I wrote the article. The number comes from institutions that have declared how many jobs are going (voluntary or compulsory).

Evelyn Welch to be new Russell Group chair.

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

Over 1,000 UK university job losses announced since January.

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

More on this, and rising concerns about the Teachers' Pension Scheme, in this morning's 8am Playbook too.

www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-he-govern...

January drop-off in overseas postgrads prompts fresh finance fears - Research Professional News Upcoming ‘traffic light’ immigration compliance system blamed as universities take “pre-emptive action”

The latest in a long line of worrying signs for universities reliant on international students. Of 49 universities asked, 70 per cent said the number of overseas postgrads starting courses in January was down year-on year. And not just a little down.

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

Universities set for legal action over maintenance repayment call - Research Professional News Universities claim funds have been unfairly withdrawn but Student Loans Company says recipients were ineligible

Excerpt (free to read) of this morning's Playbook on the 9 universities taking legal steps against DfE / Student Loans Company over the thousands of students being asked to repay maintenance loans.

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

Will the academic exodus from X silence research? - Research Professional News Spread of researchers across multiple platforms brings warnings of a tougher struggle for impact

Will the academic exodus from X silence research?

Spread of researchers across multiple platforms (including Bluesky) brings warnings of a tougher struggle for impact.

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

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

🧵

Researchers ‘must balance AI use with human understanding’ - Research Professional News Royal Society vice-president urges caution as AI tools are adopted to speed up science

Researchers ‘must balance AI use with human understanding’.

Royal Society vice-president urges caution as AI tools are adopted to speed up science.

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

Open up to boost trust and impact, social sciences urged - Research Professional News Landmark repeatability initiative puts onus on researchers to be “transparent” about their work

Open up to boost trust and impact, social sciences urged.

Landmark repeatability initiative puts onus on researchers to be “transparent” about their work.

www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-worl...

Orbán defeat seen as ‘victory for democracy’ and universities - Research Professional News European universities celebrate opportunity for Hungarian institutions to restore academic freedom

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...

Hi Arthur. I agree it isn't very clear, but the paper is linked to at the top right of the article (see pic).

For the avoidance of doubt, it is this one: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

AI use in science linked to more novelty and impact, study finds - Research Professional News Paper finds reasons to be “optimistic” about use of artificial intelligence in science

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...

STFC budget falling in real terms even as UKRI spending rises - Research Professional News New figures show pressure on cash-strapped council, as scientists warn of wide-ranging impacts from cuts

STFC budget falling in real terms even as UKRI spending rises.

New figures show pressure on cash-strapped council, as scientists warn of wide-ranging impacts from cuts.

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

Universities Scotland: ‘No exceptions’ in political party talks - Research Professional News After talks with parties including Reform, group calls for cross-party support as Holyrood election looms

Universities Scotland: ‘No exceptions’ in political party talks.

Scottish universities are making “no exceptions” when it comes to engaging with political parties ahead of the Holyrood elections, the head of Universities Scotland has told me.

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

UK student visa applications down six months in a row - Research Professional News Home Office data continue to show drop in demand, labelled “extremely challenging” for cash-strapped universities

Full story from @chrisjparr.bsky.social and me: www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-u...

Monthly visa applications have been lower, year-on-year, since October 2025

We've been tracking applications for UK student visas for many months now and the trend is...not good

March figures released by the Home Office today show there have been 6 straight months where numbers were down on the year before

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Interest rate cap introduced to protect Plan 2 borrowers Interest on Plan 2 and 3 student loans will be capped at 6%, instead of RPI+3%, to provide borrowers with certainty in an uncertain world.

Interest on Plan 2 and 3 student loans will be capped at 6% for the 2026/27 academic year, instead of RPI+3%, to "provide borrowers with certainty in an uncertain world", says the government.

Source:
www.gov.uk/government/n...

Research networks ‘diminishing by the day’ as redundancies hit - Research Professional News Cross-institutional networks being thwarted by job pressures, warns academic after homicide detection project collapses

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...

‘Fight AI-driven resmearch with points for peer review’ - Research Professional News Professor pitches high-quality reviews as antidote to firms using scientific techniques for own commercial ends

'Resmearch' is where groups use AI to trawl large datasets & produce findings that support their stance.

@dcomerf.bsky.social says: “It’s bullshit science...peer review is asleep at the wheel on this stuff”.

Read @fionamcintyre.bsky.social's piece: www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-u...

Research networks ‘diminishing by the day’ as redundancies hit - Research Professional News Cross-institutional networks being thwarted by job pressures, warns academic after homicide detection project collapses

Research networks ‘diminishing by the day’ as redundancies hit.

Cross-institutional networks being thwarted by job pressures, warns academic after homicide detection project collapses.

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

Study visa ban leaves Chevening applicants feeling ‘powerless’ - Research Professional News Two Afghan applicants “shocked and saddened” by Home Office decision that halted “life-changing” opportunity

Study visa ban leaves Chevening applicants feeling ‘powerless’.

Two Afghan applicants “shocked and saddened” by Home Office decision that halted “life-changing” opportunity.

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

Science committee chair brands looming physics cuts a ‘failure’ - Research Professional News Science minister and UKRI leadership must “bear responsibility” and “win back trust”, says Chi Onwurah

The chair of the House of Commons science committee has described impending cuts to physics funding as “wholly unacceptable” and “a failure” in an excoriating letter to the science minister and the leader of UKRI.

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

Breaking: Looming physics cuts a ‘failure’, says science committee chair.

Chi Onwurah says science minister and UKRI leadership must “bear responsibility” and “win back trust”.

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

It's a good guess, and the right city...but not an LSE building.

STFC boss admits UK will lose postdocs through physics cuts - Research Professional News Meeting minutes also show appetite within UKRI to move grants programme to alternative research council

STFC boss Michele Dougherty admits UK will lose postdocs through physics cuts.

Meeting minutes also show appetite within UKRI to move grants programme to alternative research council.

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

Name that university...

Female tech leaders slam Elon Musk at Royal Society event.

Former Twitter executive and leading computer scientist lament Musk’s impact on social media.

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

“There appears to be little actual understanding of what the implications of these sweeping restructures actually mean for staff workloads, research time and. quality of teaching.”