Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Sarah Richardson

Research Professional News @resprofnews.bsky.social · 22d

BREAKING: Royal Society to reconsider expelling Elon Musk

Violent rhetoric in address to anti-immigration rally pushes science academy to reassess billionaire’s fellowship

(Free to read)

www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-c...

Royal Society to reconsider expelling Elon Musk - Research Professional News

Violent rhetoric in address to anti-immigration rally pushes science academy to reassess billionaire’s fellowship

www.researchprofessionalnews.com

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Sarah Richardson @sarahr100.bsky.social · Sep 4

Agreed! We've since added to the initial breaking story - Vallance added that the pause was intended to ensure the REF measures “the things that we know we want it to measure, and…does not get bound down by measuring things that do not actually impact on what we are trying to understand”.

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Sarah Richardson @sarahr100.bsky.social · Sep 4

Breaking this morning - UK science minister Patrick Vallance says there will be a three-month pause in work on the next REF, as government and UKRI "make sure that we have this properly aligned to what we’re trying to achieve.” Initial story below, more to follow on @resprofnews.bsky.social

Research Professional News @resprofnews.bsky.social · Sep 4

🚨BREAKING🚨

Patrick Vallance announces three-month pause in REF.

Science minister announces hiatus but says results for next Research Excellence Framework still on track for 2029.

Free to read:
www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-r...

Vallance announces three-month pause in REF - Research Professional News

Science minister announces hiatus but says results still on track for 2029

www.researchprofessionalnews.com

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Sarah Richardson @sarahr100.bsky.social · Aug 13

Latest on the situation at the UK's Alan Turing Institute: reforms have put almost half of staff at the national AI institute at risk of redundancy, as @francesjones.bsky.social reports (£) www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-r...

Alan Turing Institute, showing an open door

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Sarah Richardson @sarahr100.bsky.social · Jul 17

Next Horizon’s proposed budget boost is a milestone moment, though significant challenges remain. My leader on the Commission's €175bn plan for the R&I programme, for @resprofnews.bsky.social 's Research Europe edition this week (€)
www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-euro...

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Sarah Richardson @sarahr100.bsky.social · Jul 16

The European Commission has proposed to almost double the budget for Horizon Europe's successor - apparently taking on board arguments for the importance of R&I investment through the programme 👍

Craig Nicholson @clanicholson.bsky.social · Jul 16

Full breaking story: Commission proposes to double Horizon budget for 2028-34

www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-euro...

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Sarah Richardson @sarahr100.bsky.social · Jul 10

Here we are again... This repeat of the regular tough stance on R&I spending from EU member states also highlights again how hard it's likely to be to get agreement on a significant budget boost for research in the next framework programme

Craig Nicholson @clanicholson.bsky.social · Jul 10

ERC and EIC targeted by Council for 2026 budget cuts

www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-euro...

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Reposted by Sarah Richardson

Research Professional News @resprofnews.bsky.social · Jun 25

The Times and others picking up on our exclusive about the Donald Trump administration axing UK university research projects.

Our original piece, based on the great work of @francesjones.bsky.social, is now free to read.

www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-u...

Trump administration axes UK university research projects - Research Professional News

More than 20 projects at Russell Group institutions halted, freedom of information requests reveal

www.researchprofessionalnews.com

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Sarah Richardson @sarahr100.bsky.social · Jun 18

... Going on to say - stressing this is "thinking aloud" rather than policy - that this approach would also raise questions for funders and policymakers about how to incentivise quality over quantity, and potentially provide "disincentives" for low quality research.

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Sarah Richardson @sarahr100.bsky.social · Jun 18

Really interesting from Research England's Steven Hill at #ARMA2025. Picking up the argument that given financial pressures, universities may need to do less research, he suggests they cld look at where they are making their “biggest contribution” and where they bring "unique" capabilities (cont)

Research Professional News @resprofnews.bsky.social · Jun 18

Research England official: universities could do ‘less’ R&D.

Arma 2025: director of research, Steven Hill, asks whether system should provide “disincentives for lower-quality research”. #ARMA2025

www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-u...

Research England official: universities could do ‘less’ R&D - Research Professional News

Arma 2025: director of research asks whether system should provide “disincentives for lower-quality research”

www.researchprofessionalnews.com

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Sarah Richardson @sarahr100.bsky.social · Jun 18

Plus, our publisher Clarivate has organised a drinks reception on our stand at 4.15pm today (Weds) - please do drop by if you're at the event and can make it

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Sarah Richardson @sarahr100.bsky.social · Jun 18

Happy to be in beautiful Edinburgh for #ARMA2025, where @resprofnews.bsky.social is media partner. Follow our coverage at www.researchprofessionalnews.com/category/arm... - all free to read, with thanks to our team here @sophieatrpn.bsky.social @francesjones.bsky.social @johnmorgan3.bsky.social

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Sarah Richardson @sarahr100.bsky.social · Jun 11

UK spending review docs confirm that the government has set aside money to join Horizon Europe's successor - with a footnote adding some caveats that will be familiar to the research community ("assuming it is open, relevant and provides good value for the UK researcher community and taxpayer")

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Reposted by Sarah Richardson

Research Professional News @resprofnews.bsky.social · Jun 11

It is spending review day, and our world famous live blog has been fired up.

Follow all the day's news as it happens: www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-p... #spendingreview

Spending review 2025: Live blog - Research Professional News

All the higher education and research news from the spending review as it is announced

www.researchprofessionalnews.com

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Reposted by Sarah Richardson

Robin Bisson @robinbisson.bsky.social · Jun 8

Here's our piece on the £86bn R&D budget

The govt calls it a “bumper funding package” worth more than £22.5bn a year by 2029–30

In reality it's a real-terms freeze, accounting for inflation, using OBR forecasts

But probably as good as the research sector could hope for

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Reposted by Sarah Richardson

Robin Bisson @robinbisson.bsky.social · Jun 7

At 9pm, The Times published a piece on the spending review including crucial details of the UK's 4-year R&D budget, which DSIT sent in a press release *embargoed* for...tomorrow

Look out for a piece from us on this with some actual analysis

www.thetimes.com/article/a0f4...

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Sarah Richardson @sarahr100.bsky.social · May 19

Huge congrats to @francesjones.bsky.social , who has been shortlisted as Newcomer of the Year in this year's Association of British Science Writers' Awards 🌟 Frances has made a fantastic impact with her reporting since joining @resprofnews.bsky.social - it's wonderful to see that recognised

ABSW @absw.bsky.social · May 17

#ABSWawards
The moment you've been waiting for...
👇 Stay tuned!
📅 Monday at noon
www.absw.org.uk/pages/18-awa...

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Sarah Richardson @sarahr100.bsky.social · May 8

It was a pleasure to chair the #INORMS25 keynote from NYU's Debra Schaller-Demers this morn. Her honesty over leadership and its challenges - esp in US just now - offered plenty to think about for research managers in the audience, and others too www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-worl...

Research managers urged to show ‘courage’ amid pressures - Research Professional News

Inorms 2025: US situation highlights importance of transformational leadership, says NYU integrity director

www.researchprofessionalnews.com

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Reposted by Sarah Richardson

Research Professional News @resprofnews.bsky.social · May 8

All this week, we are reporting from #INORMS2025.

If you are there, lucky you! If not, you can follow all of our reporting, free to read, on our INORMS page.

Check it out: www.researchprofessionalnews.com/category/ino...

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Sarah Richardson @sarahr100.bsky.social · May 7

I'm v pleased to be at #inorms2025 in Madrid with @johnmorgan3.bsky.social @clanicholson.bsky.social and @francesjones.bsky.social. Research Professional News is media partner for the event, and you can follow our coverage on the link below - free to read for the duration of the conference 🌟

Research Professional News @resprofnews.bsky.social · May 7

We are delighted to be at #inorms2025 in Madrid this week!

Find all our coverage on our dedicated page: www.researchprofessionalnews.com/category/ino...

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Sarah Richardson @sarahr100.bsky.social · May 2

Huge congrats to our brilliant @resprofnews.bsky.social journalists shortlisted in this year's @thebsme.bsky.social Talent Awards! Fantastic news and richly deserved 🌟 @robinbisson.bsky.social @harrietswain.bsky.social @fionamcintyre.bsky.social @johnmorgan3.bsky.social and our UK News team

Research Professional News @resprofnews.bsky.social · May 2

🎉Great news!🎉 We have 5 shortlistings in the 2025 @thebsme.bsky.social Talent Awards!

Congrats to the UK news team, @robinbisson.bsky.social, @fionamcintyre.bsky.social, @harrietswain.bsky.social and @johnmorgan3.bsky.social.

Read all about it: www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-c...

RPN journalists shortlisted for awards - Research Professional News

Reporters and editors feature in five categories in British Society of Magazine Editors Talent Awards

www.researchprofessionalnews.com

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Sarah Richardson @sarahr100.bsky.social · Apr 30

The UK's Science and Technology Facilities Council has written to several project leaders saying they will not receive renewed funding, amid a financial hole at the council - exclusive from @francesjones.bsky.social (£) www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-r...

Research cuts loom as STFC faces financial hole - Research Professional News

Exclusive: Science and Technology Facilities Council notifies some project leaders it will not renew funding

www.researchprofessionalnews.com

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Sarah Richardson @sarahr100.bsky.social · Apr 4

Huge thanks to @chionwurah.bsky.social MP for closing our #RPNLive2025 event yesterday with a keynote speech and Q&A - I enjoyed asking about her views on R&I and growth, the REF and UK/US relations. Free to read coverage is here: www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-p...

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Sarah Richardson @sarahr100.bsky.social · Mar 20

Our news coverage of the same issue is here: www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-worl...

Major journals ‘publishing papers from Russian-controlled Ukraine’ - Research Professional News

Ukrainian researchers urge publishing sector giants to “end de facto cooperation with Russia”

www.researchprofessionalnews.com

Sarah Richardson @sarahr100.bsky.social · Mar 20

A powerful challenge to the publishing industry from Ukrainian researchers Alex Plastun and Serhiy Kozmenko, who draw attention to the fact major journals are publishing Russian-affiliated academic papers from occupied territories. Free to read: www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-euro...

Stop laundering research from Ukraine’s stolen institutions - Research Professional News

Publishing Russian-affiliated papers from occupied territories amounts to misinformation, say Alex Plastun and Serhiy Kozmenko

www.researchprofessionalnews.com

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