John Morgan

Research culture element of REF 2029 set to be shrunk - Research Professional News New ‘4-star plus’ research rating also being considered by Research Excellence Framework team, briefings suggest

A lot of REF news here from @chrisjparr.bsky.social:

* People, Culture and Environment weighting to be scaled back
* PCE to move closer to 2021 environment statements
* REF team considering creating a new ‘4-star plus’ rating

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

Research culture element of REF 2029 set to be shrunk - Research Professional News New ‘4-star plus’ research rating also being considered by Research Excellence Framework team, briefings suggest

Important REF 2029 news: new people, culture and environment element set to have its weighting reduced, @resprofnews.bsky.social @chrisjparr.bsky.social learn.

Sector leaders had raised concerns about what they saw as delays/lack of clarity on PCE.

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

Nearly half of UK universities on Bluesky not posting - Research Professional News Despite migration from Musk’s X, universities take “watch-and-wait” approach on academics’ favoured platform

Nearly half of UK universities with Bluesky accounts aren't posting, despite migration from X.

@sophieatrpn.bsky.social reports on unis' "wait-and-see" approach to Bluesky (my guess: they don't see it as offering scope to market to students).

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

UKRI grant applications double in seven years as award rate halves - Research Professional News Trends across research councils prompt warning that system is “overstretched or broken”

The number of grant applications assessed by UK Research and Innovation has almost doubled over the past seven years, while the award rate has almost halved, new data show.

Trends prompt warning that system is "overstretched or broken".

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

Most charitable interpretation of DfE PR on free speech act: attempt to fend off free speech criticisms of universities, to clear ground for injection of extra funding via higher fees in medium term.

The least charitable: pandering to the view of universities now wreaking havoc on US science.

New rules to ‘protect academic freedom’ come into force - Research Professional News Government says duties for English institutions will “restore the integrity of our universities”

Very soundbitey from DfE on free speech act coming into force. New free speech duties will "restore the integrity of our universities".

Might a long-term plan for funding of universities also help restore their integrity?

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

UKRI grant applications double in seven years as award rate halves - Research Professional News Trends across research councils prompt warning that system is “overstretched or broken”

UKRI data across research councils over last seven years shows: grant applications nearly doubling from 15,436 to 30,550; award rate nearly halving from 36 per cent to 19 per cent.

By @francesjones.bsky.social
www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-r...

Onwurah questions absence of northern universities in talent fund - Research Professional News Science committee chair voices concern over omissions from £54 million scheme in letter to Vallance

@chionwurah.bsky.social writes to Patrick Vallance to voice concern about absence of northern universities from £54m Global Talent Fund to attract leading researchers - asking questions about how funding was decided.

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

Commission ERC plan is ‘a misplaced step’, says former head - Research Professional News Helga Nowotny warns that proposed two-year presidential term disregards need to build competence in role

Ex-European Research Council president criticises Commission plans to halve ERC presidents' terms of office.

"Yet another signal of misunderstanding the kind of competence, experience and skills needed", Helga Nowotny tells @resprofnews.bsky.social

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

Always strange to see yourself quoted in an article. I do worry that the next REF will be less about research quality and more about who is still standing and able to get a decent return together. A slightly more polite version of the Hunger Games, if I'm going all dystopian on you.

Dsit announces £15m AI security research fund - Research Professional News UKRI and industry involved in partnership on AI behaviour, allowing “experiments beyond typical academic reach”

Dsit's AI Security Institute launches £15m fund on AI alignment research - ensuring AI does what it is designed to do.

Involves Amazon Web Services, Anthropic, UKRI, Aria. Billed as enabling "technical experiments beyond typical academic reach".

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

Calls to run REF 2029 on old rules intensify - Research Professional News “Uncertainty” prompts simplification push, but critics warn against dropping research culture metrics

Lots of changes for REF 2029, with research culture metrics yet to be finalised, and all coming in a university funding crisis.

Should the next REF just run on old rules?

@sophieatrpn.bsky.social and @chrisjparr.bsky.social hear differing views.

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

Commission seeks to freeze Israel out of EU R&I scheme - Research Professional News Proposal regarding EIC Accelerator, which the Commission wants to fund military work, needs governmental approval

European Commission aims to suspend Israel's participation in part of Horizon Europe.

Relates to review of section of EU-Israel agreement saying relations "shall be based on respect for human rights", Commission says.

By @sophieatrpn.bsky.social
www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-euro...

What’s going wrong with university governance? - Research Professional News Board experts warn financial woes of universities are partly “governance failure”—and outline potential solutions

Excellent analysis by @fionamcintyre.bsky.social on what's going wrong with university governance, as sector finance crisis deepens.

Inside boardroom views from @marycurnockcook.bsky.social, @aaronrossporter.bsky.social, @nickhillman.bsky.social

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

Turing chair says sole defence focus would be ‘massive mistake’ - Research Professional News Following science secretary’s call for overhaul, Doug Gurr says AI institute will remain “independent”

Alan Turing Institute chair told a staff meeting that refocusing solely on defence would be a "massive mistake" and institute will stay "independent".

Follows letter from Peter Kyle urging defence focus for Turing.

By @francesjones.bsky.social
www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-r...

‘Extreme concern’ over ‘veiled attack’ on ERC - Research Professional News Planned halving of European Research Council presidential term “unacceptable”, says group of research institutes

"Extreme concern" over Commission plans to halve term of European Research Council president to two years.

Comes after wider worries about threats to ERC independence arising from EU's competitiveness drive.

By @sophieatrpn.bsky.social
www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-euro...

UKRI renews contract with Researchfish - Research Professional News Science department had previously urged funder to consider alternative options on impact tracking

UKRI has renewed its contract with impact-tracking service Researchfish.

Researchfish criticised by academics in past and last year Dsit urged UKRI to consider alternatives. Firm says Elsevier takeover has helped deliver "significant improvements".

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

'There will be fewer, potentially much fewer, jobs in UK universities in the future (funding problems vary in exact nature across the UK nations but are acute in all). And there are additional reasons to think there may be many fewer people doing research in UK universities in the future.'

Ministers need to avoid an 80s revival act in university funding - Research Professional News This academic year threatens to be one that changes the future for academics

Lessons from the last university funding crisis for the current one: a crisis left to drift eventually means radical surgery is required.

My Research Fortnight leader on how govts have paved the way to an 80s revival that is worse than the original.

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

Julia Lopez replaces Alan Mak as shadow science secretary - Research Professional News “Hope has always been found in scientific and technological innovation,” says Lopez

Alan Mak is no longer shadow science secretary (just in case anyone notices the difference). Julia Lopez replaces him, as Kemi Badenoch reshuffles.

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

'The division of oversight between research and teaching in English universities [by Theresa May's government] has “damaged coherent policymaking”, while a “dereliction of duty” by successive governments is to blame for the current funding crisis, according to ex-minister Jo Johnson.' 1/3

Global health research projects halted by latest UK aid cuts - Research Professional News Exclusive: Applications for HIV research among those impacted by suspension of NIHR schemes

The govt recently made fresh cuts to ODA funding - already calls for global health research projects have been paused as a result.

Projects impacted include study on managing HIV in mothers and babies in South Africa.

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

UKRI ‘lacks objectives and accountability’, MPs warn - Research Professional News Funder faces “severe challenges” on boosting commercial gains from research, says Public Accounts Committee report

UKRI lacks objectives and accountability, says Public Accounts Committee report.

By @sophieatrpn.bsky.social
www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-r...

Jo Johnson: ministerial ‘dereliction of duty’ behind university crisis - Research Professional News Whitehall split between universities and research has “damaged policymaking”, says architect of OfS and UKRI

As university funding crisis spotlights the quality of political oversight and regulation, @chrisjparr.bsky.social interviews Jo Johnson, architect of OfS and UKRI.

Johnson blames crisis on ministers' "dereliction of duty" under "successive govts".

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

University failure now a ‘top tier’ risk for education department - Research Professional News Risk of higher education financial failure rated as “critical—very likely” in DfE annual report

Risk of "higher education financial failure" rated by DfE in annual report as "critical—very likely". A failure would impact "students, sector and economy".

Might raise questions about whether there should be greater policy response to this threat?

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

Cabinet Office rows back after outcry against gagging scientists - Research Professional News Clarification after fears of “chilling effect” from guidance stopping government-employed researchers speaking at events

Cabinet Office partially revises guidance that prevented public sector officials from speaking at events with media present - after an outcry about the silencing of government-employed scientists.

An exclusive by @robinbisson.bsky.social
www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-p...

University failure now a ‘top tier’ risk for education department - Research Professional News Risk of higher education financial failure rated as “critical—very likely” in DfE annual report

Department for Education rates the risk of "higher education financial failure" as "critical—very likely".

That scenario has now been escalated to a "top tier" risk by the DfE, its annual report reveals.

By @chrisjparr.bsky.social
www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-u...

Peter Kyle warns UK universities must ‘make difficult choices’ - Research Professional News But science secretary says he is “committed” to helping sector reach more sustainable research funding

Peter Kyle letter answers @chionwurah.bsky.social on how Dsit will support universities.

Kyle "committed" to "transition towards more sustainable research funding models". But unis may need to "make difficult choices".

By @sophieatrpn.bsky.social
www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-u...

So far so good on Horizon budget and (most) rules - Research Professional News “Tight connection” with competitiveness fund remains weakest element, says Kurt Deketelaere

Leru's Kurt Deketelaere gives an excellent overview of what's in the Commission's proposals - and the key details not addressed. (3/3)

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

Doubled ERC and tripled EIC budgets planned for 2028-34 - Research Professional News Collaborative second pillar of future research and innovation programme allocated €75.9 billion of €175bn total

Plan to double ERC budget and triple EIC budget, by @sophieatrpn.bsky.social (2/3)

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