April 2016 ~ Make Money.

How scholars spend their time

These data show how scholars used their time at different types of university in the period 2012 to 2015At the most research-intensive universities (defined as those in the top decile for total research funding received), academics spend more than half their time on research, double the proportion spent at younger universities.Scholars at younger universities prioritise teaching,...

Tuition fee income increases sharply as funding council cash declines, latest sector-level data shows Spending on UK higher education providers increased by 6 per cent in 2014-15 to £31.2 billion, new figures show.Details of the latest increase – worth around £1.8 billion in total – were released by the Higher Education Statistics Agency, which indicates the sector's total...

Medical Research CouncilResearch grantsAward winner: Aisha HollowayInstitution: University of EdinburghValue: £118,771An alcohol brief intervention (ABI) for male remand prisoners: an MRC complex intervention framework development and feasibility studyAward winner: Joanna MorrisonInstitution: University College LondonValue: £100,100Supportive supervision of mid-level...

The good, the bad and the offbeat: the academy through the lens of the world's media History PhD student Hannah Woods was the winning captain in last week’s University Challengefinal, but attention has bizarrely focused not on her quizzing prowess but on her naturally arched left eyebrow. Woods’ so-called Roger Moore eyebrow spawned two parody Twitter accounts, a...

The University of Cambridge has proposed a “radical” shake-up of the research excellence framework (REF) so that every academic, even those on teaching-only contracts, would be submitted to the assessment exercise.The future shape of the REF, currently being reviewed, is being fought over by UK universities, with Cambridge’s ideas perhaps the most controversial yet.At...

Undergraduate courses are not properly equipping students to pursue doctorates, meaning that many undertaking PhDs are “less confident” than those in past cohorts, a conference has heard.Alison Hodge, professor of engineering leadership at Aston University, made the warning as universities prepare for a new government loan scheme that could help more students to enter...

Princeton University has announced that its Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs will continue to bear the name of the 28th president, despite protests by student activists seeking to rename the school because of Wilson's record on racial issues, writes David Wright for CNN.In a press release, Princeton's board of trustees called for “an expanded...

Canada’s Minister of Science Kirsty Duncan announced last week that the government would launch the application process for a CAN$2 billion (US$1.5 billion) fund that will improve research and innovation infrastructure at universities and colleges across the country, reports Marketwired.Announced in Budget 2016, the Post-Secondary Institutions Strategic Investment Fund...

Switzerland’s École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne has topped the Times Higher Education 150 Under 50 Rankings 2016 – a ranking of the best universities under the age of 50 – for the second year in a row, while the United Kingdom has the most world-class young institutions in the top 150, writes Ellie Bothwell for Times Higher Education.École Polytechnique...

All five public universities in Singapore will this year set up dedicated units to help citizens learn new skills throughout their lives as part of the SkillsFuture programme, it was announced last week, writes Medha Basu for Govinsider.The five universities are the National University of Singapore, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore Management University, Singapore...

Polytechnics and universities will have more room to admit students based on their talents and interests rather than just grades, under enhancements to current aptitude-based admission schemes, writes Laura Elizabeth Philomin for Today Online.At the polytechnics, the Direct Polytechnic Admissions, or DPA, intake allowance will be raised to 12.5% from the current 2.5%,...