Hefce slashes university grants

The Higher education funding council for England (Hefce) has announced cuts in the funding allocations it makes to institutions to cover teaching costs. The cuts were made as part of government-mandated efficiency savings, and were applied across the board of universities and colleges, amounting to a reduction in total teaching funding of 1.4 per cent.  

US restore hydrogen fuel funding

The US government seems to be doing a U-turn on their decision to cut $100 million (£61 million) from hydrogen fuel research funding, as announced by US energy secretary Steven Chu in May (see Chemistry World, June 2009, p5). On 17 July, the House of Representatives voted to put $85 million back into the pot, after scientists defended the programme. 

Germany injects money into CO₂ research

The German government has set up an initiative to invest 100 million (£86 million) to research the use of carbon dioxide as a raw material. The project, called Technology for sustainability and climate control, is expected to develop new processes that recycle the greenhouse gas as a chemical feedstock, such as the development of high-value polymers. 

Say What?

"I wasn't attracted to chemistry by bangs and smells, but by structural beauty."  

Fraser Stoddart, Northwestern University, US, speaking at the Iupac 2009 conference in Glasgow, UK.