'The ERC's credibility rests, to a large extent, on stable, independent and scientifically driven governance (…) shorter mandates would risk weakening the ERC’s capacity to pursue a coherent, long-term scientific strategy' 💬 says EUA's @kamilakozirog.bsky.social to @sophieatrpn.bsky.social

Officially announced today: new deals between UK unis and 'big 5' publishers will trial removing article-processing fees from some journals, effectively making them free for both readers and authors @sophieatrpn.bsky.social was well ahead of the curve on this www.jisc.ac.uk/news/all/lan...

· #AcademicSky · UK to rejoin Erasmus+: “an excellent early Christmas gift,” says president of @eua.eu, Josep Garrell. @sophieatrpn.bsky.social reports via @resprofnews.bsky.social

Exclusive from me for @resprofnews.bsky.social

Head of R&I Policy Julien Chicot shared our views on Horizon Europe's simplification efforts in @resprofnews.bsky.social profnews.bsky.social. Read the article by @sophieatrpn.bsky.social ⤵️

Autumn budget 2025: Live blog. Chancellor Rachel Reeves says Labour will act by “boosting trade, not blocking it; by increasing investment, not cutting it; by championing innovation, not stifling it”. Follow live: www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-r...

UKRI gave PhD stipends a big 8% boost earlier this year, but the London weighting has stayed at £2k - where it's been since 2006 Student unions are saying this doesn't reflect the "economic reality" of living in the capital, and living costs mean the weighting should be £4.5k

A pleasure to speak to Lord Mair for this story - with some pretty stark warnings.

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...

Occasionally you get reminded that what's going on in the US is not normal Since when have UK institutions offered "sanctuary" to US researchers? Erica Nelson from @ids.ac.uk told @sophieatrpn.bsky.social that for health equity scholars “it’s likely to be a pretty scary time”

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...

Spoke to several higher education leaders yesterday about TNE at @universities-uk.bsky.social International's annual TNE conference - the same day that two different institutions agreed deals to open Indian campuses. Thanks to the team at UUKi for having me!

The govt is making much of the promise of AI-powered science (there's a strategy incoming) but will it primarily benefit the most research-intensive universities? Great piece from @sophieatrpn.bsky.social

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...

Revisiting this story I wrote yesterday for @resprofnews.bsky.social - a key announcement on visas for researchers and scientists buried in a press release about funding for primary schools. Mind-boggling...

Yet more warnings to govt on its plan for a levy on universities' international student fees. Levy would push further 14 universities into deficit, including three Russell Group members, MPs on education committee told. By @sophieatrpn.bsky.social www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-u...

Prominent conservative activist Charlie Kirk is shot dead at a Utah university campus; institution remains closed until Monday. There have been 24 shootings at college campuses in the US so far this year. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-usa-...

Academic leaders welcome ‘strong’ State of the Union speech www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-euro...

You've heard of paper mills - what about "reviewer" mills? I spoke to the woman who coined the term as publishers are urged to act on the growing problem For @resprofnews.bsky.social www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-worl...

'According to data from the Home Office released on 14 August, there were 73,500 applications for study visas in July 2025, 4,000 more than July 2024, when there were 69,500 applications.' 1/2

Our Research Offices of the Future survey is closing soon! Take 10 minutes to share your thoughts 👇

My exclusive for @resprofnews.bsky.social - Dsit has given back a third of its ISPF money to the Treasury Good to hear it will continue with the ODA element, but not the best sign that it can't spend all the money it was given in three years...

Interesting one to do about Aria's lofty geoengineering plans... For @resprofnews.bsky.social

The Academy of Medical Sciences has found its new CEO in a top government official - the Office for Life Sciences director Rosalind Campion, with Patrick Vallance singing her praises www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-c... For @resprofnews.bsky.social

Chi Onwurah asking some important questions about the new Global Talent Fund - including why no English universities north of Birmingham were selected as participating institutions. For @resprofnews.bsky.social www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-p...

Lots of changes for REF 2029, with research culture metrics yet to be finalised, and all coming in a university funding crisis. Should the next REF just run on old rules? @sophieatrpn.bsky.social and @chrisjparr.bsky.social hear differing views. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-r...

European Commission aims to suspend Israel's participation in part of Horizon Europe. Relates to review of section of EU-Israel agreement saying relations "shall be based on respect for human rights", Commission says. By @sophieatrpn.bsky.social www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-euro...

While the government is "actively exploring" how it can help universities as concerns rise for certain disciplines, it seems for now, they're left to their own devices: "Any strategy for diversification should be led by universities themselves,” Kyle told the Commons SciTech committee chair

Action stations in Europe...

UKRI's annual report shows a big jump in exit packages last year In 2023-24, there were 38 departures, with exit packages worth £830,000 In 2024-25, there were 141 departures, with exit packages worth nearly £6.6 million Of the 141 departures, 77 left through a voluntary exit scheme

Great to attend the Royal Society's Future of Scientific Publishing conference this week, where @jisc.bsky.social's Liam Earney warned the economic model of open access publishing is "fundamentally broken" By me for @resprofnews.bsky.social

Two senior @ukri.org figures this week have suggested unis could reduce how much research they do “Concentrating on unique and high contributions & concentrating on less research, has the potential to bring the amount of activity into balance with research funding,” Steven Hill told #ARMA25 (1/2)

Happy to be in beautiful Edinburgh for #ARMA2025, where @resprofnews.bsky.social is media partner. Follow our coverage at www.researchprofessionalnews.com/category/arm... - all free to read, with thanks to our team here @sophieatrpn.bsky.social @francesjones.bsky.social @johnmorgan3.bsky.social

Universities ‘not getting politics right’ on funding, Birmingham VC warns www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-u...

“FP10 must be built on excellence, with a predictable, ringfenced budget. It must build on its proven strengths to invest in bottom-up, curiosity-driven research, coupled with effective instruments to benefit society,” said @palmowski.bsky.social - Read @sophieatrpn.bsky.social's piece below ⤵️

Huge congrats to @francesjones.bsky.social , who has been shortlisted as Newcomer of the Year in this year's Association of British Science Writers' Awards 🌟 Frances has made a fantastic impact with her reporting since joining @resprofnews.bsky.social - it's wonderful to see that recognised

After UK and other countries associated to EU's Horizon say they can't join to next R&I programme if subsumed in a competitiveness fund, EU source tells @sophieatrpn.bsky.social they are "confident" of "clear path" for associated countries to join. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-p...

Front page of today's Guardian "reveals" the extent to which Peter Kyle's ministerial diary includes meetings with big tech. If you want a good eg of why UK trade press is important & underrated,it's this @annamckie.bsky.social article...from April. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-p...

Hey look! It's @resprofnews.bsky.social's first @theguardian.com front page A little unfortunate their exclusive analysis of Peter Kyle's meetings came a month after our story

The NIH told Sophie that the policy change, which prevents US grant holders from sharing funds with foreign collaborators, was "a top priority for the president" as part of efforts to increase research integrity ...which stretches credulity

After the NIH said it would clamp down on awards to foreign researchers, an agency insider told @sophieatrpn.bsky.social: “I think scientists will definitely leave the US” “It destroys our reputation in global science…Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined we would be here”

More on the NIH fallout surfacing at INORMS...

"Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined we would be here." Reality of NIH decision on foreign subawards sets in as researchers lose grants - by me for @resprofnews.bsky.social www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-usa-...

Paul Nurse has called for @ukri.org to take "a wider perspective than it has done up until now" as part of a 10-year plan for science Having recommended its creation, Nurse said he had not meant UKRI to be “a super research council, which it is too much, in my view” By @sophieatrpn.bsky.social

The UK is slashing aid spending from 0.5 to 0.3% GDP. The last time cuts on this scale happened, 2 major development research funds were closed down Could this spell the end of another? Peter Taylor from @ids.ac.uk talks to @sophieatrpn.bsky.social about the International Science Partnerships Fund

I'm still looking for PhD students or prospective PhD students to speak to! Please do reach out if you can and please share this!

*sighs in it's not me*

Row between ministers and Lords over definition of research in data bill: Vallance said to "feel strongly" that amendment defining research as being in public interest "could impede genuinely valuable scientific research". Via @sophieatrpn.bsky.social www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-p...

A report for DSIT on "what works to attract and retain people into R&D careers" pointed to a big elephant in the room "Immigration and visa requirements can make it difficult for some to work in the UK" The R&D community has been banging that drum for a while now By @sophieatrpn.bsky.social