EPSRC unveils new grand challenges 

The UK Engineering and physical sciences research council has announced four new grand challenges for the chemical sciences and engineering community: utilising carbon dioxide in synthesis and transforming the chemicals industry; 'dial-a-molecule' - 100 per cent efficient synthesis; directed assembly of extended structures with targeted properties and systems chemistry; and exploring the chemical roots of biological organisation. 

Royal Society awards chemists

The UK's Royal Society revealed the winners of its annual awards and medals on 13 July. World-renowned chemists were amongst the winners, including Jeremy Sanders who received the Davy medal for his work in several fields including dynamic combinatorial chemistry, and C N R Rao, who was awarded a Royal medal for his contribution to solid-state and materials chemistry. 

Autumn restart for Large Hadron Collider

Cern director, Rolf Heuer, has confirmed that the Large Hadron Collider (designed to recreate the conditions after the big bang) remains on schedule for a restart this autumn. The particle accelerator's original launch in September 2008 failed, when a faulty connection between two magnets caused it to stop working after just nine days. 

Go Figure 

$100 billion  

The financial aid needed to help developing countries mitigate climate change and make sustainable development plans, according to Gordon Brown, the UK prime minister.