Impacts will be worst for ecosystems and humanity's most vulnerable

The pandemic created a colossal demand for scientific evidence to inform decision-making. Now researchers are mapping out what went wrong and what needs to change.

Scientists from the World Economic Forum's Young Scientists community want to see the social value of scientific research better recognised and acknowledged. Published today by Frontiers Policy Labs, a call has been signed by 52 scholars from some of the world's foremost academic institutions. The signatories say that for science to become rooted in decision-making, a new culture of engagement between policymakers and scientists needs to be established.

Elsevier's work with fossil fuel companies 'drags us towards disaster', climate researcher says.

Engaging citizens in research will be a big priority for the new Horizon Europe funding programme. Horizon Europe includes a €2 million research call for recommendations to strengthen societal trust in science, research and innovation, while the programme is also seeking to encourage more public participation in scientific research.

Spain has set out to improve the lives of its researchers after years of hand to mouth existence and a brain drain that has significantly weakened the public research sector.   A reform of a 2011 law will see young researchers getting permanent contracts, recognition of experience gained abroad and new labour rights. At the same time, there will be increased public spending on research.   

Why international researchers should be lining up to collaborate with women working in science across Africa.

Efforts to chart and reduce bias in scholarly publishing will ask authors, reviewers and editors to disclose their race or ethnicity.

Peer reviewing helped a graduate student to finally gain a sense of belonging within the research community.

Discussions are underway in Brussels over whether Russia should be cut out of future Horizon Europe projects after president Vladimir Putin recognised two separatist-held parts of Ukraine as sovereign states and requested permission from parliament to send in troops on a mission.

Evolution favors less work and more leisure.

Researchers say that conflict will hinder progress made since Ukraine's revolution in 2014.

Let data guide discussions on equality, say Juliana Hipólito and Luisa Maria Diele-Viegas.

Public perceptions of climate change, the future cost and effectiveness of climate mitigation and technologies, and how political institutions respond to public pressure are all important determinants of how climate will change, according to a new study.

Some 15 countries, including Switzerland, have proposed the creation of a "Science-Policy Panel" to deal with chemical waste and plastic pollution.

Experts are predicting demand for life-saving antiviral drugs will rapidly outpace supply. Like the vaccine, the poorest countries will be left until last, says medicine access advocate Othoman Mellouk

As pandemic restrictions lift, researchers stress the need to prepare for the next variant

A team of researchers from the University of Geneva (UNIGE) and the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Testing and Research (Empa) has studied various scenarios for reducing the Swiss carbon footprint tied to electricity consumption. The authors recommend the implementation of a domestic generation mix of wind and photovoltaic energy.

The world is failing to tackle the persisting and increasingly serious global crisis of depression it is facing, according to a Lancet and World Psychiatric Association Commission on depression, which calls for a whole-of-society response to reducing the global burden of depression.

Slovenian universities and research stakeholders are decrying government interference in the appointment of a new head of the Slovenian Research Agency (ARRS). The agency's management board appointed cardiologist Mitja Lainščak as acting director on Saturday 28 January, a few days after the government replaced four members of the board who disagreed with that decision, and had instead twice proposed economist Lidija Tičar Padar for the job.