Anna McKie

Regional growth hindered by R&D data shortfalls, MPs warn - Research Professional News Science committee says UK is “flying blind”, with lack of regional data limiting innovation

“We’re spending around £22 billion on science, innovation and technology every year and we can’t say whether or not that is contributing to good jobs in the north-east or growth in Teesside,” Chi Onwurah told @annamckie.bsky.social

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

Universities have become property businesses. What does that mean for research? In the United States, United Kingdom, Australia and Singapore, universities are operating as developers and landlords. Where does science fit in?

My latest for @nature.com

Universities have become property businesses. What does that mean for research? www.nature.com/articles/d41...

MEPs agree ERA Act should help EU reach 3% R&D spending target - Research Professional News But adopted position sets up clash with Commission over separate legislation to protect scientific freedom

MEPs agree ERA Act should help EU reach 3% R&D spending target

Sleep Apnea Often Goes Undetected in Women. That’s Starting to Change Women’s sleep apnea symptoms differ from men’s and can often be confused with hormonal shifts. Researchers are working to close the detection gap.

My latest piece for @wired.com

Sleep apnea often goes undetected in women. Researchers are trying to change that.
www.wired.com/story/sleep-...

Vallance: UKRI ‘must find a way’ to protect physics grants programme - Research Professional News Curiosity-driven research “cannot suffer” from budget pressures, science minister tells Lords committee

Full story by @annamckie.bsky.social

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

Former directors and scientists rally to save NCAR - Research Professional News Leaders warn restructuring could undermine US atmospheric science, as supercomputing transfer raises further fears

Former directors and scientists rally to save NCAR.

Leaders warn restructuring could undermine US atmospheric science, as supercomputing transfer raises further fears.

Free to read.

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

Former directors and scientists rally to save NCAR - Research Professional News Leaders warn restructuring could undermine US atmospheric science, as supercomputing transfer raises further fears

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-...

UKRI head commits to ‘consulting widely’ on funding reforms - Research Professional News Ian Chapman tries to reassure researchers amid uncertainty over paused calls and cost pressures

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...

UKRI head commits to ‘consulting widely’ on funding reforms - Research Professional News Ian Chapman tries to reassure researchers amid uncertainty over paused calls and cost pressures

UKRI head commits to ‘consulting widely’ on funding reforms www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-r...

Major UK research resources get long-awaited access to GP data - Research Professional News Government directive for sharing health records hailed as “watershed moment” for projects like UK Biobank

Major UK research resources get long-awaited access to GP data

Naomi Allen, chief scientist at @ukbiobank.bsky.social tells me it is a “watershed moment” for the resource and for global health research in @resprofnews.bsky.social

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

Major UK research resources get long-awaited access to GP data - Research Professional News Government directive for sharing health records hailed as “watershed moment” for projects like UK Biobank

Major UK research resources get long-awaited access to GP data.

Government directive for sharing health records hailed as “watershed moment” for projects like UK Biobank.

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

NIH director insists ‘no delay’ on grants as panels sit unfilled - Research Professional News Concerns raised in Senate as advisory council positions remain vacant across National Institutes of Health

Free to read: NIH director insists ‘no delay’ on grants, as advisory council positions remain vacant

www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-usa-... @resprofnews.bsky.social

UK ‘may wish to explore’ not fully joining FP10, says UKRI chief - Research Professional News Ian Chapman sees “precedent” for enlisting in only part of EU research programme

UK ‘may wish to explore’ not fully joining FP10, says UKRI chief

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

Nottingham records £85m deficit after buildings drop in value - Research Professional News University insists underlying position has improved despite sharp rise in reported losses

Nottingham records £85m deficit after buildings drop in value

University insists underlying position has improved despite sharp rise in reported losses

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

‘Decades of progress’ threatened by US withdrawal from WHO - Research Professional News Exit weakens surveillance systems and research cooperation on global health risks, warn experts

‘Decades of progress’ threatened by US withdrawal from WHO

My story in @resprofnews.bsky.social today www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-usa-...

Lack of research link to GP data ‘biggest failure’ of UK life sciences

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

Ministers ‘should ask questions’ on UK’s future in Horizon Europe - Research Professional News Policy experts question cost-effectiveness of EU research funding programme amid ongoing financial crisis

Poor cost recovery on Horizon grants (less than 60%) also means "European funding is just less attractive financially than grants from other funders", says @graemetr.bsky.social

Another pretty big factor

Full story from @annamckie.bsky.social

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

Ministers ‘should ask questions’ on UK’s future in Horizon Europe - Research Professional News Policy experts question cost-effectiveness of EU research funding programme amid ongoing financial crisis

The UK is set to lose £330m of fee it paid the EU to join Horizon Europe, after faring poorly in 2024, @resprofnews.bsky.social has revealed.

Now there are calls for ministers to consider whether UK should opt against joining next Horizon Europe.

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

More than half of authors of leading research say funding is declining Nature Index ‘Research Leaders’ survey also finds that scientists in North America and Europe are much more likely to say they intend to leave research.

My latest piece for @nature.com

More than half of authors of leading research say funding is declining www.nature.com/articles/d41...

Experts slam US vaccine panel’s hepatitis B recommendation

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

Research England links funding to mandatory culture standards - Research Professional News Policy shift requiring English universities to achieve minimum baseline accompanies research culture shake-up in REF

Research England links funding to mandatory culture standards

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

REF 2029: research culture metric overhauled - Research Professional News Research Excellence Framework reworked “to reduce burden”, with elements of 2021 exercise reinstated

🚨BREAKING🚨

REF 2029: Research culture metric overhauled (and weighting reduced).

Research Excellence Framework reworked “to reduce burden”, with elements of 2021 exercise reinstated.

All the headlines as the three-month pause ends. Free to read.

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

Researchers face ‘uncharted territory’ with NIH grant overhaul - Research Professional News Changes to grant decision-making amid massive backlog spark uncertainty and fears of creeping politicisation

Researchers face ‘uncharted territory’ with NIH grant overhaul www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-usa-... @resprofnews.bsky.social

MPs told collapse of UK provider could happen by Christmas - Research Professional News Education Committee chair says situation is “not hypothetical”, but skills minister and regulator rebut claim

MPs told collapse of UK provider could happen by Christmas

Me for @resprofnews.bsky.social www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-p...

Higher education groups warn on student loans overhaul www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-usa-...

UK expects Horizon Europe rebate after limited winnings - Research Professional News Clawback in prospect after UK’s sluggish EU research programme start, with losses capped at £330m

The UK is expecting a rebate on a portion of the £2 billion it paid the EU in 2024 to be part of Horizon Europe, because British academics and companies failed to win enough funding from the bloc’s R&I programme that year.

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

UK expects Horizon Europe rebate after limited winnings - Research Professional News Clawback in prospect after UK’s sluggish EU research programme start, with losses capped at £330m

When getting your money back is a bad thing: UK expecting a rebate on £2bn paid to EU to join its research programme in 2024, @resprofnews.bsky.social reveals.

UK fared worse than expected in winning Horizon Europe grants.

By @annamckie.bsky.social
www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-p...

Shadow scholars: inside Kenya’s multibillion-dollar fake-essay industry Sociologist Patricia Kingori is helping to expose contract cheating by scholars in high-income countries.

I really enjoyed talking with Patricia Kingori about her research into contract cheating for @nature.com

Her work really helps us understand the nuances behind contract cheating, as well as the bigger picture about whose ideas and knowledge we value
www.nature.com/articles/d41...

Trump ‘weaponisation’ of student debt brings fears of university hit - Research Professional News Critics warn changes could jeopardise forgiveness for public service workers, as lawsuits against government launch

Trump ‘weaponisation’ of student debt brings fears of university hit www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-usa-...

UCU announces lengthy winter strikes at three universities - Research Professional News Members at Nottingham, Sheffield and Sheffield Hallam to take industrial action over job cuts

UCU announces lengthy winter strikes at three universities www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-u...