News

September 2017 marked the two-year anniversary of the adoption of theSustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a global framework to focus investments and measure progress in the lead up to2030. Skeptics and advocates of Agenda 2030 agree on one point: achieving theglobal goals will require an unprecedented coalition of people, organizations, and cou…

How nice to be asked to write a blog about the 2017 GNR “Nourishing the SDGs” (of course I would have anyway!).I love the title and the narrative behind this year’s report, which can be summarised as:“Let’s make good nutrition the global social norm”;Disparate communities working on different nutrition outcomes need to come together to have a stron…

If the paper strip becomes purple, it signals detection of a protein (antigen) called NS1. This protein is secreted by the viruses into the bloodstream in the first few days after infection.Currently, early detection for bothdiseasesis difficult because it relies on detecting the body’s immunological response, which begins five days after infection…

Given that the UK is committed to spending 0.7% of Gross National Income (GNI) on ODA, key questions arise around:its definition (what should count as UK aid?), andits administration (who should be responsible, and accountable, for spending UK aid?)     Terms of reference: Definition and administration of ODAFor further details and to send a writte…

By linking science more closely with society, World Science Day for Peace and Development aims to ensure that citizens are kept informed of developments in science. It also underscores the role scientists play in broadening our understanding of the remarkable, fragile planet we call home and in making our societies more sustainable.The Day offers t…

 When the deadly Ebola virus began to spread in 2014, patients were tested by taking a blood sample. The problem with this method was that samples had to be taken by staff with specialist expertise and tested in a specialist lab, taking five to eight hours with only a handful of these facilities worldwide.Through our R2HC programme, we funded Dr St…

 Knowledge-Action Networks are networks of people and organisations collaborating to build the knowledge and tools needed to tackle the greatest sustainability challenges of our time. They seek to establish collaboration between existing projects, networks and individuals. The Water-Energy-Food Nexus Knowledge-Action Network aims to better understa…

The world is not going carbon-free any time soon: that much is clear. Developed and developing countries alike rely on fossil fuels for transport, industry and power, all of which release CO2 into the atmosphere. But as sea levels rise, ‘unprecedented’ weather events become commonplace and the polar ice caps melt, how can we balance our use of foss…

The collaboration, between the Jeffrey Cheah Foundation and Sunway Medical Centre in Malaysia, the University of Cambridge and Papworth Hospital, will establish a joint programme between the University’s School of Clinical Medicine and Sunway University.The programme will enable the sharing of academic excellence through regular academic visits and…

As unmanned, autonomous aviation technology progresses rapidly, the prospect of drones crisscrossing our cities – performing anything from parcel delivery to health care services to infrastructure maintenance – is becoming increasingly viable. Drones are part of a global tide of complex technological change that will require a new approach to how w…

GW4 Bridging the Gap, supported by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), was a year-long research project to explore collaborative research in the arts and humanities in South West England and South East Wales.The project focused on the following areas: creative economy, heritage, modern languages and environmental humanities, and senior…

The UK’s research councils are at the very core of efforts to overcome antimicrobial resistance. The cross-council initiative on AMR has been set up to develop collaborative approaches across disciplines, and there is a vast range of research taking place in the field.Whether it’s state-of-the-art computer simulations of spreading infections or cut…

The clearest map ever produced of the amount of heat being released from deep within the Earth below the Antarctic has been released.Experts created the most up to date, accurate and high-resolution graphic of the ‘geothermal heat flux’ reaching the base of the region's massive ice sheet.The data used comes primarily from magnetic measurements coll…

Whilst low amounts of fluoride are beneficial for healthy teeth, high levels of fluoride can weaken bones, leading to skeletal fluorosis. This disease causes crippling deformities of the spine and joints, especially in children whose skeletons are still forming.When water passes over certain minerals, it can dissolve fluoride, which results in elev…

Miniature robot farmers may be the answer to concerns over chemical use on farms and cutting down on food waste, as well as easing labour shortages, academic farming experts have said.The drawback is that the machines in question, while developed in laboratories to an advanced stage, are not yet commercially available in the UK. In an optimistic sc…