"Every time a brilliant researcher decides the UK is too expensive – or too unsettling – to call home, we don’t just lose a colleague. We risk losing the next life-saving breakthrough."
Read more from our Director Prof Samra Turajlić in the @theobserveruk.bsky.social paper
@crukpolicy.bsky.social
Quick science policy thread 1
Changes in the governance of UK science since the mid 1980s make it extremely hard to be strategic (that was the point), in terms of both process (dropped) and capability (hollowed out).
Baroness Blackwood appointed Chair of the Government's new Health Data Research Service. Extensive experience as Chair of Genomics England and Oxford Uni Innovation, and as a Minister - seems like a canny appointment for a role that will require both technical expertise and political nous.
Part of the front cover of the policy paper showing both the ICR's logo and the title of paper: "Defeating cancer together: Creating a sustainable funding model for charity-funded research in universities"
📢 Ahead of the Budget next week, we've published a paper calling for the Government to both invest in and reform the Charity Research Support Fund (CRSF) – a critical funding stream that enables vital charity-funded research in universities.
Read our paper (PDF download) ⤵️
ICR.ac.uk/CRSF
🥼What are uni's supposed to do with the hole this creates in research budgets?
🧑🎓What if the hole is filled by reducing domestic places, with outsized impact on poorer students?
🌍What if int. numbers reduce due to lack of competitiveness as a result of rising fees to offset levy and -ve rhetoric?
Maintenance grants for those who need it is great, but the international students levy is a terrible way to fund it. This income is already subsidising lifesaving research and domestic students, so you can't just siphon it off without an impact. A few immediate questions:
They can either absorb the cost, and research will suffer, or pass it on, reducing the UK's competitiveness. While they're not the most vulnerable overall, the cost will be highest in orgs like UCL, Manchester, Imperial etc. - research intensive, globally successful economic and soft power assets.
Useful from @hepi-news.bsky.social showing the impact of the proposed international student levy.
While Govt attention focuses on institutions in crisis, this shows the damage this would do to some of our most successful universities, likely leading to a general reduction in the UK's R&D capacity.
Steve Bates, prev CEO of BIA, appointed in new role as Exec Chair of OLS, hot on the heals of various pledges in the LSSP seeking to bolster OLS and Life Sciences Council.
Clearer assertion of OLS's role across the three depts it straddles and greater transparency in the LSC essential first steps.
Delighted to release BFPG’s 2025 Annual Public Opinion Survey. The survey highlights a watershed moment in UK foreign policy, as Britons turn their back on the ‘Special Relationship’ and pivot dramatically back to Europe. Here are 10 key findings. Full report here - bfpg.co.uk/2025/07/2025...
📢 NEW: BFPG’s 2025 Annual Survey on UK public opinion on foreign policy finds Britons’ support for the special relationship is collapsing as Britons instead turn towards Europe. Read the full report here: bfpg.co.uk/2025/07/2025... (1/6)
Picture makes me fondly remember when a sector letter pushing back on possible R&D cuts was written up with this wonderfully evocative image...
A cursory look into any major medical research funders portfolio/pipeline shows how detached from reality it is. Huge part of it, imo, is the inability to separate LLMs from wider developments, alongside views of LLMs that were shaped several models ago and by Google's horrendous summary function.
So far, I think the establishment of DSIT has been consistently vindicated, but if I had one criticism it's been that it has sometimes felt like the Dept for Tech (...oh, and science). Given his current focus is on that side of DSITs brief, any effort to dispel that feeling would be welcome.
New DSIT Perm Sec announced. Currently DG for Digital Tech and Telecoms, with previous experience spanning DLUHC, DfE and the Social Market Foundation. www.gov.uk/government/p...
Inconsiderate not to wait for me to finish my morning coffee, but we have an Industrial Strategy: assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/685854...
Since DSIT was established, I've been really impressed with their comms - clearer and more creative than any other department I've seen.
Today's DSIT Download, summarising the Spending Review and London Tech Week announcements case in point: www.linkedin.com/pulse/dsit-d...
The complex, non-linear process of translating scientific breakthroughs into patient impact is much discussed but often misunderstood. See below a new explainer from @crukpolicy.bsky.social setting this process out, outlining where the key barriers are, and looking at how we can tackle them.
This was my biggest eyebrow raise so far - virtually the only mention of universities in the doc, and does not sound like the money is staying in the system.
This is a pivotal moment for cancer research and the wider UK R&D environment.
Today, building on insights from our research community, we have outlined 5 steps Govt must take to strengthen cancer research and continue delivering life-saving discoveries.
news.cancerresearchuk.org/2025/06/05/5...
Great new report from @britishacademy.bsky.social.
In recent years, there's been a broad consensus (in UK policy circles) of R&I investment benefits, but the US shows this can be fragile. Better data/evidence, stable industrial policy and a focus on system enablers are needed to futureproof this.
Exciting new study, with the UK arm funded by CRUK, on the implications of exercise on cancer recurrence:
If it saved the Graduate Visa, then it might be a price worth paying, but you have to hope that 'we will explore' gives them an off ramp for when they realise the money they're trying to levy doesn't exist/is already being invested into domestic skills by stopping many Uni's from going bust.
NEW: BFPG is delighted to release the UKSPG’s latest report - ‘Strengthening UK Soft Power: Strategic Recommendations’ - which explores how the UK can better leverage its soft power in support of its international ambitions. bfpg.co.uk/2025/05/stre...
New version of the S&T Framework published by DSIT today. Content/focus broadly similar, if pretty substantially stripped back and aligned with ongoing Govt activity and priorities.
#InTheNews: Read in @reuters.com about how high UK visa fees for scientists are impacting our research institutes and our mission to beat cancer 👇 www.reuters.com/world/uk/hig...
Excellent news today, with the announcement of £500m from Govt and £100m from Wellcome to develop a new Health Data Research Service.
Wonderful to see the scale of ambition and funding match the opportunity presented by health data research.
See our new report on how industrial strategy can help identify and strengthen UK life sciences clusters.
With public finances stretched, the criteria we have developed can help R&I funding deliver maximum X-govt impact. I would particularly encourage people to read the impactful case studies.
Clusters are key to boosting UK R&D activity, driving growth and most importantly helping us reach our mission of beating cancer sooner.
Our latest report highlights how UK, devolved and local governments can develop more world-class research clusters. bit.ly/4kKS2Ix%E2%A...
Lovely to be sharing the work we’ve done to deliver a thriving life sciences system on another channel. With the industrial strategy and NHS 10 Year Plan coming, the work continues!
