ICYMI, my feature for @resprofnews.bsky.social on @ukbiobank.bsky.social: Changing the game for health researchers www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-worl...

As the government promises to set priorities for science, a former adviser warns that a “recalibration” of publicly funded research should not become “an excuse to undermine academic autonomy”. Via @chrisjparr.bsky.social

A two-tier REF would open a can of worms. Baking in inequity benefits neither institutions nor the UK, say Rachel Persad and Emile Bojesen. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-v...

John-Arne Røttingen warns that diluting the research culture element of REF 2029 would be 'a step backwards'.

Economists (@timjackson.org.uk , @jksteinberger.bsky.social) criticise ESRC head (@stianwestlake.bsky.social) Why? Westlake has said ESRC should set a “high bar against” awarding grants for degrowth-related research Jackson has described the move as “anti-scientific”

Edinburgh launches redundancy scheme for senior staff. Latest cost-saving move at major university comes as staff at Sheffield ballot for strikes. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-u...

What's happening with the REF? The next REF 2029 panel announcements have been delayed pending other announcements relating to the exercise “in the next few weeks”. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-r...

Two years on, how has the British Library cyberattack hit research? Great to speak to Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social and Jason Peacey about the ongoing disruption, which is being felt keenly by humanities researchers. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-c...

Free to read: Increased submissions drive Springer Nature profit higher www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-worl...

Gradual recovery in UK student visa applications continues. Statistics show 4,000 more study visa applications in July compared with same month in 2024. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-u...

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

Critics have warned that a new ‘4-star plus’ research rating in the next Research Excellence Framework would be “essentially pointless” for most academics, while exacerbating institutional inequalities.

ICYMI @sophieatrpn.bsky.social revealed on Friday that DSIT has returned £128m of its £337m global R&D fund to the Treasury, having failed to spend it in time Against expectations, though, the International Science Partnerships Fund will keep its ODA element, despite the govt cutting aid spending

Policymakers ‘don’t get HE finances’, says university leader. Academics and politicians among those lacking sector financial understanding, says Anthony Finkelstein. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-u...

More from @chrisjparr.bsky.social on the latest REF changes. A former government advisor says the plan to reduce the People, Culture and Environment weighting reflects "a shift in public and political attitudes" towards DEI initiatives.

Big news for the REF today: @chrisjparr.bsky.social reveals that the People, Culture and Environment weighting is set to be scaled back. The REF team is also considering a new ‘4-star plus’ rating to reflect the “increasing quality of research”. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-r...

Geoengineering: should the UK be more cautious? As MPs voice geoengineering research fears, some experts back concerns—while others want to change perceptions. Via @sophieatrpn.bsky.social. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-r...

Calls are mounting to reinstate the previous REF rules for 2029—though supporters of the new research culture metrics are pushing back. Via @sophieatrpn.bsky.social and @chrisjparr.bsky.social. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-r...

What’s going wrong with university governance? I spoke to @marycurnockcook.bsky.social, @aaronrossporter.bsky.social and @nickhillman.bsky.social about the funding crisis, problems with university governance and what needs to change. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-u...

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...

20 universities generated more than 1 million kWhs of renewable energy in 2023-24. Source: www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-ana...

Jo Johnson, architect of OfS and UKRI, says a ministerial "dereliction of duty" is behind the university funding crisis, while splitting responsibility for universities between the DfE and Dsit has "damaged policymaking". Via @chrisjparr.bsky.social www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-p...

Alan Mak is no longer shadow science secretary (just in case anyone notices the difference). Julia Lopez replaces him, as Kemi Badenoch reshuffles. By @sophieatrpn.bsky.social www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-p...

Good to cover this report in which the Centre for British Progress backs the instruction for the Alan Turing Institute to focus on defence !

No decision on future of EIT yet, says Commission official www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-euro...

Latest feature by me on the UK’s problems with scaling up innovative businesses. A deep tech boss tells me he "wanted to show it was possible, that we could scale one of the world’s most foremost technology companies here in the UK." But does he regret it?

As the UK pivots to defence, a shift towards research security and away from open collaboration is “inevitable”, says Nicola Searle, whose report found security lapses in “sensitive economic areas” “Everyone’s going to have to work on it more because of regulations” she told @annamckie.bsky.social

BBSRC leader on curiosity driven research: "The more cuts there are...or the more constraints, the harder it becomes to protect that thing that makes Britain special, really." I interviewed Anne Ferguson-Smith as BBSRC launches bioscience vision. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-r...

UKRI to scale up ‘radical’ change to peer review, whereby applicants assess each other’s proposals, after a successful trial. Popular on the @resprofnews.bsky.social site. #Metascience2025 www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-r...

A marmite character, but never dull.

Wellcome chief exec on need to "sustain political will to fund science"; to show research's relevance for those on "different side of political spectrum". Excellent @fionamcintyre.bsky.social interview with John-Arne Røttingen at #Metascience2025. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-worl...

Lots of discussion about cuts to science funding in the US at #Metascience2025. Cassidy Sugimoto, a US science policy expert, warned that the cuts could mean China overtakes the US in terms of research spending in 2025. Via @chrisjparr.bsky.social www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-worl...

Patrick Vallance warns against seeing curiosity-driven research as "the easiest thing to cut". Raises the question: precisely who is seeing curiosity-driven research as the easiest thing to cut? Via @fionamcintyre.bsky.social at #metascience2025 www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-p...

Minister’s ‘whimsical’ hint raises hopes for university funding. When to clarify whether she was making a “positive noise” regarding HE funding, Jacqui Smith “sort of twitched an eyebrow in a slightly sort of whimsical way”. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-u...

Great to see the Times following up @francesjones.bsky.social @resprofnews.bsky.social story on Russell Group university research projects being halted by stop notices from Trump administration. www.thetimes.com/uk/science/a...

Better governance at universities "could have avoided" the mass redundancies sweeping across the sector, according to Philip Augar. He told me there needs to be a "much more challenging mindset" among governing bodies in higher education. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-u...

The impact of Trump's cuts to research are being felt in the UK. At least nine research projects at Russell Group universities have been served stop notices by the US government. Via @francesjones.bsky.social www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-u...

Opinion: Regional R&D investment must help tech firms put down roots. Money is welcome, but jobs, growth and tax revenues won’t follow automatically, says Melanie Smallman. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-v...

UK global talent push ‘should not only target US’. Always a pleasure to speak to @graemetr.bsky.social about this sort of thing. Lots of uncertainties about the government's new global talent recruitment scheme, but some definite promise. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-p...

And here are some of the strategy's key points for research www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-p...

University of Dundee leader Shane O’Neill steps down after an independent report found a litany of shortcomings behind the institution's multi-million-pound deficit. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-u...

Our reporters will be bringing you all the latest from #ARMA2025 this week.

Of interest to anyone active in distributing or applying for research grant income. An added factor is the escalation of grant submissions driven by generative AI (which makes grant-writing much quicker) combined with the crisis of peer reviewing (also affected by AI).

At the @hepi-news.bsky.social annual conference in London today. A packed room as ever. Reports to follow. #Hepiac25

Was a pleasure to spend most of the day holed up in London with @fionamcintyre.bsky.social @sophieatrpn.bsky.social @sarahr100.bsky.social @annamckie.bsky.social @johnmorgan3.bsky.social and @robinbisson.bsky.social covering the review. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-p...

Spending review 2025: Follow our live blog for all the latest updates www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-p...

Rachel Reeves is to set £86bn R&D budget over four years at today's spending review. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-p...

Starmer boosts supercomputing for AI research with £1bn. Schemes to attract AI experts to the UK and upskill domestic workers have also been announced. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-p...

UK universities lost £6.2 billion on research grants in 2023-24 as the gap between grants and costs widened. Via @annamckie.bsky.social www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-u...