The ERC budget for 2026 is 2.7 billion euros 🧪
It's crazy to me how the papers that get published today could easily have been 3 or 4 papers even a decade or two ago. The amount of information they are saturated with is intense.
“The gender pay gap, which stands at £2,548 a year, means that women have effectively worked for free so far this year, the TUC said”
This is a stain on the country
Ask yourself, are your mother, sister, daughter, wife less valuable than their male colleagues?
This is an absolute outrage that should be discussed as widely as possible. I expect that this failing government will try and use the MRC to divert funding from academic research into commercial enterprises, killing UK research in the process.
Both MRC and BBSRC responsive modes now withdrawn until further notice. Existing applications unlikely to succeed (late 2025 round expecting 1-5% success rate).
Listen, I get that UKRI wants to pivot. But killing both at once is devastating.
Let's hope at least one opens by summer... #AcademicSky
I am sorry. We all knew the three buckets were coming. We are all prepared for a shift in priority. But this message does nothing for all the UK scientists dependent on project grant funding. It doesn’t actually give any information
www.ukri.org/news/open-le...
More cheery news from UKRI
'MRC instructs grant review boards to slash funding rates'
www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-r...
Update on UKRI funding situation.
Summary: it is mostly bad news, and with significant uncertainties around new funding model.
Has the MRC research funding ‘pause’ been covered by any major news network?
It feels like it should be a major news story
Absolutely
“We need to talk about salaries in science” www.nature.com/articles/d41...
'Despite all their difficulties, universities remain an enormous and irreplaceable national asset. As well as educating millions of people, they generate about £24bn in export earnings, which is about 1% of GDP – more than aircraft manufacturing and legal services combined'. 1/2
Taking advantage of a natural experiment, this follow-up by @pascalge.bsky.social of their earlier study in Nature on the beneficial effects of shingles vacination on dementia. Very cool stuff!
www.cell.com/cell/fulltex...
BBC News - Top UK scientist says research visa restrictions endanger economy
www.bbc.com/news/article...
"Why do we put hurdles in the way of the people that are actually going to drive our economy? It makes zero sense."
Prof Sir Paul Nurse, Nobel prize winning scientist, says the UK's scientific future is being put at risk
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
We need to apply @nc3rs.bsky.social principles, ensure animal welfare & do the best possible by research animals. But let's not confuse people or ourselves by thinking they're dispensable.
Why we have to continue with animal testing for medical research | Letters www.theguardian.com/science/2025...
Key points on the need for continued animal use in scientific research. www.theguardian.com/science/2025...
Vaccinating boys and girls. It works bitches.
“There were no cervical cancer cases diagnosed in women aged <25 years in 2021 – the first time that this has occurred in data going back to 1982. This remarkable achievement is almost certainly due to the impact of HPV vaccination.” From report.cervicalcancercontrol.org.au
#vaccinationsaveslives
Frikkin amazing stuff.
Today is the International day for the elimination of violence against women. In 2024, an estimated 50,000 women and girls were killed by intimate partners or family members worldwide. That is 137 women and girls every day. One every ten minutes. www.un.org/en/observanc...
#Sudan: We call on the RSF to protect health facilities and staff, following the death of a Ministry of Health colleague during a shooting at Zalingei hospital.
For the second time this year, we have withdrawn staff to ensure their safety.
ow.ly/O8VW50XxNcx
We are recruiting a Reader/Professor of Immunobiology at @kingslsm.bsky.social . This is a unique opportunity to shape basic immunology at @kingscollegelondon.bsky.social . Please RP.
www.kcl.ac.uk/jobs/131447-...
'THE’s analysis includes more than 120 institutions from the government’s gender pay gap service providing undergraduate education in 2024-25, and excludes school trusts and further education colleges.' 1/3
'The UK should establish a network of “disruptive invention” labs outside of the university system to pursue frontier science and technology'. (Tony Blair Institute)
The UK should stabilise the disrupted university system before faffing about with shiny new disruptive networks. (actual researcher)
Not sure why @lpachter.bsky.social did not post this here. But it is brilliant. Single cell genomics finally makes it to the clinic.
Fantastic Inaugural Lectures by Katie Doores and Patricia Barral
@barrallab.bsky.social . It is a real privilege to have colleagues like them at @kingslsm.bsky.social .
Scientists feel that the pressure to publish is rising, but that the time and resources they have to do the necessary research are falling, according to a survey of 3,200 researchers
go.nature.com/4hNDvuN
It is not often that a new flow cytometry protocol makes the newspaper! I also got a kick out of seeing our science tagged as "quirky"!
www.cambridgeindependent.co.uk/news/fairy-l...
I just made an account and voted for this biology laboratory made of LEGO to "promote biological research and inspire more people into the world of biology". They need 10K votes. Reposting and/or voting below would be helpful. 🤗
beta.ideas.lego.com/product-idea...
