Very sad news today: Research Professional News to discontinue publication at end of 2026. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-o...

An STFC evaluation lays bare ‘huge damage’ if cuts go ahead Advisers are warning of a “major crisis” for UK research as an impact assessment is sent to ministers. Reporting by @francesjones.bsky.social www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-r...

Brexit 10 years on: as bad as universities feared? A decade after the vote, universities are still grappling with consequences in research and recruitment. Via @harrietswain.bsky.social www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-u...

Revealed: Office for Students spent almost £450,000 on Sussex court case. One of the most-read stories on our site this week. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-u...

Visa applications to study in UK at lowest ebb in four years. Applications during the year to May 2026 dipped below 400,000, ahead of tighter compliance regime. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-u...

Can ‘high-stress’ interviews for grants save a system under pressure? Funders are using interviews to manage demand, but some worry about the consequences for applicants. Via @harrietswain.bsky.social. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-worl...

New long read by me: Is academic freedom under threat in Europe? Despite Orbán’s ousting and upcoming legal protections, the continent is being urged to act I enjoyed writing this one. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-euro...

Peer-reviewed papers are ‘old hat science’, says millionaire investor. Candy Crush businessman Mel Morris says universities “must embrace AI” to transform into economic powerhouses. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-i...

Could basic research income help fix a funding system in crisis? Thanks to Matthew Smith @healthhistory.bsky.social, Jonathan Grant @jonathancgrant.bsky.social and others for sharing their thoughts. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-worl...

European countries are struggling to improve research careers at a time when funding calls are “severely oversubscribed”, as the Dutch Research Council has put it. Via @francesjones.bsky.social www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-euro...

Plans to cut more than 600 jobs at the University of Nottingham “pose significant systemic risks to elite-level research”, the UCU has warned. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-u...

After Orbán: what next for Hungary’s researchers? Five experts weigh up the damage done by authoritarianism, and they set out what needs to change. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-euro...

Not long after rejoining Horizon Europe, Switzerland could lose access to EU funding once again. This would be 'catastrophic' for Swiss research, leaders have warned. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-euro...

Getting ONS R&D stats 2 years after the fact always feels a bit...old news BUT, I do think there's some interesting stuff in there Namely, that while there were two years of real-terms growth in UK public R&D spending of ~9%, this pretty much took place outside funding for the university sector 🧵

There's definitely a reshaping of UK research going on Some of it is intentional - govt encouraging unis to specialise, UKRI directing funds for applied R&I to industrial strategy areas Some of it isn't - unis taking individual decisions to save costs that add up to impact on national capacity 🧵

Researchers say Hungary ‘should move fast on Horizon to end nationalist bubble’. They want to see Orbán-era university policies axed and action taken to regain access to Horizon Europe. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-euro...

David Comerford: incentivising rigorous peer review would be a first line of defence against the rising tide of “resmearch”, where special interest groups or firms use AI to trawl large, public datasets and produce findings that seem to support their product or stance'. 1/3

Researchers not happy about a 12-month wait to resubmit unsuccessful bids for MRC research grants Applicants had no idea in Sept 25 that the funding rate would be lower (possibly much lower) than in previous years BUT...important difference between the call text, and the MRC line to RPN though ...

Resubmission embargo branded ‘unfair’ as MRC calls reopen. Researchers caught out by reduced funding rates barred from re-applying for 12 months “unless invited”. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-r...

Can we fight AI-driven 'bullshit science' with better peer review? Great to speak to @stir.ac.uk's David Comerford about his idea for a peer review points system designed to tackle the rising tide of 'resmearch'. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-u...

Do falling success rates mean ‘the entire system needs a rethink’? My piece exploring whether anything other than more funding can ease applicants' frustrations. Thanks to @gemmaderrick.bsky.social, Karen Stroobants and others for their insights. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-euro...

Can UKRI’s Sheffield showcase boost people’s support for R&D? Great to hear views from @sciencecampaign.bsky.social, Vivienne Parry and @andywestwood.bsky.social on whether schemes like these make a difference. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-r...

Do we need a national strategy to end the ‘gridlock’ in achieving open access for books? A @britishacademy.bsky.social report calls for a joined-up approach, as "the systems are not currently in place to make it work". www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-o...

Fantastic long read from @francesjones.bsky.social on why the physics cuts ‘could hurt government’s dash for growth’. Shrinking the UK's pool of experts, particularly early career researchers, will 'hurt UK industry over the long term'. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-r...

Double-take detail in this interview with Edith Heard, head of the Crick Her French husband decided against getting a spouse visa because of the UK's "intrusive" immigration rules If that's happening with one of the UK's most senior scientists, how many others are being put off completely?

Great to speak to Cefin Campbell about @plaidcymru.bsky.social's plans for research and universities if the party wins the May election in Wales.

Universities are wasting up to £4.7bn each year through outdated digital systems. This is stifling innovation and research, @jisc.bsky.social has warned. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-u...

Universities urged not to ‘drag feet’ on engaging with populists Institutions must engage now or risk US-style crackdown on academic freedom and research, @hepi-news.bsky.social paper says www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-p...

Research networks are ‘diminishing by the day’ thanks to the surging number of redundancies in UK universities. Via @chrisjparr.bsky.social www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-u...

Researchers need the UK to secure autonomy in AI. In hostile world, copyright changes and investment can bring sovereignty and innovation, says Ben White. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-v...

UK university unions demand pay rise 3% above inflation Employers describe claim as “extremely challenging” in current financial climate www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-u...

UK visa rules have ‘negative impact’, say prize-winning scientists. Foreign-born winners of Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists describe barriers to working in UK. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-p...

There is a “national catastrophe” unfolding as universities close modern languages courses. University of Birmingham VC Adam Tickell told the @britishacademy.bsky.social conference that important “cultural assets” are being lost “by stealth”. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-u...

Birmingham v-c Adam Tickell made some really interesting comments at @britishacademy.bsky.social conference. Called university languages closures a "national catastrophe", said uni mergers may be needed to address it. Not many v-cs are willing to take public stand on national sector issues.

How can the EU hit its 3% R&D spending target? Given the challenges facing Europe, that target has been described as the "bare minimum". Great to speak to Mattias Björnmalm @bearore.bsky.social and others about this issue. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-euro...

UKRI details how ‘buckets’ model relates to previous spending Comparison given after pressure from MPs, as experts question funder classifying QR as curiosity-driven research www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-r...

Fears over STFC cost-savings plan aired since September 2025. Oversight body repeatedly raised concerns over “lack of transparency” with research community. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-r...

Job losses at research-intensive universities doubled in two years. The scale of redundancies revealed by RPN has been branded a “disaster” for UK research capacity. Via @chrisjparr.bsky.social. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-u...

For the next REF, the rules are changing. Researchers can't 'port' their outputs to a new employer - with an exception for long-form outputs. While some are happy with the rules, others warn of a 'backlash' amid widespread redundancies. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-r...

I sent FOI requests to all 34 members of the Russell Group and Research Plus to collate this data, though only 24 replied on time. Still a decent sample. Not happy reading.

Job losses at UK research-intensive universities double in two years. Exclusive: Scale of redundancies branded a “disaster”. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-u...

Wales sees steeper fall than other UK nations in university staff. Employee numbers at Welsh institutions declined by 2.8 per cent in 2024-25. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-u...

Exempt PhDs from international fee levy, ministers urged. University groups warn imposing fee on overseas doctoral students would “harm research talent pipeline”. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-u...

I spoke to scientists and former directors of NCAR for @resprofnews.bsky.social as they rally to save the important climate research centre www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-usa-...

Ian Chapman has promised UKRI will be ‘consulting widely’ on its funding reforms. He also acknowledged the "anxiety" among researchers around the changes, which have seen funding calls paused. Via @annamckie.bsky.social. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-r...

ICYMI: Physics cuts put livelihoods, investment and reputation at risk. Cutting the UK out of the Electron-Ion Collider project will damage science, says Daria Sokhan. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-v...

ICYMI: Is science really suffering from a reproducibility crisis? After Maria Leptin suggested the crisis was "exaggerated", I spoke to experts including @ludowaltman.bsky.social and @elisabethbik.bsky.social about how big the problem really is. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-worl...

It's been a busy couple of weeks covering the funding changes at UKRI, to put it mildly Here are my thoughts on how it's played out TL;DR...the message that curiosity-driven research is protected is not going to reassure those who are seeing their funding streams disrupted

Duncan Ivison told @chrisjparr.bsky.social that he has ‘serious questions about the REF’. The University of Manchester vice-chancellor also shared his frustration that the UK is "not grabbing" the opportunity to become a global education superpower. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-u...

UKRI funding changes are already causing junior researchers to leave the country. Some STFC-funded research groups are already "haemorrhaging" early career researchers, according to @lucienheurtier.bsky.social. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-r...