Research funding

Concerns framework programme’s budget could be redirected to back projects with military uses ‘threatens to undermine its core purpose’, say leading research universities

China’s Double First-Class project appears to be paying off as the country’s institutions continue to lead the rankings. Why have similar schemes elsewhere struggled to reap rewards, and can China keep advancing despite economic slowdown and an ageing population? Helen Packer reports

Budget cuts of €500 billion to higher education and research funding in the Netherlands breach government agreement, universities say

More research council funding in the humanities and social sciences should be distributed in the form of micro-grants, says Peter Sutoris

Exeter’s self-funded translation of Ukrainian war poetry ensures it reaches a global audience and contributes to historical justice, says Svitlana Arbuzova

Tariffs and further economic barriers only likely to drive spend on science and technology higher, analysts predict, amid hopes innovation can kickstart recovery

Home of prestigious awards hopes to claim more of its own after launching new funding stream – but leaders caution against too much political control

Renewed push for country to join Horizon Europe, as foreign minister urges universities to ‘diversify’

Total of £8.8 billion given to UK’s main research funder a real-terms cut but likely to be viewed favourably amid Whitehall spending reductions

No word on whether US research partnerships must be registered for possible veto, after American authorities suspend contracts on ideological grounds

Call for rethink over how funder’s money is used to underwrite professors’ salaries, as overhaul of key schemes continues

Threats to US-funded research and infrastructure could mean ‘profound implications for Australians’, academy warns

Average losses on doctoral training of over 50 per cent seen as ‘underestimate’, with gaps plugged by overseas student fees and quality-related funding

Ten university cities expected to participate in strikes ahead of April Senate vote on budget

University umbrella groups call on EU Global Gateway initiative to boost funding for international research collaborations

Loss of almost 8 per cent of mainstream quality-related funding feared amid concerns that Spring Statement will deepen sector funding crisis

Reforms to boost opportunities for those just starting out could have the opposite effect, observers warn

Government drive to boost research commercialisation struggles to get off the ground at public universities

Improved grant success in UK regions reverses funding dominance of London and broader south-east, although disparities remain, says study

Yale University joins several other leading research institutions in pausing hiring or spending

Study finds evidence of ‘modest’ bias among reviewers covering race and gender

While hundreds of academics decry education minister’s intervention, supporters say he acted in researchers’ interests

Government commission advocates for intervention in downsizing of higher education sector to avoid regional disparity

Conference also hears that proposed streamline of ARC grant schemes will give early career researchers a ‘leg-up’

Academic spin-outs have risen over the past decade, supported by a network of university-affiliated venture funds

Research funders and universities condemn planned yearly reductions of more than 460 million Swiss francs 

Failure to improve translation of ‘laudable’ research output will see country ‘slide into mediocrity’, reviewers warn

Science minister tells Commons committee that he is more interested in maximising impact of science spending than increasing total outlay, as he emphasises need to get visa policies ‘right’

With success rates below 10 per cent in a recent funding round, pressure on scholars to secure grants may not be realistic, warns leading economist

UK society for American studies has funding removed for not complying with US Embassy request on new president’s diversity policies

Year-long succession process and budget delays have prompted speculation over possible reforms to £1 billion UK innovation research agency

Hugh Brady warns 16 per cent fall in real-terms value of recurrent grant funding ‘threatens the very foundations of British science’

Scouring funded grant applications for ‘woke’ terminology is ‘chilling’, say top US researchers alarmed by defunding threats

Social sciences ‘the proverbial canary in the coalmine’ for restrictions in other areas of research, dean warns

European Commission-published Competitiveness Compass raises fears of political interference

Draft 2025 budget could be devastating for research, universities and students, academics warn

From cancelled guest lectures to disrupted clinical trials, the damage to US science caused by a grant approval freeze is mounting, but further problems lie ahead

Government ‘cherry-picked’ ideas with commercial application, despite reviewer warnings against ‘naive’ expectations of windfall profits, scientists say

White House directive to pause external communications causes chaos at America’s main science funder

Unexpected upsides of ‘randomised’ funding include greater acceptance among rejected applicants, says British Academy head

Lack of joined-up thinking and decline in funding has seen UK fall behind rivals, says House of Lords report

Research England chair warned that universities in devolved nations disadvantaged by lack of dedicated research culture funding

Parliamentarians warn removal of funding for UK in a Changing Europe might be seen as ‘deprioritisation of impact-based work’, given its success

Agreement between coalition and opposition parties to reduce budget cuts does little to assuage sector leaders’ fears 

Scientists from the favoured areas raise the strongest objections

Dividing second pillar of FP10 into two councils could ‘weaken programme’s collaborative spirit’, European umbrella body warns

English universities within empowered metro-mayor areas could gain research advantage over Scottish peers, warns umbrella group

Long timeline for review heralded almost a year ago by another review

If we rely on industry to bankroll research, we lose sight of problems that do not interest industry, technologist warns

Protest comes as House of Representatives prepares to debate controversial cuts to higher education and research of more than €1 billion

The president of Technical University of Munich explains his recipe for breaking down silos while retaining deep disciplinary strength

Promote teamwork to improve gender equity, Australian analysis suggests

New doctoral training schemes will simplify and harmonise the support offered to funded PhD students, says UK Research and Innovation

Addressing the sector’s woes has, at best, been kicked down the road to next year’s spending review. How disappointing, says Nick Hillman

NWO initiative seeks to address concerns about sustainability of free to read, free to publish model

Ex-shadow minister Chi Onwurah warns government will struggle to achieve its goals without maintaining investment

Liverpool vice-chancellor argues that conducting more research outside London and south-east of England would improve healthcare and educational outcomes

Academic freedom constraints of previous Law and Justice administration come to an end, but funding concerns remain, researchers say

First budget under new right-wing government insufficient, sector leaders say

Universities warn folding Horizon Europe costs into existing budget would force ‘deep cuts’ on rest of science sector