Bristol retains HR Excellence in Research Award
The University of Bristol has successfully retained its HR Excellence in Research Award, after being externally evaluated through the Vitae programme.
News in 2017
Major EPSRC grant to develop Gallium Nitride on diamond microwave technology
The University of Bristol has been awarded a £4.3 million grant from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) to lead an important new project to develop Gallium Nitride (GaN)-on-Diamond microwave technology.
New study aims to understand the reasons why Female Genital Cutting persists
The harmful health consequences of Female Genital Cutting (FGC) are well-established and the elimination of this practice is a priority for policy makers across the world.
Spiny, armoured slug reveals ancestry of molluscs
Scientists from the University of Bristol have uncovered a 480-million-year-old slug-like fossil in Morocco which sheds new light on the evolution of molluscs – a diverse group of invertebrates that includes clams, snails and squids.
Professor Roger Parsons, 1927-2017
Professor Roger Parsons FRS, a former member of the School of Chemistry, passed away on 7 January. His colleague Roger Alder offers a tribute.
Celebrating research and teaching excellence at Bristol
The University held the inaugural celebration of CREATE, its continuing professional development scheme for academics, on 31 January.
Research review shows that safety is valued too low
New research has shown that the benchmark used by the Office for Nuclear Regulation for judging how much should be spent on nuclear safety has no basis in evidence and places insufficient value on human life. The review suggests it may need to be ten times higher - between £16 million and £22 million per life saved.
The good, the bad and the ugly – the many roles of mushrooms
A new review that investigates the true magic of mushrooms and the many roles they play in our lives, in science and in nature has been published by scientists from the University of Bristol.
Calling all guinea pig owners
Academics from the University of Bristol’s School of Veterinary Sciences are asking for guinea pig owners to take part in a new research study on how pet guinea pigs are kept in the UK by completing an online questionnaire.
Discover LGBT History this month
The University and Bristol Students’ Union are marking LGBT History Month with a range of events, including a panel discussion, a film screening and the launch of a new set of classroom resources developed by Bristol researchers.
Bristol academic explores the secret lives of five-year-olds
Professor Paul Howard-Jones from the University of Bristol will feature in the return of a popular Bafta award-nominated series broadcast this week [2 Feb] which explores the differences between boys and girls in a new intake of fascinating five-year-olds.
Lost in translation: traffic noise disrupts communication between species
Research by scientists at the University of Bristol has found that man-made noise can hinder the response of animals to the warning signals given by other species, putting them at greater risk of death from predators.
Economic study explains sheep disease treatment choices
Research from the University of Bristol has developed new insights into how farmers treat their sheep for disease.
Computer Science student lands an Apple internship
Gareth Carless, a second-year Computer Science student at Bristol, has secured a prestigious internship at Apple.
Celebrating our stars
The winners of the Professional Services Excellence Awards have been announced.
Bristol welcomes the Year of the Rooster
Students and staff from the University will help visitors at Bristol Museum & Art Gallery celebrate Chinese New Year in traditional style, with lion dance performances, martial arts, storytelling, family trails, arts and craft activities, live music and much more on Saturday and Sunday 4 and 5 February].
New project aims to build resilience to earthquakes in the remote Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan
A new interdisciplinary project led by researchers at the University of Bristol aims to develop resilience and research capacity in the Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan to cope with earthquakes and their cascading effects on the country's environment, business, infrastructure, and society.
'Great West' region can make the UK a global leader, say Vice-Chancellors and industry leaders
South West England and South East Wales can recapture the ambitious vision of Isambard Kingdom Brunel as a hyper-connected, smart and specialist region, MPs have heard.
SETsquared supporting Oracle Startup Cloud Accelerator launching in Bristol
SETsquared, the global No.1 university business incubator, is excited to be working with tech giant Oracle on its newly launched Oracle Startup Cloud Accelerator (OSCA).
Bristol wins international award as a Learning City
Bristol has won the UNESCO Learning City Award 2017 – one of 16 cites selected by an international panel of judges, from over 50 applicants worldwide.
A brain wide chemical signal that enhances memory
How does heightened attention improve our mental capacity? This is the question tackled by new University of Bristol research published today in the journal Cell Reports, which reveals a chemical signal released across the brain in response to attention demanding or arousing situations.
Widening access and participation in higher education
Our widening participation research seminar brought together professionals, politicians and researchers from across the country to learn about the impact of pioneering research projects at the University.
Professor Colin Dayan returns to the University of Bristol
Diabetes expert begins a joint role linking his current post at Cardiff University with a new appointment as Professor of Diabetes and Endocrinology at the University of Bristol.
Dr Sue Porter, 1954-2017
Dr Sue Porter, Senior Research Fellow in the School for Policy Studies, passed away on 11 January. Her colleague Beth Tarleton offers a tribute.
Researchers develop software which measures working memory in a more accessible way
A new app, developed at the University of Bristol, which provides an accessible measure of working memory, the ability to hold, manipulate and process information for short periods has been showcased on Channel 4.
New Non-Executive Chairman joins Bristol Is Open
Graeme Hobbs has joined Bristol Is Open as its new Non-Executive Chairman, commencing his role from 2 January 2017. Together with the rest of the Board he will further develop the project in order to successfully make Bristol the first open programmable city in the world.
IoT Boost programme now open for applications
SETsquared Business Acceleration Centre has partnered with High Tech Bristol and Bath, Engine Shed, and the University of the West of England to deliver the IoT Boost programme in Bristol & Bath.
Professor Roy Parker, 1931-2017
Roy Parker, the first Professor in the Department of Social Work and Administration in the university, has died aged 85 in Devon. His former colleague Hilary Land offers a remembrance.
Professor Bob Chambers, 1924-2016
Robert G (Bob) Chambers, Professor of Physics and Professor Emeritus in the School of Physics, died in Southmead Hospital on December 17, 2016 with complications following a fall. His former colleagues and friends Professors Emeriti Bob Evans and Mike Springford offer a remembrance.
Brain’s connections which keep related memories distinct from each other, identified in new study
Neuroscientists at the University of Bristol are a step closer to understanding how the connections in our brain which control our episodic memory work in sync to make some memories stronger than others. The findings, published in Nature Neuroscience, reveal a previously unsuspected division of memory function in the pathways between two areas of the brain, and suggest that certain subnetworks within the brain work separately, to enhance the distinctiveness of memories.
New project aims to improve diversity in arts and humanities research
How universities and black and minority ethnic communities* work together will be the focus of a new UK-wide project. Common Cause is a new collaborative arts and humanities initiative will map routes to greater inclusion that enable the UK’s diverse population to fully participate in research and collaborations.
Bristol prepares for University Challenge quarter-final test
The University of Bristol’s quiz team faces a crucial quarter-final tie against Corpus Christi, Oxford, on Monday [23 January] as its University Challenge journey continues.
Preparing for the "fourth industrial revolution" and a future of quantum computing
Imagine in 2025 that quantum computers, while relatively expensive, are reliable, hugely powerful and able to circumvent strong encryption up to 256 bits. How should business, government and civil society prepare for such a future?
Disabled people reveal their experiences of social care
At a time when Social Care in England is at a ‘tipping point’, according to the Care Quality Commission, it is vital that local authorities find ways of working together with people who use social care services. With that goal in mind, a group of disabled people have recently carried out research in co-production with researchers at the University of Bristol.
Artificial fingertip that ‘feels’ wins Harvard's robotics competition
An open-source 3D-printed fingertip that can ‘feel’ in a similar way to the human sense of touch has won Harvard University's international Soft Robotics competition for its contribution to soft robotics research.
Birds of a feather flock together to confuse potential predators
Scientists from the Universities of Bristol and Groningen, in The Netherlands, have created a computer game style experiment which sheds new light on the reasons why starlings flock in massive swirling groups over wintering grounds.
GW4 joins industry partners to develop 'first of its kind' supercomputer
GW4 Alliance, together with Cray Inc. and the Met Office, has been awarded £3m by EPSRC to deliver a new Tier 2 high performance computing (HPC) service for UK-based scientists.
Artist joins forces with scientists to alter our perceptions
This year sees the beginning of what promises to be a visually and intellectually enlightening year for world-renowned installation artist Luke Jerram and University of Bristol researchers.
Eating disorders are affecting more UK women in their 40s and 50s than expected, finds new study
In a UK study of 5,320 women, three per cent were found to have an active eating disorder in mid-life, a figure higher than expected as eating disorders are primarily associated with adolescence or early adulthood. The research, using data from the University of Bristol’s Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children cohort, is published in the open access journal BMC Medicine.
New guidelines could help improve research into vascular cognitive impairment
New guidelines have been developed that it is hoped will help to progress research into vascular cognitive impairment (VCI) following a study led by academics at the University of Bristol that brought together the views of over 150 researchers in 27 countries.