There's a whole bunch of 50 plus people going 'No! How is it 40 years ago'

Funding processes cost 13 per cent of grant value, study finds - Research Professional News Applicants absorb bulk of costs, leading to suggestion policy reforms should target universities, not funders

Funding processes cost 13 per cent of grant value, study finds.

Applicants absorb bulk of costs, leading to suggestion policy reforms should target universities, not funders.

www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-r...

Rare sighting of a column chart taking a dip at Hove Beach.

#dataviz

15 minutes; no questions; government got the blame; my department to have 60% of us sacked. Apparently sacking us will lead to a ‘new, improved’ curriculum. No voluntary scheme, straight to selection and legal minimum redundancy payment.

Yes, it's worth having a read especially on the treatment of his wife. Sue Perkins did an excellent documentary on it a while back. We had an interesting ethical debate once on whether his treatment of women should be taught to students rather than just ignoring it.

It would be nice* to hear about this via the uni comms, rather than in a newspaper. I'm assuming this is an additional 300 on top of the 180 we've just lost. (* Nice as in common decency rather than in any other positive way, plus I know it's not the Comms team fault)

If you read up on his life and attitude to women, it does rather make sense.

That's a really good adaptation but I still argue that Dickens is useless at writing female characters.

I'm always skeptical of BBC-bashing, but BBC News website hasn't reported on the Tice tax scandal since 12 April, when the headline was "Tice £91,000 tax row is 'minor administrative error', party claims".

Interesting. When I was at Hull, there was a set of books in my office which was the meeting of council/Senate from the start of the Uni. I think it also discussed fund raising from the great and the good. I hope someone put them in the archive.

I suppose we forget quite how popular post cards and letters used to be. If only fundraising was so simple these days.

Cartoon. Two men shaking hands, one is saying to the other “Ah, Mr Featherstonehaugh! I'm so glad this is written as I have no idea how to pronounce your name.”

An old monochrome picture postcard showing a line drawing of a handsome, classical stone building. Printed on the card is University of Liverpool Faculty of Arts

Here's a #HigherEducationPostcard of @liverpooluni.bsky.social

This is one of a series of fundraising postcards produced in the 1920s, showing the campus as they hoped it would become

If you like this image, I’d really appreciate a repost - remember, BlueSky has #NoAlgorithm

Did the postcards actually manage to raise sufficient funds to make a difference, do you think? I can imagine suggesting it today and waiting a long time for the laughter to stop.

Brass snail

Brass snail mesuring tape

The best thing ive ever found in a garadge sale, a snail that is also a mesuring tape

If only The Guardian put this much effort into asking about the report on Russian interference. But then they aren't great on actual journalism these days, more on commentary.

So fucking what? Any elite wheelchair athlete you care to name, or indeed any decently fit cyclist can outperform a running human. I don’t give a shit that an ambulant toaster can do it; you may as well stick me in a car and celebrate that as an achievement as much as this bullshit.

#SpéirGhorm #SpéirGorm, I need your help. Does anyone know Damien Baxter who is flying to Biarritz from Dublin today to do the Camino Francés? He took my backpack by mistake at airport and I need to contact him urgently. Pls share this and help me find him!

Usual Guardian bashing moderate Labour whilst the far right gets a free pass

Apologies. I thought I was safe with a spoiler this far from Monday. Hope I haven't spoilt your watching of it.

I'm sorry but that winning house reminds me of a glorified Scout hut. #SHOTY

I was introduced to a Ta Da list. Just the pick up you need at the end of a very long week.

I mostly got the correct continent...

Case with pens, post-its, scissors and other equipment that can be used for group work.

Are any of my British colleagues familiar with the concept of the ‘Moderationskoffer’, which can be found in every meeting room?

Does it help to know I did even worse and yes, I was trying? Geography is clearly not my thing.

Can you tell I'm on a Tech transfer course (and great fun it is too, but both very different to my usual way of thinking and also not as different as I feared)

The fine land of the Staffordshire oat cake.

We are also trying to frame discussions around what is best for the university, so more grants might not be the answer. But that is a major shift in culture and thinking. Perhaps if we focussed less on amount and more on what the return on investment was?

Oh yes, the fossil gallery. My mum is from round there so we had a lovely holiday a few years ago with her reminiscing about places of her youth. Congleton museum is rather fine too.

Oh Biddulph Grange. Lovely spot. Bit early in the year but has the amazing dahlia walk.