“Significant attention has not yet been given” to AI impact, warns Committee on Research Integrity

Better standards and policies on the use of generative artificial intelligence in research are required to show it is trustworthy and protect the UK’s research system, according to the UK Committee on Research Integrity. 

In its second annual statement, the committee—which is overseen by the national funding agency UK Research and Innovation—says that while funders, publishers, research organisations and discipline-specific bodies are responding to the opportunities and challenges generative AI poses, “significant attention has not yet been given to the impact of this technology on research integrity”.

Existing policies and practices in the research sector around generative AI are not always consistent or easy to navigate and have gaps, it argues, suggesting that the research sector would benefit from the kind of investment available to develop AI safeguards in other parts of the economy.

Ethical considerations

“Researchers need the awareness and skills to understand and be accountable for the potential ‘black box’ that they are introducing into their research through the use of generative AI,” the report says.

It adds that ethical use of AI tools might also involve environmental considerations, given the large amounts of energy use that it involves.

The committee was set up in 2022 by UKRI on the recommendation of an inquiry into research integrity held by the Commons Science and Technology Committee in 2018. The idea was that it would champion research integrity in the UK, working closely with organisations such as the UK Research Integrity Office and the Concordat to Support Research Integrity Signatories Group to share good practice.

Its annual statement highlights the dangers of bias in AI and states that use of AI in developing research ideas, writing research funding proposals and in peer review of research papers is problematic if it is not carried out transparently.

While questions have been raised for some time about whether a regulator is needed for AI in the UK, the committee says this remains “an evolving issue” and that it has been watching closely developments in the US and EU.

Recent AI policies and reports

In the US, the National Academy of Medicine recently published a draft code of conduct on the use of AI in health, healthcare and biomedical science, while the European Commission has issued Guidelines on the Responsible Use of Generative AI in Research.

A Royal Society report in May 2024 called for a “balanced approach” to AI, taking account of the opportunities and risks it offers.

Meanwhile, publishers have been developing tools and guidelines on promoting ethical use of AI in research publishing.

Annual statements

As well as paying greater attention to AI, the UK Committee on Research Integrity wants all research-performing organisations, including higher education institutions, to publish annual statements on research integrity, including information about allegations of research misconduct and a summary of the outcomes of investigations.

It recommends greater consideration to the impact of social media on misconduct investigations, warning that it could compromise anonymity and, in some cases, the integrity of the investigation process.

In addition, it wants changes to promotion practices to reward those that make positive contributions to research culture.

It will publish a full report making recommendations on AI and other issues in 2025.

James Parry, chief innovation officer of the UK Research Integrity Office, said: “AI opens up new opportunities for research, but also raises questions on its safe, rigorous and ethical use. UKRIO will build upon its existing work on AI and research integrity in 2024/25 as one of its key workstreams, helping the research community address the complex challenges that it is facing.”

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Space South Central expects university’s membership to help boost space science

University College London has joined the UK’s “largest” regional space cluster as part of an initiative to deepen investments in space skills and knowledge. The move is expected to benefit both the university and the region.

The London university’s membership of Space South Central as an academic partner is expected to benefit researchers and help boost south-central England’s “world-class reputation for space expertise, research and innovation”.

‘Greater opportunities for collaboration’

Andrew Fazakerley, professor of space plasma physics and head of the UCL’s Department of Space and Climate Physics, said joining the cluster “will bring significant and tangible benefits to our growing community of researchers involved in space research”.

“It will mean greater opportunities for collaboration with both academic peers and industry partners, helping us to ensure that innovative ideas and research breakthroughs achieve their full potential,” he added.

The cluster unites business and academia to boost innovation, collaboration and growth across Hampshire, Surrey, and the Isle of Wight, the region with a £3 billion space industry comprising more than 170 space-related organisations and employing approximately 14,000 people.

Boost to space capabilities

UCL joins existing academic partners the University of Portsmouth, University of Southampton and University of Surrey.

The university is home to the Mullard Space Science Laboratory in Surrey (pictured) and the UK’s largest university space research group. It has participated in more than 35 satellite missions and over 200 rocket experiments.

The cluster expects that having UCL as a member will help it “strengthen ties between London’s business and academic networks and key space industry sector partners in the south of England” as well as to boost its space capabilities overseas given UCL’s international profile.

Louise Butt, director of the Space South Central Enterprise Network, said: “We are delighted that UCL has chosen to partner with Space South Central to support, enhance and benefit from our cluster initiatives.

“UCL brings a wealth of complementary expertise to our cluster, with a rich space heritage and a vast portfolio spanning planetary science, space policy, climate physics, astrochemistry, quantum science and much more.

“To have four world-class academic partners working together with our unrivalled range of up-stream and down-stream businesses–large and small–presents many exciting opportunities for the sector in Hampshire, Surrey and the Isle of Wight, and for the wider UK space industry.”

‘Delight’ over announcement

Geraint Rees, UCL vice-provost for research, innovation and global engagement, said: “I’m delighted that UCL is joining the largest regional space cluster in the UK. Collaboration with both industry and academic peers has been a defining feature of UCL’s space activity for over 60 years, stretching back to the multinational Ariel 1 satellite, Britain’s first step into space.

“It’s fitting to see this legacy of successful industry academic partnership continue with Space South Central and I look forward to seeing the synergies that arise.”

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Tech entrepreneur and Aria chair Matt Clifford appointed to deliver programme to grow AI sector

The UK government has appointed a tech entrepreneur to create an action plan that will support the country’s efforts to develop an artificial intelligence sector that can compete on the world stage.

Matt Clifford is charged with finding ways to use artificial intelligence (AI) in driving economic growth in the country and improving the lives of its citizens.

Clifford is co-founder of a startup, Entrepreneur First, that helps people to build technology companies. He said: “AI presents us with so many opportunities to grow the economy and improve people’s lives. The UK is leading the way in many areas, but we can do even better.

“I’m excited to start work and develop an ambitious roadmap to identify the biggest opportunities and support the new government as it makes important choices about where to focus its efforts.”

The tech entrepreneur is also chair of the Advanced Research and Invention Agency, a government research and funding agency.

Work underway

Clifford will be responsible for creating an action plan that boosts AI take-up of technology across all parts of the economy, in both the public and private sectors. He will be expected to examine the infrastructure, talent and data access that will be required to achieve that.

Work on the action plan has started and will involve key industry and civil society figures. Clifford has been asked to deliver a set of recommendations to the science secretary, Peter Kyle, in September.

The plan will assess what the UK needs in terms of computer infrastructure and other resources by 2030.  

Kyle said: “We’re putting AI at the heart of the government’s agenda to boost growth and improve our public services. Together we will use AI to drive productivity and economic growth in every part of the country, so we can make everyone better off.” 

AI unit

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology will also establish an ‘AI Opportunities Unit’, with the aim of bringing together the knowledge and expertise to implement the action plan’s recommendations.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves explained that “artificial intelligence has the potential to raise productivity and help us do that”.

“Our AI Opportunities Unit will unlock its full potential to grow a more productive economy, create good jobs across the country, and deliver the excellent public services that people deserve while saving taxpayers’ money,” she said.

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Birmingham, Edinburgh, Glasgow, London and Oxford get centres in areas from medical imaging to cybersecurity

The UK government has said it will invest £106 million to create five hubs for R&D in quantum technology.

Peter Kyle, secretary of state at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (Dsit), will unveil the initiative later today during a visit to the University of Glasgow. That university will lead one hub, focusing on positioning and navigation systems, including the development of new devices.

Kyle said: “These hubs will bridge the gap between brilliant ideas and practical solutions. They will not only transform sectors like healthcare and security, but also create a culture of accelerated innovation that helps to grow our economy.”

“It’s good to see the government making this commitment to quantum technologies so early in office,” said John Bagshaw, vice president for business at the Institute of Physics. “These have the potential to transform our economy across a wide range of sectors, from healthcare to transport, communication to energy and national security.”

A hub at the University of Birmingham will work on sensing, imaging and timing technology with applications in medicine, security and infrastructure. One at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh will specialise in quantum network technology for cybersecurity and distributed computing. Another will host research into quantum computing at the University of Oxford.

The investment will help the UK remain a leader in quantum technology, said Carrie Weidner, a lecturer in quantum engineering at the University of Bristol. “The quantum hubs provide a means for the UK quantum technology community to come together and work towards the shared goal of making practical quantum devices a reality.” 

‘Outstanding team of researchers’

The fifth hub a London-based collaboration between University College London and the University of Cambridge, will work on biomedical sensing, including blood tests and scanners.

“We are bringing together an outstanding team of researchers from academia, the NHS, charities, government, regulators and industry to help accelerate advances in quantum for human health and societal good,” said Rachel McKendry, a chemist at UCL and the hub’s co-director. 

“We also hope to grow an innovation ecosystem working with industry and international networks of excellence with leading researchers worldwide.”

The announcement is "a welcome boost to the UK’s quantum infrastructure", said Andrew Clark, executive director of programmes at the Royal Academy of Engineering.

"The academy has previously advocated for government to set a clearer strategic direction for quantum technologies in the UK," said Clark, "so it is pleasing to see applications in vital sectors like diagnostics, navigation and communications signalled as priorities.” 

Dsit said the investment would contribute to the government’s mission to increase economic growth, reform the NHS and “keep our streets safe” through innovations in cybersecurity.

The initiative will be overseen by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council. Its funding will be drawn from the budgets of the EPSRC, Biotechnology and Biological Research Council, Medical Research Council, and National Institute for Health and Care Research.

Update 26/7 – This story was updated after publication with comment from Carrie Weidner and John Bagshaw

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Council for At-Risk Academics and body representing young researchers team up to support academics

A UK organisation representing early career researchers has launched a scheme to recruit and support young at-risk academics.

The UK Young Academy aims to offer mentoring, training, career support and advocacy for “academics and professionals from marginalised and underrepresented communities”, it said in its announcement of the scheme, released today.

The academy is running the initiative in collaboration with the Council for At-Risk Academics (Cara), a UK organisation supporting exiled and refugee researchers. Scholars who are part of Cara’s network now have their own route to joining the academy, with Cara checking applicants’ eligibility.

The academy said it will “offer membership places to at-risk academics, establish a mentorship scheme and annual workshops, ensure visibility of academic resources, and help academics integrate into UK organisations and institutions”.

The scheme is “a significant commitment to supporting at-risk, early career individuals across diverse sectors” that will “provide essential mentoring opportunities and support their integration into UK academic networks”, said Linda Oyama, a member of the UK Young Academy’s executive group and a biologist at Queen’s University Belfast.

Similar initiatives

The new programme follows similar initiatives by other young academies, including in Scotland and Canada. It is being led by two existing UK Young Academy members: Ana Blanco Alvarez, an engineering researcher at Loughborough University; and biologist Amit Pujari of the University of Hertfordshire.

The UK Young Academy, established in 2022, is open to early career researchers as well as professionals in other fields. It is a joint initiative of the UK’s seven senior academies for different disciplines and nations, overseen by the Royal Society. As well as providing professional support, it aims to help early career researchers become involved in policy.

The academy also opened applications for its general membership, which close on 9 October.

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UKRI and CSIRO sign agreement to collaborate on addressing global challenges

The national funder UK Research and Innovation has agreed a deal on closer collaboration with the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation in Australia.

UKRI and CSIRO announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding on 24 July, saying they will work together to address global challenges and “drive innovations that not only benefit the UK and Australia but also contribute to the global community”.

The two agencies will provide each other with access to technical expertise and share resources, equipment and facilities. Two areas in which they are already collaborating are clean energy and space research. 

UKRI chief executive Ottoline Leyser said: “This partnership with CSIRO aligns perfectly with our strategy to amplify the impact of the research and innovation we support.

“By collaborating on key areas like Earth observation and clean energy, we can deliver transformative solutions that tackle global challenges and enhance prosperity for both the UK and Australia.”

CSIRO chief executive Doug Hilton added: “Science and research are strengthened by broad networks and deep connections, so sharing those between CSIRO and UKRI will lift the benefit to both our nations.”

Existing projects

The agreement aims to build on existing collaborations such as the AquaWatch project, created to provide regular updates and forecasts of coastal water quality. CSIRO scientists have been working with colleagues from the UKRI Science and Technology Facilities Council’s RAL Space laboratory in a study at Plymouth Sound in Devon.

A second project, involving Aberystwyth University scientists, is using satellite observations to monitor water quality in Cardigan Bay, Wales.

The two national agencies are also involved in multilateral projects on climate change and clean energy with the US National Science Foundation and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.

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Cancer Research UK urges government to reduce fees, as bill across four institutes “nears £700,000”

Cancer Research UK is calling on the new UK government to reduce visa fees for scientists, saying the cost for its researchers is estimated to have risen 44 per cent in the last financial year.

The charity said the four institutes it funds expect to spend a total of £687,674 in 2023-24 on work and study visa costs, up 44 per cent from 2022-23.

In October last year, the Conservative government increased work visa fees by 15 per cent, family visas by 20 per cent and student visas by 25 per cent. 

Ian Walker, executive director of policy, information and communications at Cancer Research UK, said: “Scientists are having to fork out thousands of pounds upfront to have their visa applications considered, while the research institutes that want them here are having to move vital funds away from labs to support scientists to meet these increased costs.”

‘Reverse the fee increase’

Walker urged the Home Office to reverse the fee increases and start a full-scale review of the impact of the immigration system for recruiting international researchers. “This review should look at the visa systems of all countries and examine further options to cut visa fees to attract more researchers to come here,” he suggested.

The world’s most-talented scientists are being deterred from coming to the UK because of “inflation-busting increases”, he suggested.

Walker said: “We need to compete for the world’s best scientists to deliver more world-class research, which will boost the economy, reduce pressure on the NHS and deliver better treatment for patients.”

Lab budgets have recently been impacted by high inflation, the cancer charity pointed out, adding that the fee increases were “taking away vital funds from frontline research”.

Visa spend increases

The estimated increases in visa spend across the institutes were:
• £501,000 in 2023-24 compared with £350,000 in 2022-23 at the Francis Crick Institute, the largest institute the charity works with—a 43 per cent increase
• £39,675 compared with £27,150 at the Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute—a 46 per cent increase 
• £65,793 compared with £43,687 at the Cancer Research UK Cambridge Institute—a 51 per cent increase
• £81,206 compared with £56,407 at the Cancer Research UK Scotland Institute—a 44 per cent increase

One of the international scientists who came to the UK to work at the Manchester Institute said: “Applying for a visa to come to the UK [is] complicated, confusing and costly. If we carry on like this, the UK is at real risk of losing out on highly talented scientists to other countries with more accommodating immigration policies.”

Cancer Research UK highlighted that analysis commissioned by the Royal Society concluded UK visa costs are up to 17 times higher than the average for other leading research nations.

Last year it commissioned Opinium to survey 3,027 UK adults and found that 73 per cent of respondents would support the government making it easier for medical researchers and scientists to work in the UK. The online survey was carried out between May and June last year.

The Home Office has been contacted for comment.

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Recruitment process well underway before election, but new science minister may have “names up sleeve”

The Labour government is likely to “refresh” its list of candidates being considered for UK Research and Innovation’s next chief executive, according to policy experts—with one warning ministers will have to “step carefully” if they reopen a recruitment process that reached an advanced stage before the election. 

While the Conservative government was eyeing a business figure for the post, new science minister Patrick Vallance is seen as likely to have a different set of preferred candidates. 

Speaking to Research Professional News on what the new government could be looking for, a source close to UKRI stressed that the next leader would need to have “enormous credibility in science”, as well as “demonstrable experience in running a major collaboration”. 

Selection process 

Diana Beech, chief executive of London Higher and a former adviser to Conservative universities and science ministers, told RPN: “A change of government likely means a change of focus for the future leadership of UKRI.” 

She added that “while officials may have put together a long list of suitable appointees for the chief executive heading into the general election, we can expect it is now being refreshed to match the preferences of the new government”. 

In January, RPN broke the news that current UKRI chief executive Ottoline Leyser—regius professor of botany at the University of Cambridge—would not seek reappointment when her term ends in June next year. 

Applications to be her successor opened in February and closed in April this year. Interviews were expected to have been concluded by the end of May, and a list of candidates selected by an advisory panel chosen by the previous Conservative government’s ministers. But, after the appointment was delayed by the announcement of the election for 4 July, the new Labour government has yet to issue an update. 

‘Big intervention’ 

Given the proposed timeline, John Womersley, a former chief executive of the Science and Technology Facilities Council, said he thought recruitment “may even be at the stage where a favoured candidate has been identified, and awaits ministerial approval”. 

He warned that “the incoming secretary of state and science minister will therefore need to step quite carefully”. 

How much of the previous government’s brief for the role will stay the same is unclear. The source close to UKRI predicted continuity like that found in the science briefs of the new ministers—such as the work on emerging technologies such as semiconductors, artificial intelligence and net zero, continuing from the previous government. 

On the other hand, Womersley said the government would not be expected to appoint someone who appears “ideologically beholden” to the Conservatives. Still, he stressed that reopening the search at this stage would be a “big intervention”. 

Strong business links 

Beech said she had not ruled out the “prospect that Labour shares the last administration’s vision to see the body headed up by someone with strong business links to boost the growth potential of UK research”. 

Former science minister Andrew Griffith, now shadow science secretary, floated the idea that the next UKRI leader could come from business when speaking at an RPN Live event in March. 

Beech believes Vallance will have come to the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology “with a list of names up his sleeve of people he trusts to do the job properly”. 

She added: “We can therefore expect the new government to devote time to due diligence to get this significant appointment for the UK science community right.” 

The source close to UKRI said “the next leader will need to be visible on the international stage, supporting the underpinning work for international reputation leadership science in the UK, while working on areas of priority interest in government”. 

They also praised Leyser for being effective in this capacity, engaging with the research councils and working to increase their visibility internationally too. 

‘Significant financial challenges’ 

On other challenges, Womersley said the next leader “will need to regain the trust of both the research community and the government”—after former Conservative science secretary Michelle Donelan made false claims about social media posts by members of a UKRI advisory group and pressed the agency into an investigation—“while also getting on top of the increasing costs and bureaucracy that UKRI has suffered from, at a time when the UK higher education sector is facing significant financial challenges.” 

Johnny Rich, chief executive of the Engineering Professors’ Council said that given the crisis in university funding, it was “more important than ever that research funding reflects the true costs. If that means funding fewer research projects better, then it will mean the ability to prioritise becomes ever more critical.” 

He added that “UKRI needs to foster research talent, which will require an understanding at the top of how hard life is now for early career researchers”. 

“I hope they’ll be looking for someone who is an academic at heart at least as much as they are a chief executive,” Rich said.

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Cambridge-based geographer Susan Smith will head up humanities and social sciences body from July 2025

The British Academy has appointed a Cambridge-based geographer as its next president.

Susan Smith will begin her four-year term in July next year, taking over from Julia Black, a legal scholar working at the London School of Economics and Politics.

Smith said: “At a time of acute difficulty for UK higher education, I am determined to maintain the position of the Academy as a loud and leading voice for the sector, defending our values and harnessing our energies to inform debate and catalyse change.

“The humanities and social sciences are a beacon of hope in uncertain times: it is impossible to overstate their capacity to enrich people’s lives and address the pressing issues of our age.”

Smith is an expert in the economics of housing. Before the recent general election, she wrote that even if parties’ “astonishing targets” for housebuilding were met, supply would still lag behind similar European nations.

She has been at the University of Cambridge since 2009, including as mistress of Girton College from 2009-22. Before that, she held professorships at the universities of Edinburgh and Durham.

Alongside Smith’s appointment, the academy announced the election of 86 new fellows. Of these, 52 currently work at 21 different UK universities. There are also 30 international fellows, and four honorary fellows: artists Sonia Boyce and Isaac Julien, journalist Fergal Keane and novelist Pat Barker.

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Research funder hands out Future Leaders Fellowships to 68 projects this round

UK Research and Innovation has awarded £104 million to 68 early career researchers it considers to be “the most promising”.

Projects looking at aluminium-ion batteries and researching experiences in the criminal justice systems are among those benefiting from this round of the Future Leaders Fellows awards.

Ottoline Leyser, UKRI chief executive, said the awards provided “researchers and innovators with long-term support and training to develop ambitious, transformative ideas”.

She added: “The programme supports the research and innovation leaders of the future to transcend disciplinary and sector boundaries, bridging the gap between academia and business.

“The [latest] fellows announced demonstrate how these awards continue to drive excellence, and to shorten the distance from discovery to prosperity and public good.”

The flagship programme is aimed at helping universities and businesses develop their most talented early career researchers and innovators and attract new people to their organisations, including from abroad.

Other projects that will receive the fellowship funding include research into the links between democratic stability, economic inequality and political polarisation; on how plant roots develop complex structures that enable access to unevenly distributed soil resources; and into strokes, focusing on the possibility of sodium bicarbonate helping to improve brain blood flow.

The full list of Future Leaders Fellows can be found here.

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Phil Morgan will take over from Kate Baillie in December this year

The Biochemical Society has announced the appointment of its incoming chief executive, Phil Morgan, who is currently head of the Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine.

Morgan will replace Kate Baillie, who has been the chief executive of the learned society for more than 12 years, when she retires in December.

Julia Goodfellow, president of the more than 100-year-old society, which advances molecular bioscience, said: “I am delighted to welcome Phil to the Biochemical Society. It is an exciting time as we look to develop our next strategic plan and the many exciting opportunities to work across the sector.”

Morgan added: “I am very pleased to have been given the opportunity to join the trustees and staff of the Biochemical Society, as they begin the process of defining a new strategy. I look forward to building on the firm foundations laid by Kate Baillie and her team to meet the challenges that face the sector in the future.”

Morgan has overseen a transformation in strategic direction at the Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine as chief executive over the last four-and-a-half years, including managing moves towards open access of publications. Previously, he was deputy chief executive for the Chartered Institute of Public Relations, focusing on successful strategic delivery. He will lead on the Biochemical Society’s strategic objections.

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“Many people were affected” ahead of multiple application deadlines, says Newcastle University academic

UK Research and Innovation’s Funding Service website went down overnight, causing researchers stress ahead of multiple grant application deadlines today.

Researchers were unable to view their applications on the national funder’s service from around 5.30pm on 15 July until 8.30am on 16 July, several people who were affected told Research Professional News.

Alistair Ford, a lecturer in geospatial data analytics at Newcastle University, is one researcher whose grant application was affected by the technical glitch. He told RPN that there were a “number of UKRI deadlines due in at 4pm on 16 July, so I am sure many people were affected”.

Ford was unable to log in to the system, whereas other researchers said they could log in but could not view their applications.

Too late for some

This morning, after the platform had been restored following around 15 hours of downtime, UKRI apologised on the social media website X. It said: “Sorry for earlier issues accessing applications on the Funding Service. This is now fixed and your applications are secure.”

While it assured researchers that applications would not be affected and offered them the chance to request a 48-hour extension, for Ford it was too late because he had already submitted his application before the extension was offered.

The situation “obviously caused a lot of stress the day before submission”, he said. “It delayed the final checks and meant that the submission today was much more rushed than I would have liked. This obviously impacts on the quality of the submission.”

Draft proposals ‘disappeared’

Kelsey Byers, a group leader at the John Innes Centre, also had a funding deadline today. 

Byers told RPN that her previous applications and draft proposals had all “disappeared” when she logged in last night and early this morning, and that UKRI did not seem to be aware of the issue yesterday. It told her just after 6pm: “We’re not aware of any known issues with the platform, but if you’re still experiencing this please contact the Funding Service helpdesk (phone line will be open from 8.30am tomorrow).”

This, she said, “was not terribly helpful, particularly the lack of helpdesk support with extended hours for the days leading up to a major submission deadline”.

“The service is now up and running correctly and my support request ticket has been replied to with a message giving me the option to request a 48-hour extension if the downtime has prevented me from submitting my application in a timely fashion,” she said.

New system

The Funding Service recently largely replaced Je-S, the Joint Electronic Submission system, as part of the funder’s Simpler and Better Funding programme. In the first three months of 2024, some 85 per cent of applications were made on the new system. The plan is to completely phase out Je-S, which many saw as being creaky.

But Byers added that “the lack of technical detail” and repeated problems with the Funding Service make her “seriously concerned about the choice of moving from Je-S, which was older but reliable, to a not well-developed or deployed system that clearly has not been adequately stress-tested”.

A spokesperson for UKRI told RPN: “Our Funding Service was down for a short time overnight last night. The issue is now fixed and all applications are secure. We apologise for any inconvenience caused and any applicants whose deadline was affected will be offered a 48-hour extension.

“We are continually working to improve the resilience of the Funding Service to minimise such events.”

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Centre for Process Innovation report finds “significant skills and workforce gaps” in emerging field

The UK must take “urgent action” to develop skills and retrain pharmaceutical staff if it is to take advantage of a predicted boom in RNA-based medicines and treatments, according to a study released today.

The report, published on 16 July by the Centre for Process Innovation technology innovation body with support from Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies, highlights “significant skills and workforce gaps” in the sector based on the application of the genetic material.

Globally, the RNA-based treatments market is predicted to reach more than $25 billion by 2030, the CPI said, and the outlook for RNA technologies “continues to show promise”.

But despite playing a leading role in the development of RNA vaccines and therapeutics during the Covid-19 pandemic, the UK “risks falling behind other nations”.

Need to do more

“This report shows that while the UK invested heavily in RNA technologies during and following the Covid-19 pandemic, we need to do more to fully realise the potential these technologies could have,” said Brendan Fish, director of biologics and the RNA Centre of Excellence at CPI.

“We know how crucial mRNA vaccines were in protecting people during those difficult years during the pandemic, but we also need to harness this technology to provide answers to some of the biggest challenges we face, with RNA showing potential to treat other severe conditions such as cancer.

“The UK must continue to lead the way, and to do that, we need a workforce that is fit for the future…more needs to be done.”

The report says there is a need to develop novel equipment and reagents to increase efficiencies within RNA therapeutics manufacturing, and to enhance technical and digital capabilities so companies can scale up manufacturing.

Addressing the skills gap

It urges the industry to organise roles, equipment and capabilities needed to develop and provide innovative treatments and medicines, and to partner with educational institutions to develop and implement appropriate education and training provisions to help address the skills gap.

“This report serves as a valuable tool in understanding the current skill sets within our sector,” said Jonathan Haigh, UK site head at Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies.

“It provides the insight and recommendations required to enable the UK to adopt future skills for innovative technologies associated with the intensification of medicines manufacturing, including RNA therapeutics, to succeed in the dynamic global marketplace.”

CPI was part of the UK’s Vaccine Taskforce to support the manufacture and formulation of novel mRNA vaccine candidates for Covid-19. It has since opened the RNA Centre of Excellence—Good Manufacturing Practice grade centre in Darlington and launched the RNA Training Academy to help establish the UK’s capability in this emerging technology.

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Institutions from across UK selected to test people, culture and environment section of assessment exercise

The REF has unveiled the 40 institutions it has selected for the pilot of the people, culture and environment section (PCE) of its 2029 assessment exercise.

The institutions that will take part, according to today’s announcement, include Cardiff University, London Business School and Liverpool John Moores University.

“We have selected a broad range of institutions to be involved in the PCE pilot exercise; this means we have included a breadth of submission sizes, a range and breadth of provision, and institutions from across the whole of the UK,” the REF team said on 15 July.

“Participating HEIs will provide feedback on the feasibility of scaling up PCE assessment in the full REF 2029 exercise.”

James Wilsdon, professor of research policy and director of the Research on Research Institute at University College London, told Research Professional News: “The piloting stage is an important next step towards developing a workable model for the envisaged PCE elements of REF 2029.

“It’s good to see this moving forward, and the 40 institutions selected to participate look like a suitably representative sample of the diversity of institutions in the sector.”

PEC pilot exercise

The PEC pilot exercise was announced at the beginning of the year after researchers expressed concern that such an exercise had not been put in place.

Participating institutions will be expected to file submissions to at least one of the pilot units of assessment (UoA), with the REF team encouraging institutions to submit as many applications as possible.

This, the REF team said, will allow them to understand the different subject areas, and if there are any economies of scale when working across multiple UoAs.

How it works

According to the REF team, the selected UoAs enable the inclusion of a range of institution and submission types across the four main panels and will provide insight into how the assessment of PCE might work in the REF exercise. 

The number of institutions in the pilot was originally intended to be 30 but has increased to 40 to allow more institutions to participate while reducing the burden for participating institutions, according to the REF team.

It also highlighted further opportunities for institutions to engage with the development of the PCE section for REF 2029, which is a survey open to all.

Furthermore, later in the year, the PCE indicators project team will deliver engagement activities to gather input on the developing indicators from the wider sector.

‘Co-designing’ the process

The head of Research England, Jessica Corner, promised earlier this year that the PCE element of the exercise would be “co-created” with the research sector.

One of the motivations behind the pilot, she said, was “to gather information from participants on the level of effort required in the preparation of people, culture and environment submissions, and in their assessment”.

“Our aim is to co-design the people, culture and environment assessment process with the whole research community,” Corner said in March.

“Our intention is to represent the breadth of the UK research sector in terms of institutional size, mission, disciplinary focus and research intensity.”

REF is run on behalf of Research England and its partner bodies in the three devolved administrations: the Scottish Funding Council, Higher Education Funding Council Wales and the Department for the Economy, Northern Ireland.

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Christophe Dumas to become director of UK Astronomy Technology Centre from September

UK Research and Innovation has announced a new head for its UK Astronomy Technology Centre.

Christophe Dumas is to lead the centre, which is part of the Science and Technology Facilities Council, from September. He will succeed Gillian Wright, who has been the director since 2012.

Dumas will also become the head of the STFC Royal Observatory Edinburgh site where UK ATC is based, alongside the University of Edinburgh’s Institute for Astronomy.

He has a strong background in managing large and complex astronomy projects, UKRI said, citing his work as the head of operations and an observatory scientist for the Thirty Meter Telescope International Observatory planned for Hawaii.

Dumas previously directed science operations at the European Southern Observatory’s Paranal Observatory in Chile and worked with the US space agency Nasa on several space missions.

His research focus is on the formation of the solar system and its early chemistry.

Dumas said he was “thrilled” by the appointment and that he was looking forward to “working with the internationally renowned team at Royal Observatory Edinburgh in developing the next generations of cutting-edge instruments that will explore our close and distant universe”.

Mark Thomson, STFC executive chair, praised Dumas’s “unique scientific leadership experience and deep understanding of astronomical research and development”, and said he was “perfectly placed to build on UK ATC’s impressive legacy and ensure the successful completion of these research programmes, as well as the launch of exciting new efforts to explore the cosmos”.

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Group of major research funding and performing organisations offers recommendations for “cornerstone” of research

Science Europe, the group of major research funding and performing organisations, has adopted a “renewed focus” on research integrity, describing it as a “cornerstone” of research.

The association, whose members include the French National Research Agency, the German Research Foundation and UK Research and Innovation, published a position paper on research integrity on 11 July.

The paper announced “a renewal of Science Europe’s focus on research integrity as part of its activities to contribute to the evolution of research cultures and support research quality”.

Rationale

Such a renewal is “right” at this time due to the “challenges and strains” research systems are facing at present, it said.

These include “limited funding, research precarity, narrow incentives and the influence of technologies such as generative artificial intelligence”, which it said could “result in elevated levels of misconduct and other breaches of integrity”.

According to Science Europe, improving research integrity would have a knock-on effect not only on research quality, but also on working environments, science dissemination, career progression and research assessment.

The associated pointed out that research funding and performing organisations “exert influence over all aspects of the research system and have a myriad of responsibilities when it comes to how research is conceived, conducted, disseminated, and managed”.

It made several recommendations for how such research organisations can help to bolster research integrity.

Recommendations

Science Europe encouraged the exchange of best practices on research integrity between organisations, as well as collaboration “to ensure that misconduct from one national system does not prevail or impact upon another system”.

It also suggested that research organisations should document their investigations into misconduct and publish these documents in an anonymised form, when possible. “The data published should include types of cases investigated, outcome of the procedures, and measures taken,” it said.

Organisations should also consider ways to reward actors who work to ensure integrity and improve cultures, the association suggested, adding that they should also encourage community engagement in discussions around integrity issues.

They should provide training and guidance, it said, including to proposal reviewers and programme managers. Completion of such training should be incentivised and recognised in career progression considerations, it added.

Science Europe also called for an “in-depth review of integrity guidelines” related to artificial intelligence, beyond the living guidelines for the responsible use of AI already set by the European Commission. 

It suggested that the European Research Area initiative provides the best means to discuss research integrity at European level.

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New figures spotlight fall in foreign investment and failure to innovate via NHS

The UK is failing to take advantage of its strength in biomedical research and innovation, the nation’s pharma industry association has warned in response to figures showing a fall in foreign investment.

The Association for the British Pharmaceutical Industry was responding to the government Office for Life Science’s publication of its statistics analysis, Life Sciences Competitiveness Indicators 2024. 

One area of particular concern for the ABPI in the government figures is the fall in foreign direct investment (FDI) in life sciences research. This fell by 21 per cent to £0.8 billion in 2023 compared with the previous year, and has now dropped by 52 per cent between 2021 and 2023.

The ABPI is also disappointed in the country’s inability to use the National Health Service as an engine for driving innovation in new medical treatments. The number of patients recruited in interventional clinical trials decreased by 9.2 per cent between 2022/23 and 2023/24. Many of the studies carried out in UK hospitals are lower value observational studies, the ABPI said.

Even when new products are available, NHS hospitals are often reluctant to use them with patients. The average uptake of new medicines per capita in the UK was around half the average of comparable national health systems one year after product launch, and even after three years that figure has only increased to 70 per cent.

Highly trained

The ABPI points out that the UK has traditionally been strong in many key areas of the life sciences, including access to a highly trained workforce. The government figures show that in 2021, 8.7 per cent of UK tertiary education students graduated in natural sciences, mathematics and statistics programmes, placing the UK second only to India in the list of comparator countries.

However, even here there are concerning trends, with a declining proportion of graduates choosing these fields, down from 13.4 per cent of graduates in 2019.

ABPI chief executive Richard Torbett said: “The UK remains genuinely world-leading for life sciences in numerous areas, yet we continue to underperform on our potential. When we look at what is holding back UK competitiveness and driving investment, it is clear that embedding innovation in healthcare is where our biggest hurdle lies.

“This is why the new government needs to deliver on [new health minister] Wes Streeting’s promise to make sure the Department of Health and Social Care is no longer simply a public services department but also an economic growth department.”

Before this month’s general election, the ABPI produced a manifesto for increasing investment, health and growth in the UK. This set out proposals to increase patient access to new medicines through clinical trials and to bring more biomedical manufacturing jobs to the UK.

Its key measure included the introduction of new legislation on clinical trials to attract more biomedical research activities and foreign investment in the UK and the launch of what it calls a Life Sciences Manufacturing Capital Grants Facility.

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Review of £100,000 knowledge exchange grants is part of a re-examination of responsive mode grants

The Arts and Humanities Research Council in the UK has temporarily suspended applications to its Follow-on Fund, pending a review of the aims and organisation of the funding stream.

The scheme offers grants of up to £100,000 to support unforeseen knowledge-exchange opportunities, public engagement, active dissemination and commercialisation activities following an AHRC supported project.

It was introduced more than a decade ago and has proved very popular, with good success rates for applicants. However, the council said it recognised the case for reviewing the scheme, and would be seeking feedback on potential improvements from current and past grantholders and the wider research community.

The review forms part of a broader assessment of the AHRC responsive-mode funding aimed at improving the diversity of researchers that it funds, providing more clarity on its schemes and enabling increased flexibility and more ambitious research projects.

The AHRC has taken steps to avoid inconveniencing researchers who had been hoping to apply for Follow-on Fund grants. 

“We have extended the current round by three weeks to enable those intending to apply to submit their application in good time. After that, researchers will be unable to apply to the scheme until after the review is completed,” said an AHRC spokesperson.

It is not known how long the review will take or when the scheme is likely to reopen.

“A date for starting the scheme up again has not yet been agreed, but the review is being completed at pace to avoid delay,” he said. “We intend to complete the review and use the findings to inform the future of the scheme.”

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European Molecular Biology Laboratory leader gets top job at UK biomedical research centre

The Francis Crick Institute in London has announced Edith Heard as its new director and chief executive, to succeed Paul Nurse, who will continue to maintain a laboratory at the institute.

Heard, an epigenetics researcher who has led the European Molecular Biology Laboratory since 2019, is expected to start in summer 2025.

“I am delighted to be able to take up this position at one of the world’s premier scientific institutions, although very sad to leave EMBL next year,” she said.

“The Francis Crick Institute has quickly established a global reputation for its work at the frontiers of science. I relish the challenge of building on that work.”

The Crick’s chairman, John Browne, said the appointment followed a “year-long search for an exceptional candidate to lead our exceptional institute” and that Heard would bring an “exemplary international research record, compelling vision and strong leadership experience”.

“She will enable the Crick to continue to grow, building on its reputation for research excellence and for being the home for world-class leaders in life sciences,” Browne added.

Nurse said: “After over a decade at the helm of our institute, I am proud of all who work here and the scientific excellence we have created together.”

He described Heard as “an excellent scientist and leader”, adding: “I am completely confident that the Crick will continue to flourish under her leadership.”

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Code of practice provides clear guidance for embryo models to improve fertility research

Guidelines have been developed for the generation and use of stem cell-based embryo models in research, which are currently unregulated by UK law.

The creation of the code of practice, released today, was led by the University of Cambridge and the Progress Educational Trust, a charity aimed at those affected by infertility.

The guidelines were developed by a working group of experts from a range of institutions across the UK, with expertise in science, law, ethics and regulation.

In a statement, the University of Cambridge said: “Research using embryo models can advance understanding of early human development and possible causes of infertility.”

Grey area

Stem cell-based embryo models fall into a grey area as they can be created in a lab and mimic aspects of early human embryo development, which raises various ethical considerations, according to the University of Cambridge.

Due to this, stem cell-based embryo models do not fall under human embryos in the current law, preventing them from being used in patient treatment.

The code sets out standards to make sure that research is rigorous, upholds ethical principles and maximises the potential benefits.

It recognises that there must be a limit to how long embryo models can be grown in the lab, with researchers asked to provide clear justification of the length of their experiments on a case-by-case basis.

The code prohibits any such human cells from being transferred into the womb of a human or animal, or being allowed to develop into a viable organism in the lab.

While the code is not legally binding, the working group hopes the “new voluntary code will help researchers who have been uncertain about where they stand legally and ethically”, according to Peter Thompson, chief executive of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, a member of the working group.

Thompson added: “This new voluntary code will help researchers who have been uncertain about where they stand legally and ethically.

“Research using stem cell-based embryo models could offer significant benefits for improving our understanding of early development of the embryo and the practice of IVF,” he said. “But because embryo models mimic aspects of early human development, despite not being the same as human embryos, ethical concerns have been raised about their use. The Cambridge Reproduction’s Code of Practice looks to fill this gap and aims to provide confidence and structure to researchers across the country.”

Potential uses

Thompson also said: “In the near-term, one of the most pragmatic uses of these new embryo models may be trying to improve success rates in IVF clinics.”

Thompson explained that “the current medium that’s used to culture human embryos created by IVF is obviously tested by the manufacturers before being shipped to the clinics. But the companies that make that medium are excited about the possibility of using human embryo models as a new way of testing the safety and the quality of the medium.”

He added that IVF clinics are excited about the prospect of using human embryo models to improve, for example, their training practice and/or their ability to freeze or thaw embryos.

“Therefore, through these developments it may be possible in the near-term to improve the success rates of IVF in these clinics,” he concluded.

The guidelines have been welcomed by some experts.

Emma Cave, chair of the Nuffield Council on Bioethics embryo model working group and professor of healthcare law at the University of Durham, said: “We are pleased to see this work published, which shows there is clear motivation in the field to ensure that research is informed by ethical considerations. We will consider this guidance and the proposals for oversight mechanisms in our review and hope to contribute independent and ethically robust recommendations to inform the wider governance of this research.”

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Analysis of Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge suggests management strategy critical for scientific breakthroughs

A clear management strategy plays a critical role in producing major scientific breakthroughs, a study of the UK’s prizewinning laboratory has found.

The study, which was published by scientific journal Nature last week, analysed the famed Medical Research Council’s Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge (pictured).

The LMB lab is known as the ‘Nobel Prize factory’ for having produced a dozen Nobel Prize winners including James Watson, Francis Crick, and Fred Sanger.

Breakthroughs of the lab range from unveiling the structure of DNA and proteins to genetic sequencing.

‘Mythical status’

One of the study authors, Cambridge professor Chandler Velu, told Research Professional News: “In the Cambridge scientific community, the LMB has an almost mythical status, in terms of the quality of work they do and how they are managed.

“We were interested in learning what makes the LMB tick, and if there are any lessons other institutions might be able to learn from them.”

Authors of the study identified the lab’s management model as key to the lab’s success.

“The success of research-intensive institutions depends on more than funding and can benefit from tailored management of the culture and mission of the institution,” said Cambridge professor Antonio Vidal-Puig, a co-author of the study with Velu and with Luka Gebel, a PhD candidate at King’s Business School.

Study background

They conducted 12 interviews with senior LMB and external scientists and analysed 60 years’ worth of archival documents from the lab—including research publications, meeting minutes, external assessments, and internal management reports.

The team found that the LMB’s model “sets a culture with incentives and provides oversight to optimise the interplay between science and technology”.

This, they said, creates a knowledge feedback loop which helps the institute to ask questions that “push scientific boundaries”.

Management policies and practices that study highlighted include a five-year project review, small team dynamics, redefined success metrics and promoting internal talent. The authors suggested that more institutions should implement such policies to create a similar strategy that could lead to similar success.

Back to basics

The authors also said that findings challenge the current shift in funding away from basic bioscience, an unpredictable approach, towards translational science, a more direct problem-solving approach.

They say that if the LMB’s strategy is adopted more widely, basic science could be more attractive to funders.

Gebel said: “Going forward, basic biosciences will become more complex, requiring ever more sophisticated and expensive equipment. This is why a strategic approach to managing science is crucial; particularly when looking at greater collaborations between institutions in the future.”

Ahead of the general election in the UK, Velu told RPN: “As a new government in the UK prepares to define its science and technology policy, it should learn from the LMB’s success and continue funding long-term basic research, and encourage research institutions to apply some of the LMB’s management strategies to de-risk investment in basic science.”

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Leco’s new premises will be in Alderley Park, where it promises to boost training

Scientific instruments manufacturer Leco is to move its headquarters to a state-of-the-art facility at Alderley Park in Macclesfield, Cheshire.

The US-based firm will occupy 1,565 sq ft of workspace and set up a new UK training centre at the science and technology campus.

The firm—which sells scientific instruments specialising in elemental analysis, thermal analysis, metallography and time of flight mass spectrometry for both nominal and accurate mass—is moving its headquarters from Stockport.

Michael Reaney, sales director at Leco Instruments UK, said: “This move marks a milestone in our journey of innovation and growth as we embark on a new chapter of excellence, collaboration and advancement.

“This state-of-the-art facility at Alderley Park represents our commitment to empowering scientists, researchers and industry leaders with the tools, knowledge and support they need to drive discovery and shape the future of analytical science.”

Alderley Park is owned and operated by Bruntwood SciTech; last year businesses based at the Macclesfield campus secured almost £50 million in R&D funding.

Mark Julian, head of commercial for Bruntwood SciTech, said: “It’s been an incredibly rewarding experience working with Leco to create a bespoke workspace and training facility, supporting their growth in the UK.

“Their bespoke demo lab, which overlooks the scenic Mere and woodland, will enable Leco to continue their high level of customer support, but also complement the thriving innovation ecosystem already in place at the park.”

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MIT experts expect to see an increase in researcher productivity when using artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence technologies have the potential to massively increase efficiency of R&D and help to stimulate economic growth, according to a study in the journal Research Policy.

The paper is by Neil Thompson and colleagues from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s FutureTech initiative, a multidisciplinary group examining the impact of advances in computing on society.

Their project explored the effects of AI in generating new knowledge using two computer vision tasks, that are often used as test beds for studies of deep learning.

This is a form of machine learning using multiples layers of computer algorithms to simulate the complex decision-making process that occurs in the human brain. It has already been associated with important scientific advances in areas such as protein folding, drug discovery and weather prediction.

A key lesson from the study is that generating ideas using AI requires a greater capital investment in computing power than traditional R&D. But increasing the capital intensity of R&D accelerates other investments that make scientists and engineers more productive and means that AI-augmented R&D has the potential to speed up technological change and economic growth, the authors explained.

Their findings suggest that AI-augmented areas of R&D would increase the rate of productivity growth in the US economy by between 1.7 and 2-fold compared to the historical average rate observed over the past 70 years, they said.

“In the areas of R&D with which deep learning can be well-integrated, we should expect to see an increase in researcher productivity as more tasks are shifted from being performed by humans to being performed by capital-intensive deep learning models,” Nicholas Emery-Xu, joint first author of the paper, told Research Professional News.

However, there is one caveat to this conclusion. “This would be that the black box nature of deep learning might make R&D more opaque, hindering the ability of scientists to draw on prior knowledge,” he said, adding that further research would be necessary to clarify this issue.

Emery-Xu believes that the areas of research most likely to benefit from the adoption of deep learning techniques are those that generate large volumes of high-quality data and have well-defined metrics for success. Examples of such areas would include structural biology, particle physics and political communications, he said.

In the longer term, it is likely that researchers will develop forms of data that can be more readily analysed by machine, as well as new benchmarks for deep learning across a wide variety of fields, especially the STEM disciplines in general and the social sciences, he said.

Are there any academic disciplines that will be unaffected? “We should expect to see a lower diffusion rate of deep learning in areas that require additional innovation and complementary investments,” he said.

“For example, advances in robotics are needed to fully unlock the benefits of deep learning in areas of R&D that involve a large number of physical tasks. In addition, deep learning is less likely to widely diffuse into areas of research for which success is less quantifiable, such as literature or philosophy,” he said.

There are also lessons from the study for industrial research.

“I would advise companies to consider how to rearrange their R&D production process to make it amenable to deep learning, including investing in creating high-quality data and considering how to quantify research progress,” he suggests.

“Given the increasing computational requirements to train leading AI models, I would also advise them to invest in the necessary computational resources or seek to partner with firms who have them.”

In the next phase of the project, the FutureTech group will seek to better understand which fields of R&D are likely to be amenable to automation, in order to study the extent and speed of the diffusion of deep learning.

“Using this measure, we can then study the effects of automation in science on productivity, wages, and employment. In addition, the lab has produced work on related topics, such as on how algorithmic progress in natural language processing contributes to progress in deep learning, and on the cost-effectiveness of automating computer vision tasks,” Emery-Xu said.

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Academic hopes for new publisher to ensure “survivors’ voices” are heard after Routledge drops book

The editors of a book on sexual misconduct in academia dropped following objections from a prominent professor have been urged to seek another publisher, so the “voices of survivors” are not “silenced”.

Publisher Routledge, part of Taylor & Francis, recently returned the rights to Sexual Misconduct in Academia: Informing an Ethics of Care in the University to its editors, two UK academics, as Research Professional News reported earlier this week.

That came following the withdrawal of a chapter in the book last year, after a Portuguese sociologist alleged he was identified in relation to claims of harassment and denied any criminal conduct.

Anna Bull, lecturer in education and social justice at the University of York, who wrote the book’s afterword, said Routledge had “absolutely failed to stand up to power”.

The publisher had also “failed in its duty to survivors of sexual misconduct”, she claimed.

Bull, co-founder of the 1752 Group, a research group addressing sexual harassment in higher education, said “the only offer ever put on the table” by Routledge was to keep the book in publication without its Chapter 12.

“I strongly hope that another publisher is able to be found for this book, to make sure that Routledge’s actions do not permanently silence the voices of all of the authors represented in the volume, some of whom are also survivors of sexual misconduct,” Bull told Research Professional News.

She said she believed the editors would look for another publisher. RPN has approached the editors for comment.

Bull was confident they would find a publisher who was “committed to care” and would publish the book in its entirety. She also said she and others are calling for researchers to boycott Routledge and not review or publish with the firm.

Asked for a response to Bull’s comments, Routledge repeated its recent statement: “We did make a proposal to the editors to work collaboratively to make the remainder of Sexual Misconduct in Academia, without the original Chapter 12, available again as a Routledge title.

“Regrettably, we were unable to reach agreement with the editors on this proposal. The only remaining option was to revert all the rights in the book to the editors and the contributors, giving them full freedom to explore options for publication elsewhere.”

In an interview posted on YouTube following the book’s publication in March 2023, Boaventura de Sousa Santos, emeritus professor of sociology and director emeritus of the Centre for Social Studies at the University of Coimbra, called the chapter “a criminal accusation under the guise of a scientific paper”. He said in the interview that he had committed “errors, but never crimes”.

Following the book’s publication, a Brazilian politician was reported by Brazilian media to have alleged she had been a victim of sexual harassment by Santos when she was a PhD student at Coimbra.

Chapter 12 was written by Lieselotte Viaene of the Carlos III University of Madrid, Catarina Laranjeiro of Nova University of Lisbon and Miye Nadya Tom of the University of Nebraska Omaha.

The chapter detailed allegations about a “star professor and his apprentice”, but did not name the institution or individuals. RPN has approached Santos for comment.

Delyth Edwards, co-editor of the book, posted on the social media site X this month that the book had been “unpublished”. “It has been silenced and we have received a reversion of rights,” said Edwards, a lecturer in inclusion, childhood and youth at the University of Leeds.

“I’m proud of this collection, of everyone who wrote a chapter, the bravery of every single author. We will be back.”

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Charity simplifies outline application form and updates guidance for researchers

The Nuffield Foundation has simplified and sped up its funding application process for research into education, welfare and justice.

“There is a shorter and simpler outline application form, making the first stage of the process more straightforward,” it said on 26 June, adding that “it will now take four weeks less for applications to go from the application deadline to the final decision”.

The charity has also updated its guidance for applicants, who can come from organisations including universities, research institutes and voluntary sector bodies. The guidance contains areas of research interest, key dates and information on eligibility.

The next deadline is 14 October, with grants of up to £750,000 available from the Research, Development and Analysis Fund.

In the spring, applicants can apply for strategic project funding of between £750,000 and £3 million.

Most of the Nuffield Foundation’s grants are less than £300,000. The charity said it would consider awards at the “higher end of the current funding scale, providing applications can demonstrate a strong case and value for money”.

Once applicants’ initial outline application is shortlisted, they are invited to submit a full application for peer review.

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Benefits of innovation are more inclusive than governments and local authorities may realise, expert argues

Innovation creates jobs not only for highly skilled workers but also for those without degree-level education, according to a new study.

Analysis by Carolin Ioramashvili, an economic geographer from the Science Policy Research Unit at the University of Sussex, shows that innovation can be a source of regional employment growth, creating jobs for those with advanced vocational qualifications.

In her paper in the Research Policy journal, Ioramashvili says these findings challenge conventional views that investing in technological R&D will only provide economic opportunities for a highly educated elite, who may then support jobs in local service industries.

She argues that the benefits are more inclusive than governments and local authorities may realise. But to take advantage, they need to invest in training those with mid-level skills.

Classic economic models maintain that automation and other technological advances replace people whose jobs depend on routine-based skills, thereby affecting many of those with vocational-based training.

But her analysis of the correlation between patent filings and the local labour market in three European countries—France, Germany and the UK—shows that innovation can halt or slow down the decline in employment in some mid-skilled jobs.

“The main takeaway is that this is good news: we often worry about the polarising effects of innovation. However, my results show that innovation creates jobs not only for highly skilled workers but also those without degree-level education,” Ioramashvili told Research Professional News.

“Additionally, the jobs seem to be of high quality, as those benefiting more have some form of vocational education.”

“The main lesson for policy-makers is that investing in research and innovation can benefit workers of all skills, not just the high-skilled. But also that vocational education is an important complementary investment to maximise these benefits,” she explained.

Ioramashvili’s study examined the effects of patents on employment over a five year cycle. Her results indicate that the effects are significant but only temporary.

“My intuitive feeling would be that this effect is driven by technologies maturing and eventually becoming obsolete which makes the effects of a particular invention peter out. There may be differences across technologies where some have more long-lasting effects than others, but I haven’t investigated any differences of that sort.”

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Royal Society president says widening gulf in upfront costs for researchers is “damaging UK’s competitiveness”

The gap in upfront visa costs between the UK and other leading research countries has increased dramatically since 2021 and is “damaging the UK’s competitiveness”, according to the head of the Royal Society.

As part of efforts to reduce high levels of migration, the government has been ratcheting up the upfront costs paid by foreign researchers coming to the UK, causing alarm to research institutions looking to attract talent.

An analysis by the Royal Society on 20 June found that UK costs are now up to 17 times higher than the average of 17 other leading science nations including Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Sweden and the US. When the same analysis was carried out in 2021, UK costs were up to 10 times higher.

Total upfront immigration costs have increased by 58 per cent since 2021 for the global talent visa, which is geared towards attracting talented individuals in sectors including research and innovation, the new analysis says.

“The next government should develop an international science strategy and remove barriers to bringing global scientific talent to the UK, including expensive upfront visa costs for international scientists,” the society’s president Adrian Smith said in a statement on 24 June.

Health surcharge

One of the main drivers behind the UK being so much more expensive than competitor countries is the immigration health surcharge, which allows non-UK citizens to access the NHS. The surcharge was first introduced in 2015 and was increased from £624 to £1,035 a year in 2024.

While researchers working in some other countries also have to stump up mandatory healthcare costs, these were not taken into account in the Royal Society analysis because they are not required upfront.

“The reason for focusing on upfront costs alone is that this was judged to be a more significant factor in an individual’s motivation or ability to migrate to the UK, requiring access to thousands of pounds in income or savings unless the applicant’s employer or funding organisation covers the costs on their behalf,” the society explained.

Cost comparison

The analysis found that the total upfront cost for an individual coming to the UK on a global talent visa in 2024 is £5,891, up from £3,728 in 2021. If applicants have dependants, the costs are multiplied.

If the same individual applied for a position in Germany on a similar visa, it would cost £172 upfront. In the US, the cost would be £320.

Large differences between the UK and other nations in upfront costs were also seen for skilled worker visas and student visas.

Meanwhile, the Royal Society found that the UK is the second most expensive country in Europe to settle in, after Switzerland.

Researchers leaving

The increasingly high barriers to foreign researchers working in the UK are driving some away.

One of them is Melissa Toups, a senior lecturer in computational genomics at Bournemouth University, who said on social media that it is “hard to explain to people how ridiculously expensive the UK is if you moved post-Brexit”.

Toups said that renewing her visa for three years, including fees for her family of four, would cost between four and five months of her salary. “I’m a bit heartbroken about it, but we are leaving,” she said.

The Home Office has been approached for comment.

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Benefits of crime prevention initiatives will also be assessed, as part of research into policing

The UK police force is planning to investigate technical and behavioural methods that could improve the quality of its data.

They will also look at the best way to evaluate the benefits of crime prevention initiatives, and what to take from education and health evaluation programmes, as part of research interests for the umbrella-body the National Police Chiefs’ Council.

In a report titled Policing: Areas of Research interest, the NPCC said: “The value of analytics to policing rests on the quality of the data on which it can draw. We are therefore interested in technical and behavioural methods that can be used to improve the quality of data within police systems”.

It said that by looking at crime prevention initiatives, and education and health evaluation programmes, the NPCC hopes to identify “both where further testing is needed and where initiatives may be having disproportionate impacts that are biased or discriminatory”.

The research would also “help root policing’s role in public health responses”, the ARI document states.

Other areas the NPCC wanted to research include: personal safety; mobility; identification and tracing; surveillance and sensing; and interconnectivity, or the ability to pass on information quickly and securely.

Enduring challenges

The ARIs are underpinned by “three enduring challenges”, the information sheet stated, which include building and maintaining public trust; future workforce and training; and responding to the climate crisis.

Paul Taylor, police chief scientific adviser at the NPCC, said: “Our reason for publishing ARIs is to be transparent about the areas that the National Police Chiefs’ Council will prioritise when investing and collaborating with academia, industry, the voluntary sector, and our government partners.

“Most of what we have to gain will come from partnerships. Our ARIs are part of a wider effort to make it easy to work with us. I hope they give a clear sense of policing’s ‘demand signal’ and where we might usefully work together.”

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Lack of understanding and misuse of statistics undermines public trust, says Royal Statistical Society

Government ministers need a basic education in statistics to be competent at assessing the information they receive, according to the Royal Statistical Society.

On 21 June, the RSS said it had written to the leaders of the main UK political parties to call for incoming ministers to receive such training.

It is also calling for changes in the rules on the use of government statistics by ministers before the data have been officially published, to prevent claims being made that cannot be verified by the press and the public.

The society’s concern about the ability of ministers to understand and apply statistical data increased during the Covid-19 pandemic inquiry. Patrick Vallance, former chief scientific adviser to the government, told the inquiry of his concern that then prime minister Boris Johnson was unable to understand basic data about the spread of the virus.

RSS president Andrew Garrett said: “The pandemic showed the real-life consequences of decision-makers not having the right data skills. We urge whoever is elected in July to make our call for statistical training a priority.”

Another example highlighted by the society was current prime minister Rishi Sunak’s claims about the Labour Party’s tax plans, which earned him a rebuke from the Office for Statistics Regulation.

Pre-release access

On unpublished data, the RSS says that although ministers’ pre-release access to statistics produced by the Office for National Statistics was stopped in 2017, they are still able to use unpublished data from other government departments and the devolved administrations.

The learned society “believes the practice threatens to undermine public confidence in the statistics themselves when ministers are potentially able to prepare their own spin on the numbers ready for when they are released to the press and public”.

“It also creates the impression that the government is in control of the data and its release, threatening to erode trust in the independence of the UK’s statistical system,” the RSS warned.

It called for ministers to abide by the Code of Practice for Statistics and for this to be incorporated into the Ministerial Code to ensure that statistics are used with honesty and integrity by ministers.

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Adopting equality, diversity and inclusion practices and understanding is “vital”, says Royal Academy of Engineering

Engineering businesses are still failing to understand that better equality, diversity and inclusion practices are “integral” to their success, a national academy has said.

Giving fair opportunities to all can attract greater talent and enhance innovation, the Royal Academy of Engineering has said.

Reaching broader markets and mitigating risks will help drive sustainable growth and competitiveness, the academy concluded in a new report.

EDI fuels commercial success

“Equality, diversity and inclusion is integral to engineering outcomes and the performance of engineering businesses,” it said.

“EDI is a win-win. It isn’t only the right thing to do—it also fuels commercial performance and brings benefits that are integral to engineering businesses’ performance,” the report added.

But it also noted: “In engineering, EDI is vital but isn’t fully adopted by many organisations.”

Aleida Rios, chair of the Royal Academy of Engineering’s diversity and inclusion committee, said the smaller and newer firms were struggling more with adopting equality, diversity and engineering practices.

“No business needs persuading that fair treatment, participation and opportunity for all employees is important.

“But many smaller or newer engineering businesses, in particular, may find the prospect of investigating and embedding good EDI practices somewhat daunting and need help to get started.”

Sector must work together

She suggested “a collective effort is needed to make meaningful progress on EDI in engineering”.

Across professions, 86 per cent believed EDI was “critically important”, according to a global survey in 2022 of 4,800 employees highlighted by the academy in its report. Sixty-two per cent would turn down a job offer from a company that did not endorse diversity, the same survey showed. It also found diversity in a company was considered to be most important for 79 per cent of women in engineering.

The academy gives a range of recommendations to help organisations improve their EDI practices. These include collecting data to understand where they are starting from; working with external experts and partners to promote the engineering profession and advance EDI; and ensuring senior leadership acts as ‘champions’ of the EDI efforts of an organisation.

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