My latest for Research Europe: ERC grant application restrictions ‘undermine fairness’
“Deeply disappointed” researchers complain of retroactive change, amid fears of AI-driven surge in applications
www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-euro...
Vallance and Chapman ‘see no risk’ to AI and quantum from STFC cuts
Science minister and UKRI chief executive back prime minister’s statement denying impact from cost-saving measures
(Free to read)
www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-r...
New: ERC boss defends ‘painful’ restrictions on grant applications.
Maria Leptin announces “longer restrictions for unsuccessful applicants” to alleviate “growing pressure” on peer reviewers.
www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-euro...
MEPs back €200bn Horizon Europe budget as ‘battle’ looms.
Parliament reiterates support for R&I policy ahead of EU budget negotiations.
www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-euro...
UK ‘sleepwalking’ into loss of critical research capacities, experts fear.
University cost-cutting and research funding reforms could mean some disciplines “fall off cliff”.
www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-r...
NEW: Lead story from me for Research Fortnight.
'The UK is at risk of losing research capabilities in critical areas due to financial pressures on universities and funding changes at UK Research and Innovation, senior figures have warned.'
Speaking to Research Professional News, Marcus Munafò, deputy vice-chancellor and provost at the University of Bath, said: “I think there’s a risk we could end up in a situation where some technologies or certain disciplines fall off a cliff—go past a certain threshold because they don’t have a critical mass of funding to support them. “That bit seems to be missing from the debate; we need to think about the research ecosystem as national capability and infrastructure that we need to keep healthy to allow us to react to unknown scenarios in the future.”
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
🧵
Today's lead Research Fortnight story by @francesjones.bsky.social
www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-r...
STFC chief commits to making no further cuts to postdoc funds
Michele Dougherty also promises top-up funding for additional early career researcher positions after outcry
www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-r...
'European university leaders have welcomed the opportunity for Hungary to regain access to Horizon Europe and Erasmus+, after Magyar secured a two-thirds majority, paving the way for university governance reforms, with scholars seeing an opportunity for the new government to move fast.'
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...
Orbán defeat seen as ‘victory for democracy (!)’ and universities
European universities celebrate opportunity for Hungarian institutions to restore academic freedom
www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-euro...
Celebratory dance in Hungary
AI use in science linked to more novelty and impact, study finds.
The use of artificial intelligence in scientific research appears to be associated with more novel work that has greater impact.
www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-worl...
Inflation has piled pressure on STFC's budget, which has stayed relatively flat in cash terms
I think this says a lot about the pressure STFC is under: its budget will not have risen (in cash terms) between 2023 and 2030
Inflation is obviously going keep eroding that, and more so with the Iran war
(Details of STFC budget figures over the spending review have not been published before now)
Hall of fame FT correction
Dutch universities set out vision for ‘new publication culture’.
Change is needed to address integrity problems caused by “publish or perish” culture, universities say.
www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-euro...
Alan Turing Institute not providing value for money, says UKRI.
Critical review calls for “significant change” at beleaguered national AI institute, as chair steps down.
www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-r...
I have a father and mother in law in Iran. I have a sister in law. A niece. She's 14. She likes silly pink headbands and purses and dresses, just like kids her age all over the world. There are 93 million people like her in Iran. People who do all the normal mundane life things as the rest of us.
Edith Heard
EU’s gender leadership ambition ‘faces tough challenge ahead’.
Leaders warn that “structural issues” confront plan to make EU best place for female researchers.
www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-euro...
Soas loses £1.2m climate grant due to US funding cuts
City St George’s and Sussex universities have also lost projects, freedom of information requests reveal.
www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-u...
There seem to be some inconsistencies between what Patrick Vallance and Ian Chapman wrote about #STFC funded postdoc numbers in their letter to the Commons science committee and recent reports from the chairs of STFC's own grant panels
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SOAS loses £1.2m climate grant due to US funding cuts
The university was due to receive the funds from the US Department of State for a project on climate resilience and adaptation, a response to my FOI request reveals.
www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-u...
@resprofnews.bsky.social's @francesjones.bsky.social continues to do the hard work. 67% cut to theory positions, while Sir Ian at @ukri.org tells @iop.org there are no cuts. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-r...
Postdoc time funded on STFC theory grants falls by 67 per cent
Researcher warns reductions for particle physics grants are “baked in” for the next four years
www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-r...
I enjoy research and I *love* writing. But the bit in between, where the research has to be turned into material that you use in the writing, is the most godforsaken activity on earth. Like extracting marrow from your bones.
NEW: Crick boss worries about ‘shift from funding basic research’
My interview with Edith Heard, the second chief executive of the Francis Crick Insititute. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-c...
NEW: Feature by me on Physics cuts ‘could hurt government’s dash for growth’
Letters last March were sent to project leaders informing them that their funding would not be renewed. “We’re losing people”, including postdoctoral researchers.
www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-r...
