Anne Green

Back home, sat by the fire, but Tyree isn’t allowed in as she’s rather muddy:

After a morning of kit organising, I took my tyre to meet the miner:

Full kit dress rehearsal:

A young person has just offered me their seat on the tram. I’m not sure how I feel about this.

Researchers must rise to the nation’s challenges - Research Professional News Shake-up to UKRI brings unpopular consequences, but economic context makes change inevitable, says Richard Jones

Also in opinion, research policy expert Richard Jones writes that while the changes being made by UKRI are the biggest since the 1980s, change is inevitable given the country’s economic position—and the research community must rise to the challenge.

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

(As a somewhat naive theorist) to me the question is whether it's reasonable for multiple projects that were announced as funded (subject to business case approval) via a UKRI-wide (not STFC specific) scheme to be cut after a differently structured, but not unexpectedly bad, spending review outcome.

We’re happy that the rain has stopped, and we’re heading home on firm trails:

My tyre is collecting mud:

I’m not personally familiar with the details, however AFAIK the people involved with the infrastructure fund projects (including the international collaborators) were not aware that there was uncertainty in the funding.

That which does not destroy you makes you stronger (but the line is fine…).

(and other infrastructure fund projects that have been 'deprioritised'.)

I think the question that's being asked here is specifically about the LHCb infrastructure funding.

The way UK govt funds science is in the midst of a major transition, with creation of a much more direct link between government priorities & UKRI research funding.

My attempt to set in context the biggest upheaval in UK science funding policy since the 1980s:
softmachines.org?p=3252

ECRs will be (in some cases already are) acutely impacted. However, given the general situation with University finances in the UK, there will be multiple other major consequences (some of which will likely acutely impact other individuals).

For STFC specifics, see George Efstathiou's post on Peter Coles blog: telescoper.blog/2026/02/06/t...

For the bigger picture, see Richard Jones's blog post: softmachines.org?p=3252

Parliamentlive.tv Science, Innovation and Technology Committee

Some thoughts on the select committee appearance by the boss of UKRI, Ian Chapman yesterday. It’s a long watch but can be seen here: parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/...
Thread 🧵

I was hoping that hiking would relieve Physics stress this weekend. Instead (thanks to a stonking blister, a flare-up of an injury I thought had healed, and a never-ending cold), I'm stuck indoors, arguing with strangers on the internet (about changes to the Spine race final time limit).

Not classes, but the final exams which determined my degree classification were Physics 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5.

There were also 2 options. I choose Astrophysics and Particle Physics. And instead of final year labs I did a Theoretical Physics exam on a Saturday morning after all the other exams.

Budget allocations for UK Research and Innovation

There's some info in the UKRI budget allocations explainer (in particular Table 2): www.ukri.org/publications...

Researchfish — Information for Researchers Regarding Researchfish Sunsetting After careful consideration, Elsevier have made the difficult decision to sunset Researchfish on July 31st 2027, when the product will no longer be availab

OOOOH

Researchfish

Is going extinct 🐡🐟🐠

help.researchfish.com/en_US/resear...

‘Grave’ concerns over applicant-led funds at UK research councils - Research Professional News Figures suggest reductions at MRC and BBSRC, with questions hanging over pending MRC grant applications

Full story by @isaacbarbosa1.bsky.social and me in today's Research Fortnight

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

CosmoSlider (a new CMB visualization tool by Andreas Nygaard, Steen Hannestad and Thomas Tram) looks really useful for teaching cosmology:
aarhuscosmology.github.io/CosmoSliderW...

And practicing starting a fire using a firesteel and tampons:

Arctic preparations: metal bottles wrapped in Duck tape (purple, so hopefully it’s obvious whose they are).

Quote post gif with a clue where you’re from.

… there was a box labelled ‘purpose’. You might (naively…) think what’s needed here is the purpose of your trip, e.g. “attend meeting”. Oh no! What was needed was a ‘purpose code’ specific to my grant. And to find it out, our Ops Manager had to contact someone in Finance.

Sad that I’m missing the UK Astroparticle Physics meeting in Manchester today, because of the worst cold I’ve had in years. Especially since I spent several hours wrestling with our new ‘digital core’ to buy my train ticket…

... and tenacity from Midorifuji bsky.app/profile/sumo...

Good day for my two favourite 'small' sumo wrestlers: ferocity from Fujinokawa... bsky.app/profile/sumo...

Retired or soon to be retired UK HE or IRO researcher, or 'retired' but still holding PT position up to 0.5FTE?

Awards of £k-£24 k available from @leverhulme.ac.uk to support your research. The deadline is 4pm 29 January 2026.