In our university context, the ampersand is mainly found in the formal names of institutions (e.g., Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Overton & Meyer Award), where it should not be replaced with the word and. The ampersand, and not the plus sign, should be used to abbreviate the phrase research and development.



Do not use the ampersand as a substitute for the word and, as this use is generally a feature of informal writing.