BREAKING: Royal Society to reconsider expelling Elon Musk
Violent rhetoric in address to anti-immigration rally pushes science academy to reassess billionaire’s fellowship
(Free to read)
www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-c...
Agreed! We've since added to the initial breaking story - Vallance added that the pause was intended to ensure the REF measures “the things that we know we want it to measure, and…does not get bound down by measuring things that do not actually impact on what we are trying to understand”.
Breaking this morning - UK science minister Patrick Vallance says there will be a three-month pause in work on the next REF, as government and UKRI "make sure that we have this properly aligned to what we’re trying to achieve.” Initial story below, more to follow on @resprofnews.bsky.social
Alan Turing Institute, showing an open door
Latest on the situation at the UK's Alan Turing Institute: reforms have put almost half of staff at the national AI institute at risk of redundancy, as @francesjones.bsky.social reports (£) www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-r...
Illustration of a hand writing an article on paper in Research Europe's green logo colour
Next Horizon’s proposed budget boost is a milestone moment, though significant challenges remain. My leader on the Commission's €175bn plan for the R&I programme, for @resprofnews.bsky.social 's Research Europe edition this week (€)
www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-euro...
The European Commission has proposed to almost double the budget for Horizon Europe's successor - apparently taking on board arguments for the importance of R&I investment through the programme 👍
Here we are again... This repeat of the regular tough stance on R&I spending from EU member states also highlights again how hard it's likely to be to get agreement on a significant budget boost for research in the next framework programme
The Times and others picking up on our exclusive about the Donald Trump administration axing UK university research projects.
Our original piece, based on the great work of @francesjones.bsky.social, is now free to read.
www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-u...
... Going on to say - stressing this is "thinking aloud" rather than policy - that this approach would also raise questions for funders and policymakers about how to incentivise quality over quantity, and potentially provide "disincentives" for low quality research.
Really interesting from Research England's Steven Hill at #ARMA2025. Picking up the argument that given financial pressures, universities may need to do less research, he suggests they cld look at where they are making their “biggest contribution” and where they bring "unique" capabilities (cont)
Plus, our publisher Clarivate has organised a drinks reception on our stand at 4.15pm today (Weds) - please do drop by if you're at the event and can make it
RPN's ARMA 2025 coverage logo - a sketch of the Edinburgh skyline - with a photo of the EICC conference venue behind it
Happy to be in beautiful Edinburgh for #ARMA2025, where @resprofnews.bsky.social is media partner. Follow our coverage at www.researchprofessionalnews.com/category/arm... - all free to read, with thanks to our team here @sophieatrpn.bsky.social @francesjones.bsky.social @johnmorgan3.bsky.social
UK spending review docs confirm that the government has set aside money to join Horizon Europe's successor - with a footnote adding some caveats that will be familiar to the research community ("assuming it is open, relevant and provides good value for the UK researcher community and taxpayer")
It is spending review day, and our world famous live blog has been fired up.
Follow all the day's news as it happens: www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-p... #spendingreview
Here's our piece on the £86bn R&D budget
The govt calls it a “bumper funding package” worth more than £22.5bn a year by 2029–30
In reality it's a real-terms freeze, accounting for inflation, using OBR forecasts
But probably as good as the research sector could hope for
At 9pm, The Times published a piece on the spending review including crucial details of the UK's 4-year R&D budget, which DSIT sent in a press release *embargoed* for...tomorrow
Look out for a piece from us on this with some actual analysis
www.thetimes.com/article/a0f4...
Huge congrats to @francesjones.bsky.social , who has been shortlisted as Newcomer of the Year in this year's Association of British Science Writers' Awards 🌟 Frances has made a fantastic impact with her reporting since joining @resprofnews.bsky.social - it's wonderful to see that recognised
It was a pleasure to chair the #INORMS25 keynote from NYU's Debra Schaller-Demers this morn. Her honesty over leadership and its challenges - esp in US just now - offered plenty to think about for research managers in the audience, and others too www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-worl...
All this week, we are reporting from #INORMS2025.
If you are there, lucky you! If not, you can follow all of our reporting, free to read, on our INORMS page.
Check it out: www.researchprofessionalnews.com/category/ino...
I'm v pleased to be at #inorms2025 in Madrid with @johnmorgan3.bsky.social @clanicholson.bsky.social and @francesjones.bsky.social. Research Professional News is media partner for the event, and you can follow our coverage on the link below - free to read for the duration of the conference 🌟
Huge congrats to our brilliant @resprofnews.bsky.social journalists shortlisted in this year's @thebsme.bsky.social Talent Awards! Fantastic news and richly deserved 🌟 @robinbisson.bsky.social @harrietswain.bsky.social @fionamcintyre.bsky.social @johnmorgan3.bsky.social and our UK News team
The UK's Science and Technology Facilities Council has written to several project leaders saying they will not receive renewed funding, amid a financial hole at the council - exclusive from @francesjones.bsky.social (£) www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-r...
Huge thanks to @chionwurah.bsky.social MP for closing our #RPNLive2025 event yesterday with a keynote speech and Q&A - I enjoyed asking about her views on R&I and growth, the REF and UK/US relations. Free to read coverage is here: www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-p...
Our news coverage of the same issue is here: www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-worl...
A powerful challenge to the publishing industry from Ukrainian researchers Alex Plastun and Serhiy Kozmenko, who draw attention to the fact major journals are publishing Russian-affiliated academic papers from occupied territories. Free to read: www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-euro...
In the wake of a @russellgroup.bsky.social-organised letter to UK and EU leaders urging them to keep research collab high on the agenda, my Research Fortnight leader this week looks at the need for stronger UK-EU R&I ties (£) www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-v...
UKRI HR staff investigated in lengthy bullying probe - exclusive and important story from @francesjones.bsky.social and @robinbisson.bsky.social for @resprofnews.bsky.social
At least 10 people are owed more than £15,000 from the Student Loans Company after overpaying their loans, with one person owed nearly £50,000 - important exclusive by @chrisjparr.bsky.social for @resprofnews.bsky.social today. Could it be you?! www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-u...
Trump’s intervention on Ukraine heightens questions over the EU’s approach to dual-use research - my leader for @resprofnews.bsky.social 's Research Europe edition this week (€)
www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-euro...
"It’s only Horizon,
That I’ve got my eyes on.
So, let’s have a summit, where we discuss,
Economic growth, and joining Erasmus." @mgmcquillan.bsky.social has outdone himself with this @resprofnews.bsky.social Ivory Tower column: love letters (that shld be) winging their way around the research sector
