UKRI's allocation of budget up to 2030 just out. More about 'buckets' than just allocations for individual research councils this time round. Spending on curiosity-driven research flat, while budget linked to govt priorities, innovation will rise. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-r...

Just out: Four major publishers agree deals with UK university sector after long-running talks. Elsevier, Springer Nature, Taylor & Francis and Wiley have met "sector-agreed thresholds for acceptance", says Jisc. Via @robinbisson.bsky.social www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-o...

Patrick Vallance on REF as scaling back of research culture metric is announced: "That is a fundamental thing that REF needs to do: make sure that we really assess the outputs—where are they world class…and where are they not so?" www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-r...

All the info on this morning's major announcement on REF 2029 - including scaling back/renaming of new research culture metric. via @chrisjparr.bsky.social www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-r...

Claire Gorrara is a key champion for the humanities as new dean of the School of Advanced Study. She tells @fionamcintyre.bsky.social some "losses" are inevitable, but maps out new futures for the humanities in era of "challenge and reinvention". www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-c...

UKRI's new CEO wants shift from "transactional" short-term grants to strategic relations with universities, based on "continuity and commitment". Ian Chapman in his first sit-down interview - with @resprofnews.bsky.social @robinbisson.bsky.social www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-r...

‘No one seems to care’: scholars decry plight of British Library Historian Peter Mandler said it was “a sorry state when a major piece of public infrastructure like this is hit so badly and no one in authority even seems to notice, much less care”. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-c...

Exclusive: Publishers to trial removing fees from some journals in UK deals. Agreements under negotiation will include open access pilots hailed as “fundamental shift in business model”. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-o...

Is Europe's best economic hope to follow Silicon Valley model of tech-led innovation? Four economists, incl @neillee.bsky.social, debate a big question prompted by Philippe Aghion's Nobel prize for economics win and his agenda for European R&D. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-euro...

"I think we’re at a moment of testing the unity in Europe, seeing if we can actually be a united player [in] science and research." As Denmark holds EU council presidency, @francesjones.bsky.social hears from its science minister, Christina Egelund. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-euro...

Confirmed in Treasury budget document: QR research funding (used by unis to back curiosity-driven research) and Higher Education Innovation Funding "protected in real terms over spending review period [2026-30]—a cumulative increase of over £425m". www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-r...

Reaction to flat-fee £925 per student international levy: "Bad day for sector", in particular smaller unis, says Nick Hillman of @hepi-news.bsky.social. Levy means "serious damage to UK’s growth prospects", warns Northern Powerhouse Partnership. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-p...

Here's the DfE consultation document on international student fee levy, just gone live. "Providers will pay a simple flat fee of £925 per student per year, which will not be introduced until 2028/29." consult.education.gov.uk/internationa...

Budget document confirms protection on QR: "To support economic contribution of UK’s universities, UKRI’s investment in core quality-related block grant and Higher Education Innovation Funding will be protected in real terms over Spending Review period, a cumulative increase of over £425 million."

International student fee levy details confirmed in Budget document: flat fee charged on institutions "of £925 per student per year of study, starting in August 2028 academic year 2028-29". No charge for first 220 students per year. assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6926eb...

I actually laughed out loud at this intro: Is Haldane dead? The short answer is “yes”. Richard Burdon Haldane died in 1928. Great feature on an important topic.

UKRI will be "more interventionist, more directive" than in past, its new chief exec says. UKRI now has new set of objectives, including protecting curiosity-driven research and ensuring its portfolio is "aligned with delivering govt’s priorities". www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-r...

Liz Kendall talked about Haldane principle this week as she set out (broadly) how UKRI would spend 4-year, £38.6bn budget. @chrisjparr.bsky.social looks at whether Haldane under threat from more interventionist govt - or whether it is misunderstood. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-p...

The Alan Turing Institute's travails have made it subject of ministerial interventions and think tank reports. @resprofnews.bsky.social reports on internal documents showing projects/positions cut in reform programme at UK's data and AI institute. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-c...

German MEP René Repasi leads for European Parliament on parts of legislation for EU's next Horizon Europe. The ex-academic tells @resprofnews.bsky.social he is "very much afraid" its budget will be "hijacked in order to finance defence spending". www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-euro...

Research Offices of the Future 2025 is out: @resprofnews.bsky.social report on surveys of 1,100 research office staff and 1,400 researchers, looking at future challenges. One finding: a third of research office staff using AI for core funding tasks. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-worl...

Aria, the "high-risk, high-reward" research funder created by Dominic Cummings, has named its next chief executive. Kathleen Fisher is a former senior leader at the US Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (the model for Aria). www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-r...

'Tracey, who has seen numerous REF cycles over a nearly 30-year career at Oxford, said: “I’ve been very clear that the REF has to do what it says on the can. It’s about research excellence and that has to be the predominant thing it’s trying to measure."' When did the tin become a can? 1/3

Norwegian govt says 10 out of 13 researchers coming to Norway under international talent scheme are leaving US. Research minister talks about academic freedom being "under pressure" in US, and "unpredictable position" for many US researchers. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-euro...

Call for university and Horizon Europe reform in Tony Blair Institute report on how Europe can be tech power. (Counter argument: if there are so many barriers here, maybe Europe should be trying to compete on kinds of innovation that aren't tech.) www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-euro...

Oxford v-c Irene Tracey with some carefully phrased caution/criticism around REF people, culture and environment metric, plus govt's international student fee levy, in interview with @resprofnews.bsky.social @francesjones.bsky.social. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-u...

Larry Ellison putting £billions of private money into UK R&D via Ellison Institute of Technology in Oxford. @francesjones.bsky.social heard from an EIT leader on importing US "go big, fail fast attitude", and Ellison being "close to the scientists". www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-i...

Commons science committee chair Chi Onwurah warns UK is "performing less well" in parts of EU's Horizon Europe since Brexit. Comes after @resprofnews.bsky.social reveals UK expects a rebate on £2bn it paid to join, after winning less than forecast. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-p...

'“There is a generation of young scholars who are finding themselves stuck in what feels like a period of protracted adolescence,” wrote one young academic earlier this year, in a series of blogs on the early career researcher experience published by the Society for the Study of French History.' 1/3

How early career researchers are at the sharp end of the university jobs crisis. "It’s really squeezing people out because there aren’t opportunities for them to go into, and then the people who remain in jobs have their workloads squeezed." www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-u...

When getting your money back is a bad thing: UK expecting a rebate on £2bn paid to EU to join its research programme in 2024, @resprofnews.bsky.social reveals. UK fared worse than expected in winning Horizon Europe grants. By @annamckie.bsky.social www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-p...

UKRI's 2026-30 budget allocation announced by govt today. Interesting to see in that a Dsit pledge for “new, more agile approach” to managing all its R&D funding, allowing it to "deprioritise investment not delivering outcomes expected”. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-p...

UKRI leader Ian Chapman on its £38.6bn four-year budget: "strong platform to deliver on each part of our mission to advance knowledge, improve lives, drive growth". UKRI will focus on delivering mission "in areas where UK can lead on global stage". www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-p...

UKRI budget for 2026-30 announced: totals £38.6bn. Rises to around £9.2bn in 26-27, up from £8.8bn. Reaches nearly £10bn in 29-30. Dsit pledging "more agile" R&D funding, allowing it to "deprioritise investment not delivering outcomes expected". www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-p...

Ex-UKRI head Ottoline Leyser on the REF: "We’ve made it about individuals...and that’s something we really need to break." On volume of research: "We need to...think very hard about how effectively to do less." By @sophieatrpn.bsky.social www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-r...

Research is being hit by National Archives fears over GDPR, warns academic involved in talks over closure of records. Really interesting piece that spotlights wider "conflict" between research and personal data laws, as archives fear legal action. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-u...

A two-track REF 2029, seen as increasingly likely prospect, "could create a two-tier research ecosystem with major long-term—and unnecessary—negative consequences", one sector body warns. @francesjones.bsky.social @fionamcintyre.bsky.social report www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-r...

Another delay to the research culture metric planned for next REF - may raise more questions on its future. PCE pilot results were due for publication by end of October - now not coming until REF pause ends in December. By @robinbisson.bsky.social www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-r...

"The implications of opening Horizon Europe to dual-use and military research are wide and deep. Researchers and their institutions need cast-iron assurances...it will remain a civilian research programme," says Jan Palmowski of @guildeu.bsky.social. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-euro...

Linking Horizon Europe to EU competitiveness fund, and opening it to projects with military potential, could transform the bloc's research and innovation programme. Worries on these two huge changes are lingering, as @clanicholson.bsky.social hears. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-euro...

"The war-readiness of modern democracies depends just as much on universities...and civil institutions as it does on the fearsomeness of our weaponry." @chrisjparr.bsky.social looks at what Europe's defence spending boom could mean for research. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-euro...

Larry Ellison's Oxford-based institute unveils plan to spend £10bn over 10 years on "science programmes, scholarships and talent" - on top of £890m announced last week to build campus. Raises big questions on what kind of research will be funded. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-i...

Govt's post-16 education white paper plans spell "more efforts and powers behind the drive for both specialisation between institutions and for economic growth", including in research, writes @andywestwood.bsky.social. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-v...

Push for specialisation in university research; potential for a “more focused volume of research"; REF reforms to "better incentivise excellence" - @robinbisson.bsky.social pulls out key parts of govt's research plan in post-16 education white paper www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-p...

“On the one hand, universities are being urged quietly to see if we can get US talent…but at the same time, it’s getting more difficult,” UEA deputy vice-chancellor Steven McGuire tells @sophieatrpn.bsky.social Someone else called 10-year qualifying time for settled status simply..."bonkers"

Generative AI performs better than citation data for judging quality of academic papers, suggesting a potential use for AI in the REF, according to a (preprint) study. By @francesjones.bsky.social www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-r...

Will govt's tougher route to UK settled status deter foreign researchers? Could add £5k-£7k per person, Royal Society figures shared with @resprofnews.bsky.social suggest. @sophieatrpn.bsky.social spotlights another immigration issue for research. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-p...

There's a German research funder where staff get told they should "love failures" and being taken to court on funding decisions is good - because it shows they were taking risks. @francesjones.bsky.social speaks to Cyberagentur's Christian Hummert. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-euro...

AI in peer review: best to accept "genie is out of the bottle" and agree some guidelines? Or is AI use going to mask structural problems in peer review? @fionamcintyre.bsky.social hears from publishers and academics on where to draw the line. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-worl...

The next Horizon Europe is set to open up to fund projects with both civil and military potential. Could that undermine civilian nature of the EU's research and innovation programme? @sophieatrpn.bsky.social hears views on key dual-use questions. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-euro...