Research funding

Science leaders beg Ursula von der Leyen to break political impasse

European doctoral body says funders must recognise that current financial support is often insufficient for PhD researchers

Despite known risk, politicians from states with weak science records push dramatic expansion of affirmative-action-style set-asides for federal dollars

Australian policy guru suggests complete rethink of research funding to overcome ‘opportunity cost’ of unsuccessful grant applications

High-profile pledge to spend £60 million a year on maths research has not been fulfilled, MPs hear

The president of the University of Würzburg discusses the differences between the two systems, why he’s joined a European university alliance and the benefits of interdisciplinary working

Stabilisation funding, fellowships and industry collaboration grants identified as key priorities, but questions about whether country can successfully replicate Brussels schemes remain

Funder pushes deadline for awardees to finalise departure plans or lose EU funding back to 29 June

This year’s positive financial results mask urgent need for historic reform to ease reliance on international students, says Nobelist

‘Deeply problematic’ deadlock over Britain’s membership of European research scheme cannot continue, warns science minister ahead of ‘last round of talks’

Cambridge scientist who forfeited EU research funding says industry will suffer badly from loss of influence

Universities UK says ministers are ‘on the precipice’ of walking away from negotiations and backing domestic alternative instead

Unprecedented three-year settlement for UK research body sets out increases for PhD funding and quality-related institutional grants

Halt on Norwegian Research Council calls and plans to cut or postpone others are ‘extremely serious’, sector says

From both the NIH and a leading philanthropist, nation’s researchers get new hope for cutting the huge waste of time and effort in bureaucratic reviews

Experts debate whether erosion of dominance will prompt redrawing of funding criteria

The extent of research‘s cross-subsidisation by overseas student fees is too rarely understood by policymakers and academics alike, says Ruth Arnold

Research minister shocks sector with purge at top of supposedly profligate funder

Government’s major research funders set hard deadline of 2029 for fair distribution of major federal science grant money and see gender exclusion as smart pathway

The REF may no longer be the only game in town, but it remains a dominant force in UK research. So as the REF 2021 results are released, is it still fit for purpose?

Pentagon fell short on promises to help HBCUs compete for research grants, though institutions see new motivation from foreign tensions

Science minister suggests disagreements with Michael Gove over role of Oxford, Cambridge and London institutions

Some grant holders exploring joint appointments with continental institutions as funding deadline looms

Some Advanced Grant winners must wait and see where their share of funding will come from

Researchers on tight deadline to decide whether to jump ship or accept replacement funding guarantee

Compromise between egalitarian and competitive ideals could usher in bigger university groupings and more interdisciplinary evaluation

Cutting-edge facilities are welcome but they achieve little without people to run them, science advocates point out

Russian Foundation for Basic Research looking at Rb1.15 billion decrease, while Moscow State University told to slash budget by 10 per cent

New opportunities for funding have been welcomed but future clashes over intellectual property could prove challenging

But promised infrastructure and research commercialisation funding could stretch thin

Australia’s big talk on science aspirations overlooks the skills needed to make it all happen, critics say

In fiscal 2023 budget plan, president seeks to bolster student and research grants, but without specific eye on community colleges and immigrant children

Canberra’s policy changes helped turn its big-ticket infrastructure schemes into pipe dreams, university-industry report argues

With new divisions at NIH and NSF, federal government making long-promised structural changes to get universities and their scientists beyond their silos

Ministers halt funding to programmes with ‘state and institutional collaborators’ but ‘small number’ of partnerships remain under review

EU officials want to take money for Chips Act, but government purseholders have ruled out using unspent project funds to replace it

Close reading of ERC Starting Grant proposals finds secrets to success and raises concerns about smoke and mirrors from narrative CVs

Parliamentarians clash on funding discretion and whether it should continue, but agree on need for ARC review

Grant reviewers should close the circle by evaluating final reports, and recipients should spend the money as they see fit

Approach will aid those who are already able to get ahead, critics warn

Research-intensive universities step up Russia boycott measures as UK Research and Innovation turns off funding over Ukraine invasion

Uncertainty around UK’s future in EU research, plus shortage of domestic funding beyond Oxbridge, drove ERC grant holder to swap Southampton for Bergen

Veto powers not unique to the ARC, medical research funder says – although they are not exercised elsewhere

‘Big-picture thinkers’ would set national priorities, sidestep electoral cycles and deal with ‘boundary issues’ involving indigenous knowledge

While most submissions support legislation to end ministerial veto rights, some urge middle ground approach

Researchers support drive for quality over quantity but warn of unintended consequences

Higher education systems that are free to evolve have improved and adapted as times change, but more are seeing ministers determined to set the course

Scientists should strive for real impact, not to impress a panel of busy peers, with their agendas, biases and blind spots, says Pedro Domingos 

Impact of cuts to in-flight research mitigated by additional money but future budgets for aid-funded projects still uncertain, says UK science funder

All types of institution must be welcome if new funder is to achieve its true potential, sector groups say

Stick to Science campaign launches with more than 200 signatories covering industry, charities and academia

There is no simple answer to entrenched inequities in research funding, Australian agency finds

Business secretary reportedly concerned by Jonathan Michie’s ‘left-wing’ associations

Vice-chancellor criticises ‘bipartisan support’ for rules enabling ministers to intervene in grant awards

Comparison with current data suggests government proposals are ‘not exactly a revolution in the funding balance’, say experts

Science minister George Freeman claims academics may warm to leaving EU research scheme if homegrown alternative offers attractive global opportunities

Forty per cent increase in investment by 2030 pledged, with BEIS ring-fencing majority of its spending for areas beyond golden triangle

Universities across Europe to launch ‘Stick to Science’ campaign warning against ‘politicisation’, as football-style ‘transfer market’ emerges to tempt away UK-based researchers

British-born computer scientist Peter Highnam to lead ‘high-risk, high-reward’ agency

But critics say windfall won’t compensate for the money stripped from basic research