Author: hm903488

by

Funding success from research councils up by a third in 2016/17

Reading was fifth in the UK for funding from the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)

Researchers at the University of Reading won a record amount of research funding from the UK Research Councils in 2016/17, a new analysis has shown.

Funding for Reading-led research projects from the six main research councils increased to £14.5 million in 2016/17, up by more than 40% from 2015/16.

The success was highlighted by an analysis of Research Council success rates by Times Higher Education (THE).

Continue reading →

by

Bees, climate and food: the Reading research listed among world’s elite

Reading’s research on bees and pollinators is among the highest profile in the world – Picture (c) Dara Stanley

Ecology, climate and food science have helped to put the University of Reading in a group of the world’s elite research institutions in a new analysis of the most cited scientific papers.

The Clarivate Highly Cited Researchers table lists more than 3,300 most cited scientists in the world – those who have published a high number of papers ranking in the top 1% most-cited in their respective fields over the last 11 years.

Continue reading →

by

Poems about places and pasts: an extract from ‘On Magnetism’

Steven Matthews is professor of English Literature, University of Reading. His latest book of poetry, On Magnetism, was launched this week. It features poems about loss and remembrance, about the relation of the Renaissance and the Classical worlds to our own, and about locales within lives. 

The following poem is reproduced by kind permission of the publisher. It is followed by a reflection on the poem, and its place within the book, by Steven Matthews.

Continue reading →

by

Give 45 minutes, some blood, and help save lives

Doctors often prescribe drugs to treat people who are at risk of heart attacks or strokes. But as every patient is slightly different, which drugs are likely to work best?

Platelets under the microscope

It’s an important question. Now researchers need your help – and a small sample of your blood – to help provide an answer.

Can you help us to investigate what factors influence platelet function?

We are a group of researchers from the Institute of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Research at the University of Reading and we are currently recruiting volunteers for a study (METPLAR) funded by the British Heart Foundation. This study is investigating how different levels of metabolic factors within the blood, such as hormones and fats, can affect platelet function.

Find out how you can volunteer…

Continue reading →

by

Volunteers wanted for grape seed trial

The School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences is currently recruiting volunteers aged 18-30 (with English as a first language) for a 13 week study investigating the effects of a grape seed extract supplement on cognition.

There is a payment of £100 for successfully completing the study.

Email l.bell@reading.ac.uk  or call Lynne Bell on 0118 378 8313 for further details.

Continue reading →

by

1917-2017: the social legacy of a socialist revolution

By Andy Willimott, Lecturer in Modern Russian and Soviet History, University of Reading

With the centenary of the 1917 October Revolution approaching, historians who focus on this period, like me, find ourselves in demand. As well as highlighting the facts of Russia’s second revolution that year, we often find ourselves focusing on the turning points, the personalities, and the politics.

Of course, it’s impossible to view the events of 1917 without considering those that followed. The popular uprising of that momentous year could be viewed as a mere punctuation mark in a story that takes in five-year plans, Stalin, the Gulag and a reign of Terror.

But the socialist revolution in Russia was about more than just Lenin, Trotsky, Stalin, and the birth of a new state.

Continue reading →

by

More success for researchers in Heritage & Creativity

Researchers from across the Heritage and Creativity theme at the University of Reading have started the new academic term strongly with several funding awards and the publication of new books.

Professor Roberta Gilchrist, Research Dean for Heritage & Creativity, said: “My congratulations to all our colleagues with good news to share.

“While the new university year has just begun, the summer is actually one of the busiest periods for research. Our researchers mark the new academic year with major new publications, grants, honours, and research events.”

Reading researchers with good news to share across the arts and humanities include the following:

Continue reading →

by

Top UN expert’s resignation spells trouble for defenders of LGBT rights

United Nations, Geneva | Creative Commons/by Ludovic Courtès

by Rosa Freedman, School of Law, University of Reading

Vitit Muntarbhorn, the UN’s first Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, has resigned after a just year in his post, citing ill health and caring responsibilities. Before stepping down, he will deliver his second and final report. This is just the latest development in a long-running UN battle over LGBT rights – and it could herald a new attempt to undermine international efforts to protect and promote the fundamental human rights of LGBT individuals.

Continue reading →