At the Indian Science Congress last month, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh pledged to hike R&D expenditures from around $3 billion last year to $8 billion in 2017. The windfall is meant to turbocharge initiatives to create elite research institutions, bring expatriate Indian scientists home, enrich science education, and equip smart new laboratories. Included in this push is South Asia's first biosafety level–4 lab for handling the most dangerous pathogens, slated to be up and running this spring.

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh plans to increase the government's R&D spending and create incentives for the private sector to increase spending on science and technology as well.

In 1905, Sir William Osler, the most influential physician of his time, stepped down from the medical faculty of Johns Hopkins University at the age of 55. At his farewell, he emphasized that the “effective, moving, vitalizing work of the world is done between the ages of 25 and 40—these 15 golden years of plenty.” Many of us, who are old but still active like myself, may like to strongly disagree. But the power of the creative prime in this age group is irrefutable.

A new strategy for addressing climate change takes a realistic approach to the challenge of making science useful, says Ryan Meyer.

Questions have been raised about the transparency and scientific quality of regulatory processes applied in the first open field releases of genetically modified (GM) insects, and there is concern that inappropriate precedents have been set, particularly through generic risk assessments covering multiple species and technologies.

Controlling who is allowed access to information about mutations in the H5N1 bird flu virus is unacceptable, says Peter Palese.

The UK government hopes to squeeze even more out of science — without paying a penny extra. (Editorial)

After years of defensiveness, a siege mentality and the stonewalling of any criticism, a quiet revolution is under way in animal research. What has triggered this change of heart? It's partly down to the economic climate plus fewer new medicines - despite increased investment in research - and the removal of much of the threat from animal rights extremism, in the UK at least. (Editorial)

Even Japan’s political leaders struggle to get answers regarding the Fukushima disaster. It is just the latest example of the government’s lack of independent scientific advice. (Editorial)