female humans. What this means isn’t yet clear, though some of the genes may be linked to sex-biased brain disorders […] … learn more→

You’re finally sitting down to write your research proposal and you’ve hit that section where you need to outline your aims and objectives. You stare at the page. Aren’t these basically the same thing? Can’t you just write “My aim is to…” and then copy-paste it under “My objective is to…” and call it a […] … learn more→

When we think of spies, we may go to images of people in trench coats and dark glasses, trying to steal government papers. Or someone trying to tap the phone of a senior official. The reality of course can be much more sophisticated. One emerging area of concern is how countries protect their university research from foreign […] … learn more→