Frances Jones
LightNews LightNews
francesjones.bsky.social
Frances Jones
@francesjones.bsky.social
530 followers 580 following 170 posts
Senior Reporter @resprofnews.bsky.social. Shortlisted for Newcomer of the Year 2025 @absw.bsky.social. Email: [email protected].
Posts Replies Media Videos
Reposted by Frances Jones
johnmorgan3.bsky.social
Liz Kendall talked about Haldane principle this week as she set out (broadly) how UKRI would spend 4-year, £38.6bn budget.

@chrisjparr.bsky.social looks at whether Haldane under threat from more interventionist govt - or whether it is misunderstood.

www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-p...
Is the Haldane principle under threat? - Research Professional News
Increasing political direction in the allocation of research funding is alarming some policy experts
www.researchprofessionalnews.com
November 26, 2025 at 9:26 AM
Reposted by Frances Jones
resprofnews.bsky.social
Autumn budget 2025: Live blog.

Tune in for all the HE and research news as it breaks!

www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-r...
November 26, 2025 at 11:43 AM
Reposted by Frances Jones
eicathomefinn.bsky.social
'One of the programmes...closed entirely was on public policy, and the two women leading it left. Staff claim “there are no longer any women in research leadership positions”, which the institute did not respond to directly, though it stressed its commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion.'
November 26, 2025 at 8:47 AM
Reposted by Frances Jones
resprofnews.bsky.social
Alan Turing Institute staff decry ‘unjustified’ cuts to research

Internal documents detail extent of changes to projects and personnel at national AI institute

www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-c...
Alan Turing Institute staff decry ‘unjustified’ cuts to research - Research Professional News
Internal documents detail extent of changes to projects and personnel at national AI institute
www.researchprofessionalnews.com
November 26, 2025 at 8:38 AM
francesjones.bsky.social
Alan Turing Institute staff decry ‘unjustified’ cuts to research

Internal documents, seen by me, detail extent of changes to projects and personnel at national AI institute
www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-c...
Alan Turing Institute staff decry ‘unjustified’ cuts to research - Research Professional News
Internal documents detail extent of changes to projects and personnel at national AI institute
www.researchprofessionalnews.com
November 26, 2025 at 11:01 AM
francesjones.bsky.social
Great to be at the Science Museum yesterday for the UKRI-hosted Growth summit!

Ian Chapman (UKRI's CEO) told me that he wants the Research Excellence Framework to help the agency achieve its new objectives, which have been tied closely to government priorities.
November 25, 2025 at 3:56 PM
Reposted by Frances Jones
resprofnews.bsky.social
Breaking: British Library staff reject improved pay offer after strike.

Union members unanimously dismiss 3.8 per cent pay increase and threaten to escalate industrial action.

Free to read.

www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-c...
British Library staff reject improved pay offer after strike - Research Professional News
Union members unanimously dismiss 3.8 per cent pay increase and threaten to escalate industrial action
www.researchprofessionalnews.com
November 20, 2025 at 4:38 PM
francesjones.bsky.social
Breaking: British Library staff reject improved pay offer after strike www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-c...
British Library staff reject improved pay offer after strike - Research Professional News
Union members unanimously dismiss 3.8 per cent pay increase and threaten to escalate industrial action
www.researchprofessionalnews.com
November 20, 2025 at 4:42 PM
Reposted by Frances Jones
resprofnews.bsky.social
UK needs new ‘disruptive’ labs for frontier science, says think tank.

www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-p...
November 20, 2025 at 7:27 AM
francesjones.bsky.social
The Max Planck Society has co-established a research centre for democracy, security and human rights in Israel.

@gordonneve.bsky.social says the decision is “extremely controversial” and that it plays a role in the “whitewashing of…genocide”.

Jonathan Rosenhead describes it as "beyond parody"
clanicholson.bsky.social Craig Nicholson @clanicholson.bsky.social · 6d
From our latest issue: Max Planck Society defends Israeli research centre focused on human rights

www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-euro...
November 20, 2025 at 10:44 AM
Reposted by Frances Jones
johnmorgan3.bsky.social
Oxford v-c Irene Tracey with some carefully phrased caution/criticism around REF people, culture and environment metric, plus govt's international student fee levy, in interview with @resprofnews.bsky.social @francesjones.bsky.social.

www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-u...
Oxford VC says REF ‘must do what it says on the can’ - Research Professional News
Irene Tracey also warns of “unintended consequences” from government’s planned international student fee levy
www.researchprofessionalnews.com
November 17, 2025 at 11:25 AM
francesjones.bsky.social
Great to sit down with the Oxford VC last week!

On the government’s planned levy on international student fee income, she says, “We must be very careful on how a good intention might lead to unintended consequences".
resprofnews.bsky.social Research Professional News @resprofnews.bsky.social · 9d
Oxford VC says REF ‘must do what it says on the can’.

www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-u...
November 17, 2025 at 9:40 AM
Reposted by Frances Jones
resprofnews.bsky.social
UK weak spots in Horizon Europe ‘likely to feature in FP10 talks’.

Science committee chair Chi Onwurah blames Brexit for underperformance in elements of EU research and innovation programme.

www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-p...
UK weak spots in Horizon Europe ‘likely to feature in FP10 talks’ - Research Professional News
Science committee chair blames Brexit for underperformance in elements of EU research and innovation programme
www.researchprofessionalnews.com
November 14, 2025 at 11:26 AM
Reposted by Frances Jones
johnmorgan3.bsky.social
Larry Ellison putting £billions of private money into UK R&D via Ellison Institute of Technology in Oxford.

@francesjones.bsky.social heard from an EIT leader on importing US "go big, fail fast attitude", and Ellison being "close to the scientists".

www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-i...
Tech tycoon’s Oxford institute ‘importing Silicon Valley attitude’ - Research Professional News
Chief operating officer says billionaire behind Ellison Institute of Technology is “close to the scientists”
www.researchprofessionalnews.com
November 14, 2025 at 1:31 PM
francesjones.bsky.social
Tech tycoon’s Oxford institute ‘importing Silicon Valley attitude’

Interesting to iv Lisa Flashner, the Ellison Institute of Technology's COO, about billionaire Larry Ellison's involvement & what drew him to Oxford/the UK (spoiler: the uni/talent)

www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-i...
Tech tycoon’s Oxford institute ‘importing Silicon Valley attitude’ - Research Professional News
Chief operating officer says billionaire behind Ellison Institute of Technology is “close to the scientists”
www.researchprofessionalnews.com
November 13, 2025 at 4:39 PM
Reposted by Frances Jones
johnmorgan3.bsky.social
When getting your money back is a bad thing: UK expecting a rebate on £2bn paid to EU to join its research programme in 2024, @resprofnews.bsky.social reveals.

UK fared worse than expected in winning Horizon Europe grants.

By @annamckie.bsky.social
www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-p...
UK expects Horizon Europe rebate after limited winnings - Research Professional News
Clawback in prospect after UK’s sluggish EU research programme start, with losses capped at £330m
www.researchprofessionalnews.com
November 12, 2025 at 9:27 AM
francesjones.bsky.social
Pleasure to interview MP & science committee member Emily Darlington (@emily4mk.bsky.social)

She wants to see the UK go back to a place where “amazing scientists” were “household names”, but “with a bit more diversity, a few more women in the mix”.

www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-p...
MP calls for bigger R&D budgets outside of science department - Research Professional News
Science committee member Emily Darlington also wants more power for chief scientific advisers
www.researchprofessionalnews.com
November 12, 2025 at 10:13 AM
Reposted by Frances Jones
eicathomefinn.bsky.social
'The global scientific community has been urged to adopt and support non-profit scholarly publishing models to help solve the problems caused by today’s predominant systems—described as “arguably the largest science crisis of all time”.' 1/3
November 10, 2025 at 1:22 PM
francesjones.bsky.social
‘Embrace non-profit publishing to tackle largest science crisis’

The new global declaration takes a "360-degree view, including publishing models, academic incentive structures, fraud and fake defence, and administration and policy issues," its co-author tells me.
November 10, 2025 at 3:22 PM
Reposted by Frances Jones
resprofnews.bsky.social
‘Embrace non-profit publishing to tackle largest science crisis’.

Stockholm Declaration promotes shift to models encouraging high quality and restoration of trust.

www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-worl...
‘Embrace non-profit publishing to tackle largest science crisis’ - Research Professional News
Stockholm Declaration promotes shift to models encouraging high quality and restoration of trust
www.researchprofessionalnews.com
November 10, 2025 at 10:44 AM
Reposted by Frances Jones
resprofnews.bsky.social
British Library boss unexpectedly quits amid ongoing strike. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-c...
November 5, 2025 at 12:16 PM
francesjones.bsky.social
British Library boss unexpectedly quits amid ongoing strike (over pay)

Further blow to national institution as Rebecca Lawrence steps down after just 10 months

Also how good is this pic I took of the BL last week
researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-c...
November 5, 2025 at 12:32 PM
francesjones.bsky.social
Sheffield Hallam apologises after halting academic’s China research

V interesting case here. Laura Murphy led a research team looking at allegations Uyghur Muslims in China’s north-western region of Xinjiang were subject to forced labour.

www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-u...
Sheffield Hallam apologises after halting academic’s China research - Research Professional News
Laura Murphy sought free speech legal challenge after university stopped her work under Chinese pressure
www.researchprofessionalnews.com
November 3, 2025 at 4:06 PM
Reposted by Frances Jones
hetanshah.bsky.social
Pretty extraordinary story here
www-bbc-co-uk.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/www.bbc....
China intimidated UK university to ditch human rights research, documents show - BBC News
Sheffield Hallam University apologises to Professor Laura Murphy for restricting her academic freedom.
www-bbc-co-uk.cdn.ampproject.org
November 3, 2025 at 6:20 AM
Reposted by Frances Jones
resprofnews.bsky.social
‘Damascene conversion’: ex-science adviser sees light on AI.

In government, Paul Monks became convinced of technology’s “transformative potential” to advise ministers.

www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-p...
‘Damascene conversion’: ex-science adviser sees light on AI - Research Professional News
In government, Paul Monks became convinced of technology’s “transformative potential” to advise ministers
www.researchprofessionalnews.com
November 3, 2025 at 7:56 AM