I no longer use X/Twitter, so here I am to support @stianwestlake.bsky.social who has written well on @ukri.org 's strategy I believe his argument is correct: a science funder must fund both curiosity driven and applied research, and that will demand difficult choices 🧵 x.com/stianwestlak...

So. Farewell then July Thirty-one opportunities To do the things We needed to do Before August But now your days Are truly Numbered

Trump’s systematic assault on science “By attempting to politicise scientific research today, the current administration risks hampering US leadership in the technologies of tomorrow.” giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...

Trump’s systematic assault on science

The government is politicising funding for basic research

giftarticle.ft.com

'Universities were central to our DSIT comms strategy; we probably did more ministerial visits to higher education institutions than any other type of organisation....This is about to change.' 1/3

How to work with the department formerly known as DSIT

Former DSIT director of communications Abigail Morris explains what Whitehall's latest reshuffle means for universities Former DSIT director of communications Abigail Morris explains what Whitehall's ...

wonkhe.com

Excellent meta news for all research professionals

William Cullerne Bown@williamcb.bsky.social · last wk.

I am starting a new newspaper, sort of like the old newspaper, but better. Tell your friends

Update #2 The Labour business relations team (part of Labour HQ) have said McDonald is the science minister Somewhat bizarrely, DBT won't confirm Nonetheless, seems pretty nailed on... Story updated: www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-p...

Chris McDonald to be UK science minister, Labour HQ says - Research Professional News

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

researchprofessionalnews.com

Robin Bisson@robinbisson.bsky.social · 2w ago

Since the piece below was published, McDonald has been appointed as a minister of state in DHSC Would seem plausible to combine the responsibility for research and innovation in both DBIST and DHSC. Preet Kaur Gill, who was previously health innovation minister in DHSC, has also left the government

Since Patrick Vallance resigned on Monday the question has been who will replace him as science minister It looks like the answer is Chris McDonald He has the chops: - chemical engineering degree from Cambridge - CEO of materials research institute - industry adviser to unis - Fellow of RAEng

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

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

researchprofessionalnews.com

Eyebrows raised as new PM appoints Dan Burn to Defence. Big appointment, can definitely fill his predecessor’s shoes, but we can’t just park the bus for three years, Etc

Updated, with further response as Patrick Vallance resigns as science minister. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-p...

Patrick Vallance resigns as science minister - Research Professional News

Vallance stands down for “personal reasons”, as Andy Burnham prepares to unveil new ministers

researchprofessionalnews.com

Chagos with Ed Milliband! [Am I doing this right?]

Sam Freedman@samfr.bsky.social · 2w ago

Ed Miliband is foreign sec

There's gonna be a new PM. What he needs is an op-ed telling him what to do, of which there's no doubt a lamentable absence. Here's the time-hallowed method for creating one: 1. Set out the problem cleanly, as if the PM had literally no idea that growth, the cost of living and deficit matter. 1/

O’Neill: we need to “ensure there is more investment going into R&D and risk‑taking with new ideas, both regionally and nationally”. “If we’re serious about growth—especially regional growth and national competitiveness—R&D cannot remain the first line item chopped whenever the budget is tight.”

Research Professional News@resprofnews.bsky.social · 3w ago

Jim O’Neill: back universities with global strength ‘more than others’. Key Andy Burnham economic ally (mooted to become one of his advisers) says R&D funding must support “places and institutions with genuine edge”. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-p...

An amazing quote from Lindsey Graham in this Atlantic story. It really captures an essential truth about politics that too few people ever really come to terms with. www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...

There are 4️⃣ roles open in my team at @britishacademy.bsky.social Please do share with those you think may be interested. A new Deputy Head of Global Strategy, Policy & Engagement focused on global research and innovation policy closing on 28 July: www.prospect-us.co.uk/job/195324-d...

Deputy Head of Global Strategy, Policy & Engagement - Prospectus Recruitment Agency

Prospectus is delighted to be supporting The British Academy – the UK’s national body for the humanities and social sciences - in seeking a Deputy Head of Global Strategy, Policy & Engagement. The pos...

prospect-us.co.uk

Trip to the beach today near Brighton included sharing the sea with a seal

A lot of media coverage of the ‘AI’ reading of the Herculaneum scrolls really fails to understand what’s happened here. There’s no language processing happening, the AI/ML is not trained on a corpus of texts or language. It can detect ink to see shapes. HUMAN EXPERTS are then transcribing the text.

Have I mentioned I play in a brass band? Patcham Silver Band celebrated its 80th anniversary this weekend with a concert attended by our local MP Sian Berry. The Argus have written up here with a nice article www.theargus.co.uk/news/2622509...

Band celebrates eight decades of playing with special event

Patcham Silver Band marked its 80th anniversary with the event, highlighting its legacy and lasting impact on generations of musicians

theargus.co.uk

imagine having so much authority that you get to tell people to belay things

Mattias Björnmalm, Cesaer: “Research is not procurement. Breakthroughs come from bringing together the best people, ideas, infrastructures and data across borders. Excellence depends on openness to trusted partners, with research security frameworks used to manage risk intelligently."

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

EU urged to avoid ‘preference’ rule hampering openness of FP10. Next R&I programme should not include new restrictions for associated countries, university leaders say. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-euro...

EU urged to avoid ‘preference’ rule hampering openness of FP10. Next R&I programme should not include new restrictions for associated countries, university leaders say. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-euro...

EU urged to avoid ‘preference’ rule hampering openness of FP10 - Research Professional News

Next R&I programme should not include new restrictions for associated countries, university leaders say

researchprofessionalnews.com

It was inevitable, wasn't it🙄 Of course the Telegraph would run with something like this👇 So let's remove some of the rose-tinted spectacles and also look at some of that data comparing 1976 with modern heat waves Because the 1976 nostalgia porn is wearing a bit thin at this stage 🧵1/23

Friday temperatures are forecast to be just as hot as today, so I think people will be reasonably confused that this only merits an amber warning. The answer is humidity - it will be far more humid, and so more dangerous to human health, today and Thursday. Met Office could make that clearer...

Met Office - weather and climate@metoffice.gov.uk · last mo.

⚠️⚠️ Amber weather warning issued ⚠️⚠️ Extreme heat across parts of England Friday 0000 - 2359 Latest info 👉 bit.ly/WxWarning Stay #WeatherAware ⚠️

Letter in today's Times by climate scientist Sir Brian Hoskins: "The discourse around net-zero is increasingly decoupled from…science and our changing weather. "Net-zero is not an arbitrary slogan, rather it is dictated by the laws of physics."

From rupture to renewal - thoughts from me on the 10 year anniversary of the Brexit vote, and where we’re heading for international research collaboration wellcome.org/insights/art...

Rebuilding UK-EU science collaboration | News | Wellcome

A decade on from the UK’s vote to leave the EU, research collaboration with European partners is starting to recover. Now we need to build on that progress.

wellcome.org

Declan Rice People of Makerfield 🤝 Putting a cross in the box

Proportion of universities cutting research jumped in 2026. Universities UK survey shows worsening picture but more optimism about need for future research cuts. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-u...

Proportion of universities cutting research jumped in 2026 - Research Professional News

Universities UK survey shows worsening picture but more optimism about need for future research cuts

researchprofessionalnews.com

Here are some of the things we are doing at @britishacademy.bsky.social to boost UK participation in Horizon Europe www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/news/two-yea...

Two years on from the UK’s association to Horizon Europe, we are playing our part to boost participation for UK-based researchers

It has been over two years since the UK became an associated country to Horizon Europe – a long sought after outcome for the sector in order to unlock the opportunities and collaboration possible in t...

thebritishacademy.ac.uk

I'm featured on a podcast (a first for me, slowly catching everyone else up), talking about my work at Wellcome on creative methods for policy work from the last couple of years. Come for the policy chat, stay for the clip of my local Brass Band playing an Oasis cover... pod.link/meettheinflu...

What circus arts can teach policymakers - Martin Smith

Listen to What circus arts can teach policymakers - Martin Smith from Meet the Influectuals wherever you get your podcasts!

pod.link

Including comments from me - positive news for a sunny afternoon 😎

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

British performance in Horizon bounces back to pre-Brexit levels. UK share of EU research funding rose in 2024, reversing downward trend since 2016 referendum. Good news! Free to read. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-p...

New official statistics just published on the UK's performance in Horizon Europe so far. The graph says it all. A familiar Brexit story - but with light at the end of the tunnel. Decline since the vote to leave in 2016. But the recovery journey has begun.