Concern over ‘cash cow’ label for international students. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-u...

Concern over ‘cash cow’ label for international students - Research Professional News

Universities should value international students as educational partners, QAA report urges

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REF 2029 director defends summer timing of policy survey as feedback exercise gets underway. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-r...

REF director defends summer timing of policy survey - Research Professional News

Exercise could result in “refinements” to final guidance for the 2029 REF, scheduled for autumn

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“This package of cuts hits areas of research where the UK has a hard-won international reputation and creates damaging uncertainty in UK science as well as regional job losses” - Paul Howarth, president of the Institute of Physics.

Research Professional News@resprofnews.bsky.social · last wk.

Jodrell Bank funding cut does ‘real damage’ to UK science. Experts alarmed as science secretary says UK must invest in “next generation of scientific facilities”. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-r...

Warning system piloted for peer reviewers using AI. Experts debate whether peer reviewers should be allowed to use generative AI as supportive tool. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-o...

Warning system piloted for peer reviewers using AI - Research Professional News

Experts debate whether peer reviewers should be allowed to use generative AI as supportive tool

researchprofessionalnews.com

Proposed £1bn science scale-up fund ‘encouraging step’ for R&I. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-i...

Proposed £1bn science scale-up fund ‘encouraging step’ for R&I - Research Professional News

University business group welcomes exploration of a new scale-up fund

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Burnham’s education reforms ‘must not hit university funding’. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-u...

Burnham’s education reforms ‘must not hit university funding’ - Research Professional News

UCU and UUK respond to government plans for new technical education pathways

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Chris McDonald is the frontrunner to become the next UK science minister after Patrick Vallance’s resignation earlier this week, Research Professional News understands. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-p...

Chris McDonald in frame to be UK science minister - Research Professional News

MP appointed to new business and science department has industrial research background

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Burnham's decision to abolish Dsit has taken some flak from science leaders. But big picture behind it is Burnham's vision on the economy - in particular on remedying the legacy of Thatcher-era deindustrialisation. This may mean controversial changes on balance and geography of research funding.

How the Teachers’ Pension Scheme crisis could hit research. One I've been working on for a while. A real clash point for staff, universities and the government. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-u...

How the Teachers’ Pension Scheme crisis could hit research - Research Professional News

Employers say costs impede research investment—but could their solution hit the UK’s innovation capacity?

researchprofessionalnews.com

Great journalism by @robinbisson.bsky.social. The shortfall in the Science and Technology Facilities Council’s budget compared with its forecast costs is more than four times the figure previously thought.

Research Professional News@resprofnews.bsky.social · 2w ago

EXCLUSIVE: STFC’s true cost overrun revealed as nearly £700m. Figure calls into question transparency from UKRI leadership amid cuts to science facilities. STFC had told its staff it had to reduce spending by £162 million. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-r...

Ditching Dsit would be ‘retrograde step’, warns ex-adviser. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-p...

Ditching Dsit would be ‘retrograde step’, warns ex-adviser - Research Professional News

Two ex-Dsit advisers oppose disbanding of science department, while another voices support for the move

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News emerging that Patrick Vallance has resigned as science minister. Last month we heard fears that a Vallance departure would hit science policy stability. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-p...

‘Loss of Vallance as minister would hit science policy stability’ - Research Professional News

Birmingham vice-chancellor appeals for science minister to remain in post under an Andy Burnham government

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‘Troubling’ PhD system ‘pushing perceptions of failure’. Higher Education Policy Institute report finds many doctoral students unhappy with careers advice beyond academia. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-u...

‘Troubling’ PhD system ‘pushing perceptions of failure’ - Research Professional News

Higher Education Policy Institute report finds many doctoral students unhappy with careers advice beyond academia

researchprofessionalnews.com

BREAKING: UKRI pledges to cut grant processing time in half Funder’s new five-year strategy aims to boost national priority fields, while backing curiosity-driven research Free to read. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-r...

UKRI pledges to cut grant processing time in half - Research Professional News

Funder’s new five-year strategy aims to boost national priority fields, while backing curiosity-driven research

researchprofessionalnews.com

Breaking: Major science facilities to be scaled back, UKRI confirms Science and Technology Facilities Council will also reduce project spending, despite £135m of fresh money www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-r...

Major science facilities to be scaled back, UKRI confirms - Research Professional News

Science and Technology Facilities Council will also reduce project spending, despite £135m of fresh money

researchprofessionalnews.com

Concentrating research in fewer UK universities splits vice-chancellors. Birmingham leader’s call to focus on 20-30 institutions amid surging applications contested by fellow VCs. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-u...

Breaking: Ministers confirm cut to Strategic Priorities Grant for universities. Teaching funding reduction will be sharply felt by some institutions, says Office for Students. Free to read. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-u...

Ministers confirm cut to Strategic Priorities Grant for universities - Research Professional News

Teaching funding reduction will be sharply felt by some institutions, says Office for Students

researchprofessionalnews.com

Sneak peek at today's 8am Playbook email, heading to subscribers shortly. ⚽

Time and again I think that THIS is the stat universities should shout, shout & shout again about. New education export data again show HE responsible for nearly three-quarters of a £37bn UK revenue source. Fund our universities! Source: explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statist...

Time and again I think that THIS is the stat universities should shout, shout & shout again about. New education export data again show HE responsible for nearly three-quarters of a £37bn UK revenue source. Fund our universities! Source: explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statist...

Very sad day. Research Professional News will discontinue publication at end of 2026. Statement from the publisher: www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-o...

Research Professional News to discontinue publication at end of 2026 - Research Professional News

A message for readers about the publication’s closure and continued community access to past reporting

researchprofessionalnews.com

Food for thought on the charter announced today - the final observation in this morning's 8am Playbook (www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-he-govern...). It is of course welcome, but still a little way to go.

Research Professional News@resprofnews.bsky.social · last mo.

Over 50 UK research bodies commit to better conditions for women. Government-led charter sets out measures including at least 52 weeks’ maternity leave and safer workplaces. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-p...

Andy Burnham set out ambitions to put universities "at the heart of local economies" and make the UK the world's leading "innovation nation", in a speech making those goals central to his vision for rolling out "Manchesterism" across the UK. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-p...

Burnham: ‘UK can be world’s leading innovation nation’ - Research Professional News

PM-in-waiting wants universities “at heart of local economies” but pledges education shift beyond “university route”

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Burnham on reindustrialisation: Regions to set “clear & credible” ambitions, including “cross-UK partnership between places with complimentary industrial clusters, as Cambridge and Manchester have done on life sciences”. Says he will "back our scientists, technologists, entrepreneurs & creatives".

Burnham on growth: “It can only be nurtured from the bottom up.…it comes from placing our universities at the heart of local economies as all the mayors do, & bringing the innovation led approach through start-ups & scale-ups.” More on Burnham & R&D: www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-p...

This is actually a really good interview with the VC of Birkbeck, where she thoroughly shoots down the suggestion of BBK as a teaching rather than research university. But: it's in ResPro. HE needs more exposure outside our insular publications. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-he-govern...

Lack of adjustments for parental leave in REF draws criticism. Funding bodies say move will “significantly” reduce the burden of the 2029 Research Excellence Framework. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-r...

Lack of adjustments for parental leave in REF draws criticism - Research Professional News

Funding bodies say move will “significantly” reduce the burden of the 2029 Research Excellence Framework

researchprofessionalnews.com

Brexit 10 years on: as bad as universities feared? A decade after the #Brexit vote, universities are still grappling with consequences in research and recruitment. We take a deep dive into how the research sector has fared. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-u...

Brexit 10 years on: as bad as universities feared? - Research Professional News

A decade after the vote, universities are still grappling with consequences in research and recruitment

researchprofessionalnews.com

Excellent from @johnmorgan3.bsky.social, with typically astute insights from @andywestwood.bsky.social, @ersatzben.com and @richardaljones.bsky.social.

Research Professional News@resprofnews.bsky.social · last mo.

Analysis: Could Andy Burnham deploy R&D ‘Manchesterism’ across the UK? Starmer resignation spotlights ministers’ futures and potential for R&D funding devolution under a Burnham premiership. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-p...

Some Welsh universities may lose research focus, says minister. Plaid Cymru’s Cefin Campbell says “nothing is off the table” in review of higher education. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-p...

Some Welsh universities may lose research focus, says minister - Research Professional News

Plaid Cymru’s Cefin Campbell says “nothing is off the table” in review of higher education

researchprofessionalnews.com