Research funding

Universities UK and Wellcome Trust express mounting fears about where funding to join European Union research programme will come from

International advisory panel heads condemn ‘inexcusable’ handling of cuts to research supported by foreign aid

Cuts to major international research funds will harm UK’s reputation but also undermine rationale for UK’s main funding body, claim research leaders

Boost in research funding is only a first step in fostering innovation, experts say

Funder says it is unlikely to be able to support ‘majority’ of awards beyond July, and will be unable to approve new applications

Plan for unsponsored, points-based route features in budget, alongside freeze in fees for 2022-23

Advanced Research and Invention Agency bill confirms plan to place agency beyond reach of Freedom of Information Act

Health research funder promises broad attack on racial inequality

New funding should be used to lure researchers from industry and overseas, experts say

Toll on younger scientists highlights lack of research-specific pandemic aid

UK Research and Innovation announces additional £11 million for UK doctoral students but rejects plea for blanket six-month extensions

Ministers promise innovative funding models for Advanced Research and Invention Agency following debate on relationship with umbrella body

Administrative costs thought to account for substantial percentage of US research spending

Evidence shows that universities outside the golden triangle are among the best at creating successful companies, says Brian McCaul

Science and Technology Committee says ‘Arpa’ may be most effective if set up outside UK Research and Innovation

Hefty cuts to the fund supporting two flagship international research schemes do not square with UK’s science spending ambitions, warn leaders

Budget also aims to cut bureaucracy and open up internationalisation avenues 

But the eye-popping amount comes with caveats, experts say

Money ‘reallocated’ from specialist institution fund announced by government last year, UKRI says 

OECD finds science rose to the challenge of coronavirus, but this led to cancelled projects elsewhere and academics working outside their expertise

HBCUs want a chance after decades of federal aid for poorer white-majority institutions

If the UK wins more money from the EU’s flagship research programme it will have to pay it back – but only if the imbalance is structural

Universities welcome certainty on research funding but lament loss of student exchange scheme

Overruling of funding recommendations, apparently over security concerns, divulged following minister’s departure

Hidden crisis of pandemic may push early career researchers out of science, leaders warn

Policy experts say UK institutions would be unlikely to join EU research programme before spring

Research scheme advocated by Dominic Cummings may provide template for streamlined grants process in future

Commercial aid steers research agenda away from public health impacts, Australian study suggests

New research framework programme due to begin on 1 January

Executive chair says funder will ‘smooth bridge’ to creation of UK’s own ‘discovery fund’ if country does not to associate to Horizon Europe 

Committee of peers says government must confirm it will participate in EU programmes or provide details on alternatives

Academics remain wedded to prestige indicators, but peer reviewers may conclude that the journal is profiteering, says Dorothy Bishop

Picking winners at random helps back risky research, boosts niche subjects and curbs nepotism, recipients say

Chancellor’s spending review research boost leaves questions around earlier promises, as funds committed for Erasmus replacement

Victorian budget also confirms hardship packages for universities and foreign students and recovery strategy for international education

Plans for new research funding agency expected to go ahead despite exit of former top adviser to PM, but mission yet to be defined

Budgets and foreign ties likely constrained even with friendlier administration

This week’s spending review could see commitments revisited and important policy documents released, predicts Nick Hillman

Survey finds one in five scholars self-censored their teaching when students from autocratic states were in their class

Key issues on mission, leadership and position of ‘Arpa’ agency within wider system yet to be decided, MPs told

After cutbacks to the programme in July, lawmakers have managed to pad out the budget slightly, but universities remain disappointed

Government’s decision to set out one-year budget ‘not surprising’ but creates questions over key reforms

Supporting pure open access publishers can save money and help cement the transition to full open access, says Helen Dobson

Downing Street may be forced to break manifesto pledge as Covid ruins public finances, warns Westminster insider

Report from Universities UK International explores how country can enhance its international academic reputation

Biomedical research charity to focus efforts on infectious diseases, mental health and global heating

New ARC funding arrangements will also redirect more money to applied research

The country’s deep belief in cooperation coexists with a quiet opportunism about recruitment and funding, say Tim Seidenschnur and Georg Krücken 

Australian budget package will tide over universities as they ‘wait and see’ if international fees rebound  

Jo Johnson tells MPs that new research funding agency could damage rest of system if allowed to be an ‘island’ in Cabinet Office

Participation in Athena SWAN-style initiative mooted as probable requirement for Horizon Europe grants

Success rate by award value also consistently lower for women, EPSRC report finds

Natural Environment Research Council defends decision to award fellowships entirely to men in 2019, but will review diversity processes

Internal Market Bill brings warnings that Horizon Europe deal will be near impossible if UK and EU are ‘embittered’ by trade talks failure

Nancy Rothwell tells THE its universities are ‘worried about building the research base’ amid ‘complete uncertainty’ on overseas recruitment during pandemic

Universities told that emphasis on tackling pandemic, climate change and digital transformation may require ‘reshuffling of money’

Leading academics respond to government plan to end link between charter mark and research funding, amid fears that equality issues will be sidelined

Australian sector must use ‘radical reset’ opportunity to refocus from grand challenges to the expertise needed to achieve them, says report

Education minister Ingrid van Engelshoven says too much research funding is now competitive, leading to intense work stress

UK science minister hits out at ‘spurious’ research metrics and ‘publish or perish’ lab culture