AIM Institute

China has introduced 15-year research grants aimed at attracting the world's brightest young scientists, according to the South China Morning Post. The long-term funding scheme signals an effort to draw top international research talent to Chinese institutions and strengthen the country's standing in global science and innovation.

The European Central Bank has launched Pontes, a new platform for settling transactions in digital securities. The move is part of the Eurosystem's broader work on blockchain and digital market infrastructure, aiming to let financial institutions settle digital asset trades using central bank money. The initiative is drawing attention across European banking and fintech circles as a step toward modernising euro-area settlement systems.

The US National Institutes of Health has launched Linked Discoveries, an experimental new PubMed tool aimed at strengthening research replication and reproducibility. The announcement is circulating among science and technology communities, with observers highlighting the effort to help researchers verify and build on published findings more easily.

The Guardian reports that Silicon Valley's leading AI figures, who aim to transform society through artificial intelligence, are being caught off guard by democratic forces. The piece suggests the industry's power players failed to anticipate public and political resistance to their sweeping plans. It frames a growing tension between technologists' ambitions and the accountability that democratic institutions demand.

Pope Leo is visiting France with the stated aim of restoring public trust in the Catholic Church. The visit is being covered as an effort to rebuild confidence in Church institutions amid ongoing scrutiny. Details of his itinerary and specific remarks remain limited in early coverage.

Piotr Serafin, the EU Commissioner for Budget, Anti-Corruption and Public Administration, said in an interview that EU bonds are AAA-grade safe assets and pitched investment in them as a way to strengthen ties between the European Union and the Republic of Korea. His remarks aim to encourage Korean institutional investors to buy EU debt while deepening bilateral financial and political relations between Brussels and Seoul.

Physicist and broadcaster Jim Al-Khalili will present the 2026 Royal Institution Christmas Lectures, taking on the mysteries of time. The announcement, reported by Laboratory News, signals another high-profile scientist delivering the annual lecture series, which has long aimed to bring complex science to young audiences and the wider public.

Adtech company 33Across has rebranded as WealthStage, shifting to an advertising platform aimed at banks, trading apps, lenders, brokers and insurers. The platform uses an AI engine to score household wealth, positioning itself for an estimated $124 trillion in wealth changing hands by 2048. Industry observers are questioning which data sources feed the system and what parts of the 33Across business remain.

MI5 has issued an unprecedented public warning about a new Chinese espionage threat aimed at British academics. The Security Service says a Chinese institute is secretly attempting to exploit the expertise of UK universities and research bodies to help Beijing develop more powerful technology. The warning urges researchers and institutions to be vigilant about approaches from individuals or organisations linked to the Chinese state.

French research institute CEA-Leti and quantum computing startup Quobly have announced an expanded collaboration aimed at accelerating the development of next-generation silicon-based quantum technologies. The partnership builds on their existing work and focuses on advancing silicon qubit technology as a route toward scalable quantum computing. Details of the agreement, including financial terms and specific milestones, have not been disclosed in initial reports.

The American Alliance of Museums has endorsed the Smithsonian Integrity and Historical Independence Act of 2026, legislation introduced in Congress by Representatives Stanbury (D-NM) and Jackson. The bill aims to protect the Smithsonian Institution's independence from political interference, and the AAM says congressional action is needed to safeguard the museum and research complex's autonomy.

The US Securities and Exchange Commission has unveiled new proposals aimed at giving retail investors greater access to private market assets such as private equity and private credit. The move would loosen long-standing barriers that have largely reserved these investments for wealthy and institutional investors. Market watchers are weighing the opportunities for ordinary investors against concerns about disclosure, liquidity and the risks of complex private holdings.

The Institute for Justice, a US public interest law firm, has launched a new Education Entrepreneurship Project aimed at supporting people starting educational businesses as schools reopen and workers return for the fall. The initiative reportedly combines the group's litigation and advocacy work with efforts to help education entrepreneurs overcome regulatory barriers, tapping into renewed attention on schooling and work at the start of the academic year.

Finastra has introduced SCF, a software solution designed to help banks deliver supply chain finance faster. The product is aimed at streamlining how financial institutions offer financing to businesses across their supply chains, reducing processing times and operational friction. Details on pricing, launch partners and customer adoption were not included in the initial announcement.

NASA's Science Mission Directorate has put out a call for volunteer reviewers to evaluate research proposals. The agency regularly relies on scientists from universities and research institutions to assess grant applications across its science programs, and this notice invites qualified experts to take part in the peer review process. It is aimed at researchers willing to contribute time to reviewing upcoming science submissions.

The National Videogame Museum in the United Kingdom has launched a nationwide survey dedicated to the conservation of video games. The initiative aims to gather information that could help preserve gaming history for future generations. It highlights growing concerns in the industry and among cultural institutions that games, as digital and fragile media, risk being lost without coordinated preservation efforts.

Researchers are turning to wildlife tracking technology to address long-standing gaps in scientific understanding of monarch butterfly migration. The effort aims to map the insects' routes and behaviour more precisely than traditional tagging methods have allowed. Details about the specific technology, the institutions involved and the study's timeline remain limited, but the work targets one of the best-known yet still incompletely understood migrations in the insect world.

The Computational Relativistic Astrophysics department at the Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics in Potsdam has announced the opening of postdoctoral appointments. Each available position will run for two to three years, with details and application information published on the institute's website. The announcement is aimed at researchers in gravitational physics, numerical relativity and astrophysics seeking postdoctoral work in Germany.

Researchers report a technique for controlling electron motion using three-dimensional sculpted light fields, a physics advance described on EurekAlert. By shaping light in three dimensions, scientists aim to direct electrons with greater precision, with potential implications for ultrafast science and future electronic or photonic technologies. Details of the team, institutions and applications were not provided in the available coverage.

The Cato Institute is drawing attention to an article it says is essential reading for anyone who practices or funds health policy. The libertarian think tank's message is aimed at policymakers and funders, suggesting current approaches to health policy are flawed or under-informed. Details of the article's arguments are not provided in the headline alone.

The US Securities and Exchange Commission has put forward amendments aimed at broadening retail investors' access to alternative investments, a category traditionally reserved for accredited or institutional investors. The proposal, reported by planadviser, could reshape how ordinary investors access private assets, and advisers are watching closely for what it would mean for retirement and wealth management products.