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In the USA, Universities Are Under Attack on Multiple Fronts

In the USA, Universities Are Under Attack on Multiple Fronts

There is a sense of crisis across US universities, brought on by an onslaught of hostile actions from the Trump administration. Alistair Jarvis reflects on a trip to America There is a sense of crisis across US universities, brought on by an onslaught of hostile actions from the Trump administration. Alistair Jarvis reflects on a trip to America.

Dartmouth's Sexual Harassment Scandal Transformed the Lives of These Women in Science

Dartmouth's Sexual Harassment Scandal Transformed the Lives of These Women in Science

In 2017, a group of students at Dartmouth College filed a lawsuit that revealed an entrenched culture of power and abuse, and in doing so, they sparked a wider conversation about sexual violence in science.

The Abuse of Power in German Academia

The Abuse of Power in German Academia

German researchers studying power abuse in academia in Germany have come to some interesting conclusions about how common the problem is. Not enough checks are in place to prevent professors from exploiting doctoral candidates and other students.

How Do I Tell Someone That I Can't Write Them a Strong Letter of Recommendation?

How Do I Tell Someone That I Can't Write Them a Strong Letter of Recommendation?

Researchers are often asked to write references or recommendation letters. Nature asked three senior scientists what they do when they can't endorse someone.

Budding Scientists Inherit Career Success — or the Lack of it — from Their Mentors

Budding Scientists Inherit Career Success — or the Lack of it — from Their Mentors

Great Gatsby Curve, which outlines generational wealth, has a corollary in academia, researchers find

Could Roving Researchers Help Address the Challenge of Taking Parental Leave?

Could Roving Researchers Help Address the Challenge of Taking Parental Leave?

Institutions are taking notice of a handful of programmes designed to address the issues scientists face when choosing to take a long-term absence.

Students Demand Cardiff University Tackles Sexual Violence

Students Demand Cardiff University Tackles Sexual Violence

Students campaigning to stop sexual violence say they will fight to ensure Cardiff University acts after a meeting with senior staff. One student said they were laughed at by three male employees when speaking on sexual violence at a staff meeting. The university said it took sexual assaults seriously and investigated them robustly.

How a Bullying Scandal Closed a Historic Astronomy Department

How a Bullying Scandal Closed a Historic Astronomy Department

At Lund University in Sweden this week, astronomers moved out of a building that was custom-built to hold telescopes and other artefacts from their 350 years of history, and they relocated to a physics building down the road. That’s because the astronomy department no longer exists, having been dissolved in the wake of a bullying scandal.

Being Neurodivergent in Academia: Working with My Brain and Not Against It

Being Neurodivergent in Academia: Working with My Brain and Not Against It

When attempts to capitalize on her undiagnosed ADHD traits led to repeated cycles of overwork and burnout, a postdoc re-evaluated how she faces the daily challenges of being a neurodivergent scientist.

Early-career US National Institutes of Health Researchers Vote Overwhelmingly to Form Union

Early-career US National Institutes of Health Researchers Vote Overwhelmingly to Form Union

The bargaining group will be the first ever to represent graduate students and postdocs in the US government, as they push for better pay and benefits.

Podcast - How Will ChatGPT and Generative AI Transform Research?

Podcast - How Will ChatGPT and Generative AI Transform Research?

Nature editors Nick Petrić Howe, Magdalena Skipper, Richard Van Noorden and Yann Sweeney discuss how generative AIs are impacting science and what the future might hold.

Scientists Used ChatGPT to Generate an Entire Paper from Scratch - But Is It Any Good?

Scientists Used ChatGPT to Generate an Entire Paper from Scratch - But Is It Any Good?

Scientists have produced a research paper in less than an hour with the help of ChatGPT - but researchers say that there are many hurdles to overcome before the tool can be truly helpful.

How Scientists Can Safeguard Themselves Online

How Scientists Can Safeguard Themselves Online

Scientists are always at risk of digital harassment by bad actors looking to undermine scientific credibility and progress, but there are protective steps they can take.

Improving Mentoring in Academia Requires a ‘Collective Effort’

Improving Mentoring in Academia Requires a ‘Collective Effort’

Sarvenaz Sarabipour is tired of academics understanding mentorship through anecdotes. The scientific community “needs a minimum set of standards for good mentorship,” says the Johns Hopkins University systems biologist, which can only be achieved by studying it systematically.

Verun­mög­lichte Forschung? Inter­na­tio­naler Wett­be­werb Versus Trans­na­tio­nale Soli­da­rität Im Wissenschafstbetrieb

Verun­mög­lichte Forschung? Inter­na­tio­naler Wett­be­werb Versus Trans­na­tio­nale Soli­da­rität Im Wissenschafstbetrieb

Auch die Wissenschaft ficht Arbeitskämpfe aus. In Deutschland wurde das Reformvorhaben zum Wissenschaftszeitvertragsgesetz (WissZeitVG) zurecht von den betroffenen Wissenschaftler:innen abgelehnt. Aber statt der vorgetragenen Sorge um die "internationale Wettbewerbsfähigkeit" der deutschen Wissenschaft wäre transnationale Solidarität angesichts vielerorts ähnlicher neoliberaler Regierungsmechanismen gefragt.

What Has Happened to College Teacher Pay in England?

What Has Happened to College Teacher Pay in England?

In the last few months, there has been a series of strikes by teachers in further education colleges across England over pay and conditions, and more strikes look set to impact the post-16 education sector this year. This report examines how pay and retention levels among college teachers in England have changed over time and compared with school teachers.

Heeding the Happiness Call: Why Academia Needs to Take Faculty Mental Health More Seriously

Heeding the Happiness Call: Why Academia Needs to Take Faculty Mental Health More Seriously

Group leaders voice their struggles with mental health to remove stigma and bolster institutional support.