Peer-reviewed papers are ‘old hat science’, says millionaire investor. Candy Crush businessman Mel Morris says universities “must embrace AI” to transform into economic powerhouses. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-i...

Peer-reviewed papers are ‘old hat science’, says millionaire investor - Research Professional News

Candy Crush businessman Mel Morris says universities “must embrace AI” to transform into economic powerhouses

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Thanks to @isaacbarbosa1.bsky.social for inviting me to comment for his piece on China overtaking UK on number of British engineering papers funded www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-i...

China overtakes UK on number of British engineering papers funded - Research Professional News

Acknowledgements of funders in China topped those of British counterparts in 2025, RPN analysis reveals

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New: Lack of planning for university failure risks ‘lasting blow’ to R&D. Excoriating education committee report on HE finances warns government is not prepared for university insolvencies, with worrying implications for students and academics. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-p...

Lack of planning for university failure risks ‘lasting blow’ to UK R&D - Research Professional News

Education committee report on higher education finances warns government is not prepared for university insolvencies

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STFC budget falling in real terms even as UKRI spending rises. New figures show pressure on cash-strapped council, as scientists warn of wide-ranging impacts from cuts. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-r...

STFC budget falling in real terms even as UKRI spending rises - Research Professional News

New figures show pressure on cash-strapped council, as scientists warn of wide-ranging impacts from cuts

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I think this says a lot about the pressure STFC is under: its budget will not have risen (in cash terms) between 2023 and 2030 Inflation is obviously going keep eroding that, and more so with the Iran war (Details of STFC budget figures over the spending review have not been published before now)

Breaking: Looming physics cuts a ‘failure’, says science committee chair. Chi Onwurah says science minister and UKRI leadership must “bear responsibility” and “win back trust”. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-p...

Job losses at UK research-intensive universities double in two years. Exclusive: Scale of redundancies branded a “disaster”. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-u...

Job losses at research-intensive universities double in two years - Research Professional News

Exclusive: Scale of redundancies revealed branded a “disaster” for UK research capacity

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Full story, on disruptions to core funding streams raising fears for a “generation” of early career researchers, by @isaacbarbosa1.bsky.social @fionamcintyre.bsky.social www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-r...

UKRI funding changes ‘pushing junior researchers abroad’ - Research Professional News

Disruptions to core funding streams raise fears for a “generation” of early career researchers

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Full story by @isaacbarbosa1.bsky.social and me www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-r...

MRC instructs grant review boards to slash funding rates - Research Professional News

Boards asked to recommend just three applications for funding, as BBSRC also suspends calls

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The MRC's decision to stop funding research units is biting Four out of five units at the University of Cambridge will run out of funding by 2027, and staff at risk of redundancty are considering action, @isaacbarbosa1.bsky.social reports An insider said Cambridge is in "an awful position"

Union staff at Cambridge MRC research units consider action - Research Professional News

Medical Research Council under renewed criticism for putting university in “awful position” as redundancies loom

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Early Jan is usually pretty slow for news (Trump notwithstanding) but RPN reporters have started 2026 with some great stories Today, @francesjones.bsky.social reports on researchers given access to UKRI funding applications to see if AI could help speed up grant review 1/

UKRI to get advice on speeding up grant reviews with AI - Research Professional News

Researchers given access to funding applications to assess how large language models might reduce burden

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Last Friday, @isaacbarbosa1.bsky.social published an interview with Timothy Clement-Jones, in which the Lib Dem peer said that universities must be allowed to continue “moonshot” research despite policymakers’ moves to steer public R&D funding towards government priorities 4/4

Universities must continue doing ‘moonshot’ work, says peer - Research Professional News

Timothy Clement-Jones warns focusing funding on government priorities risks institutions losing “inspirational research”

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🚨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...

REF 2029: research culture metric overhauled - Research Professional News

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

researchprofessionalnews.com

Our reporter @isaacbarbosa1.bsky.social went to the British Library and found staff at the picket line pessimistic about the recovery of library services after the 2023 cyberattack "Things just aren’t improving", said the PCS union branch chair Meanwhile, management have upped their pay offer

Research Professional News@resprofnews.bsky.social · 10mo ago

‘Things will get worse’ for British Library users, warn striking staff. Picketing workers outside the British Library warn that “things are going to get worse” for the library’s users, as a second wave of strikes at the institution continues. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-c...