Michael Salmon

Spinout value “continues to flow overseas,” report findsPositive investment picture complicated by fall in first-time dealsNews · 23 Oct 2026 UKRI pinpoints £11.6bn of higher education cross-subsidyFunder’s TRAC analysis visualises how institutions make the research numbers add upNews · 22 Oct 2026 Government declines call for update to spinout reviewParliamentary committee launches inquiry into entrepreneurship after its recommendation is turned downNews · 22 Oct 2026 A roadmap for metamaterialsThe UK can be a world leader, says the Institute of PhysicsNews · 22 Oct 2026 Where will the £1bn for world-leading clusters come from?MPs look for answers about the Prime Minister’s innovation summit commitmentNews · 21 Oct 2026 MPs call UKRI’s IP policy “far too cautious”Committee report on research infrastructure taps into ongoing debates about keeping research value within the UKNews · 21 Oct 2026 Jonathan Reynolds: some of the R&D budget could be spent “in a better way” at the local levelBusiness secretary answers parliamentary questions on industrial strategyNews · 20 Oct 2026 The state of agricultural research and innovationAg.Impact report breaks down £1.2bn in funding and stakeholder views on the systemNews · 20 Oct 2026 The British Academy asks whether the dual support system is fit for the futureNew report kicks off a programme of work on the future of higher educationNews · 20 Oct 2026 Explainer: Who wants what from Horizon Europe?A round-up of the different stances in Europe and the UKAnalysis · 19 Oct 2026 Science and innovation questions in the House of CommonsSome of DSIT’s budget will have to go to defence spending, says business secretaryNews · 15 Oct 2026 Further detail on cuts at STFC multidisciplinary facilitiesCouncil lays out savings being made in pursuit of 15 per cent budget reductionNews · 15 Oct 2026 BIST answers questions on Matt Clifford’s departure from ARIAGovernment learnt that the funder’s chair would join Anthropic in JulyNews · 15 Oct 2026 A shifting landscape of data management plansUKRI prepares to update its approach, as a new report sets out the challengesAnalysis · 15 Oct 2026 The research sector is in a “holding pattern” over ODA fundingParliamentary committee told that a long-term government commitment is neededNews · 14 Oct 2026 UKRI opens voluntary exit schemeFuture operating model expected to mean “fewer roles are needed in some areas and more in others”News · 13 Oct 2026 Research and the industrial strategy: priority programmes, sector innovationUKRI’s industrial strategy programmes are set to launch later this yearAnalysis · 12 Oct 2026 Reduced budget proposed for next Horizon EuropeIrish EU presidency’s negotiating box kicks off further funding debateNews · 11 Oct 2026 Conservatives commit to £2bn cuts in science and innovation fundingOpposition plans to return “DSIT-equivalent” funding to 2024–25 levelsNews · 10 Oct 2026 Burnham sets “national goal” to be the world’s leading innovation nationPrime Minister’s summit speech highlights three specific policy interventions on devolving R&DNews · 9 Oct 2026 The metascience unit sets out its thinking on AI-powered research evaluationA basket of indicators will support a “new vocabulary” of research qualityNews · 9 Oct 2026 A new definition of “growth in every postcode”Treasury minister indicates backing for OxCam corridorNews · 8 Oct 2026 Data: Innovation surveysA guide to the different innovation metrics and stats, showing the UK’s performance over timeAnalysis · 8 Oct 2026 Universities Wales: the priority given to R&I in Wales is “especially low”Budget submission calls for Welsh government to address longstanding underinvestment in researchNews · 8 Oct 2026 Knowledge Exchange Framework, edition sixResearch England publishes KEF6 resultsNews · 7 Oct 2026 ARIA begins recruitment for a new chairHighly experienced panel to assess candidatesNews · 7 Oct 2026 The Home Office responds to recommendations on use of animals for scienceBroad acceptance for a set of proposals from the Animals in Science CommitteeNews · 7 Oct 2026 Horizon Europe and Burnham’s plans for the EU relationshipWhat does the Prime Minister’s commitment to closer connections mean for the next framework programme?Analysis · 6 Oct 2026 UUK calls for a national investment campaign to promote startups and spinoutsBudget submission asks government to support push for more private investmentNews · 5 Oct 2026 The Kyoto Vision for a Golden Age of ScienceUK among countries said to have endorsed White House communiquéNews · 5 Oct 2026 Another £3m for proof-of-concept funding in ScotlandSecond year of Scottish government research commercialisation awards announcedNews · 5 Oct 2026 The Collaboration for a Sustainable Future programmeResearch England’s investment in a more collaborative higher education research landscape opens for applicationsAnalysis · 2 Oct 2026 Local innovation funding announced in north east EnglandFour projects will share £23.7m in the latest Local Innovation Partnerships Fund allocationNews · 2 Oct 2026 EU research competitiveness, unpackedEurope’s growth must be based on science, research, technology and innovation, new report arguesAnalysis · 1 Oct 2026 An MI5 intervention raises the research security stakesUK academic institutions told to “immediately review” any collaboration with Chinese instituteNews · 1 Oct 2026 New UKRI leadership team appointmentsIncluding Tom Taylor’s arrival as next CFONews · 30 Sep 2026 Solar radiation management and its discontentsThe government has seen the need to put out a position paperNews · 29 Sep 2026 UKRI’s transformational yearNew strategy, new narratives, changes to grants and a whole lot of buckets. Here’s what’s been going onAnalysis · 29 Sep 2026 Outdated employment practices are “holding back Britain’s start-ups and scale-ups”Tech firms write to the government with consultation response loomingNews · 29 Sep 2026 A roadmap for reversing the decline in dental researchersDental Schools Council working group sets out recommendationsNews · 28 Sep 2026 Jonathan Reynolds: we will be relentlessly pro-technologyBIST secretary “delighted” to have science and innovation brief in his departmentNews · 27 Sep 2026 Does Britain need its own Nobel Prize?A Nesta event on the Labour Party conference fringe makes the caseNews · 27 Sep 2026 UK “growth survey” finds support for increased public spending on R&DA selection of economists – and AI models – want to see more investment in researchNews · 26 Sep 2026 The Russell Group makes recommendations on mayors and innovation fundingBudget submission calls for government to make research investment “work harder for growth”News · 25 Sep 2026 The Research Professional Futures projectFirst insights shared at International Research Culture ConferenceNews · 24 Sep 2026 International research “cannot be replicated through UK-only activity”New study identifies value of global collaboration – as well as common misconceptionsNews · 24 Sep 2026 Universities UK and Elsevier map citations in industrial strategy areasNew tool shows regional research performance and a measure of “specialisation”News · 23 Sep 2026 Public support for research funding falls when AI is involved, study findsSurvey also shows reported drop in trust when AI is used in researchNews · 23 Sep 2026 CaSE sets out four actions for a thriving future research systemHow to build an R&D system for 2045News · 23 Sep 2026 ARIA unveils its latest “activation partners”Five more organisations will be funded to create the conditions for breakthroughsNews · 22 Sep 2026 OpenAlex asks whether open access colours should be retiredPlus a new report presents the OA state of play in Europe and beyondNews · 22 Sep 2026 The Lib Dem vision for science and innovationTreasury spokesperson Daisy Cooper sets out the party’s plan for growthNews · 21 Sep 2026 The European Innovation Act, in contextStarting gun fired on reforms to R&D procurement and Europe’s intellectual property systemAnalysis · 21 Sep 2026 UKRI board meetings: July 2026Who said what at Andrew Mackenzie’s final meeting?News · 18 Sep 2026 UK research security strategy to launch later this yearFunding for research security also on its wayNews · 18 Sep 2026 Who has said what about the abolition of DSIT?And will science policy end up “lost down the back of the sofa”?Analysis · 17 Sep 2026 Patrick Prendergast to chair Welsh higher education reviewWe need to support our universities to win a greater share of UKRI funding, minister saysNews · 16 Sep 2026 Science minister “keenly aware” of pressure on university financesAnd Chris McDonald is supportive of all R&D disciplines, British Academy president Hetan Shah reportsNews · 16 Sep 2026 An update in the STFC minutes sagaMPs’ concerns about revisions to the December 2025 meeting record get a fuller response from UKRINews · 16 Sep 2026 Wales goes in a different direction on research capital fundingBut UKRI changes will still lead to capital block grant fall in coming yearsNews · 14 Sep 2026 AI and the research system: report round-upA trio of publications explore artificial intelligence use in manuscript submissions, academic libraries, and across the UKRI communityNews · 14 Sep 2026 Science committee to go back to its old remitChanges to parliamentary and cabinet committees following government reorganisationNews · 13 Sep 2026 Liverpool mayor writes to Andy Burnham over Daresbury cutsPrime Minister’s close ally Steve Rotheram calls for a pause in proposed STFC cutsNews · 13 Sep 2026 The House of Lords debates Jodrell BankPeers press for answers on whether the government is committed to scientific research as well as heritageNews · 11 Sep 2026 Jessica Corner: we need a “third age” for research commercialisationResearch England executive chair sketches vision for a more collaborative modelNews · 11 Sep 2026 Chris McDonald sets out the government’s innovation prioritiesThe science minister’s address to Universities UK promised an emphasis on international competitiveness, bureaucracy reduction, and reindustrialisationAnalysis · 10 Sep 2026 A “significant proportion” of BIST staff to be outside of LondonDepartment says it is working on a long-term location strategyNews · 9 Sep 2026 Principle of place-based innovation “inherent in Innovate UK’s own strategic direction”Executive chair Tom Adeyoola writes to MPs about devolution and spending plansNews · 9 Sep 2026 EU long-term budget must treat research and innovation as a “critical strategic asset”European research groups release joint statementNews · 9 Sep 2026 Data: Public trust in scientistsKing’s Policy Institute survey finds polarisation by values, identity and politicsNews · 9 Sep 2026 MPs push for scrutiny on AI Security Institute and ARIABusiness committee raises concerns over transparency and remitsNews · 8 Sep 2026 Where has UKRI got to on research financial sustainability?The funder has set out its interventions to date, while a new report considers “hidden costs” elsewhereAnalysis · 7 Sep 2026 Matt Clifford to step down as ARIA chairDeparture from the funder follows criticism of his new role at AnthropicNews · 7 Sep 2026 Deteriorating geopolitical relationships associated with declines in cross-border research, study findsInternational collaborations are “easier to break than to build”News · 4 Sep 2026 UK “sleepwalking” into loss of research assets, ARMA warnsThe Association of Research Managers and Administrators’ latest report presents evidence of how financial pressures are bitingNews · 3 Sep 2026 Data: ERC Starting Grants 2026The European Research Council has announced the awardees of its Starting Grants for 2026 – €705m is shared between 421 early-career researchers.News · 3 Sep 2026 Alyn Smith appointed new Scottish innovation ministerStirling MSP to join government following Ben Macpherson’s departureNews · 2 Sep 2026 European Council will not “subordinate research to industrial policy”Higher education minister presents Irish Presidency’s research and innovation prioritiesNews · 2 Sep 2026 ARIA chair’s new role at Anthropic creates a “clear conflict of interest”Science committee chair raises concerns following Matt Clifford’s appointment at the AI firmNews · 2 Sep 2026 Andy Burnham makes a commitment to “save Jodrell Bank”Prime Minister’s pledge follows his first appearance in Parliament, while MPs also raise cuts at Boulby underground laboratoryNews · 2 Sep 2026 New UKRI funding call on the economic returns of R&DOpportunity supported by the metascience unit looks to tackle the “Griliches question”News · 1 Sep 2026 Government reportedly weighing up an exit tax for spinoutsAnd science minister Chris McDonald warns of IP leaving the countryNews · 1 Sep 2026 Report highlights the costs of knowledge exchange for Scotland’s universitiesThe first output of the Future Framework initiative warns of a “growing mismatch” between ambitions and fundingNews · 28 Aug 2026 Lincoln Bishop joins Global University Systems groupUniversity says it is working with UKRI over continued research funding eligibilityNews · 27 Aug 2026 Public opinion shows “stark divisions” over specific R&D issuesNew Campaign for Science and Engineering report sees risk of growing politicisationNews · 27 Aug 2026 The latest data on global talent visasHome Office quarterly statistics, with breakdowns by nationalityNews · 27 Aug 2026 Government urged to set out a roadmap for the chemical sectorThe Council for Science and Technology warns of a sector in “long-term decline”News · 26 Aug 2026 Scottish innovation minister steps downBen Macpherson leaves government after less than a yearNews · 25 Aug 2026 Who’s who in BIST?The Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade is the new home of UK R&D policy – we take a look at the portfoliosAnalysis · 21 Aug 2026 On the subject of AI: mathematicsIn May 2026, OpenAI announced that its chatbot had solved an 80-year-old open problem in mathematics.Analysis · 20 Aug 2026 Lift “de facto ban” on new research organisations, UKRI toldAn open letter to the funder argues that UK research must be “visibly open” to innovative new entrantsNews · 19 Aug 2026 Data: Low university cost recovery on research persistsThe latest TRAC data shows that university research continues to run at a “substantial deficit”Analysis · 19 Aug 2026 The government’s “innovation marketplace” prepares for launchNew procurement platform targeting startups, SMEs and academiaNews · 14 Aug 2026 Welsh universities share £200,000 in research culture fundingMedr releases allocations for the fourth year of the WREC fundNews · 13 Aug 2026 Official statistics put R&D at 2.71% of the UK’s GDP in 2024Latest ONS figures show a similar picture to 2023News · 10 Aug 2026 Continued Copernicus membership divides opinionAn interim evaluation of the UK’s renewed Copernicus membership has found that participation in the EU Earth observation programme brings increased influence,…News · 8 Aug 2026 PRISM launches its new strategyThe network for research investment and strategy managers scopes out its next five years of workNews · 6 Aug 2026 A further expansion to the global talent visaThe government has announced an expansion of the global talent visa, widening the number of organisations which can employ those holding an award or grant from…News · 6 Aug 2026 UKRI board meetings: March, May and July 2026Three new sets of UKRI board meeting minutes have been published. Here are some of the main takeaways:Analysis · 5 Aug 2026 Innovate UK funding boosts productivity in the long-runA new study has analysed more than 14,000 companies which received Innovate UK funding to examine the long-term productivity effects – and found that these…News · 5 Aug 2026 ARIA shakes up its opportunity spacesAhead of recruitment for a new cohort of programme directors, the experimental funder has defined specific thematic areas for future projectsAnalysis · 4 Aug 2026 Welsh government review seeks “new approach” for researchThe Welsh government’s major review of higher education has formally commenced with the publication of the terms of reference – though the review chair and…News · 4 Aug 2026 Science committee seeks clarity over DSIT’s fateHouse of Commons Science, Innovation and Technology Committee chair Chi Onwurah has written to ministers in search of precise information about what will…News · 4 Aug 2026 Burnham’s rewiring of the state to push innovation funding to mayorsA Cabinet statement promises late stage innovation funding for mayoral authorities, and an uncertain future for arm’s length bodies.Analysis · 31 Jul 2026 Think tank calls for a list of high-risk Chinese research collaboration partnersThe UK’s research security framework remains “primarily advisory and individually focused,” according to a new report from pressure group UK-China…News · 30 Jul 2026 King’s increases equity stakes for academic foundersKing’s College London has announced an overhaul of its equity system for spinout companies, with the intention of establishing a “more transparent and…News · 30 Jul 2026 Russell Group pushes for an “open, research-led” Horizon successorThe Russell Group is calling for a smooth UK association to Framework Programme 10 – the successor to the current Horizon Europe research funding programme…News · 29 Jul 2026 UK pension funds scope out £1bn science and tech fundA consortium of UK pension providers have committed to exploring a new investment vehicle dedicated to scaling UK businesses, with over £1bn potentially…News · 28 Jul 2026 UKRI sets out position on accurately costing projectsStatement targets the gap between actual research costs and funding requestedNews · 25 Jul 2026 Scotland funds shared servicesThe Scottish Funding Council has announced the successful projects funded via its so-called University Transformation Framework programme, a repurposing of…News · 24 Jul 2026 UKRI readvertises Research England executive chair roleA second recruitment round to find Jessica Corner’s successorNews · 23 Jul 2026 Is more policy engagement activity leading to “duplication and confusion”?A new report from the Institute for Government (IFG) goes over how recent years have seen substantial investments from universities, research councils and…Analysis · 22 Jul 2026 ERC grants for 2027 see €100m dropThe budgets for European Research Council grant schemes in 2027 have been tightened, with Starting Grants and Consolidator Grants in particular drawing on a…News · 21 Jul 2026 Research England gets its annual guidance letterA notably short communiqué from DSIT this time round.News · 17 Jul 2026 EU governments propose a €231m cut in 2027 Horizon budgetNegotiations again see member states push for a “prudent approach”News · 17 Jul 2026 Data: Grant rates continue to fall, new UKRI figures showNew annual grants data from UKRI demonstrates how the proportion of funding applications which are successful has continued to decline. The overall UKRI award…Analysis · 16 Jul 2026 Two-thirds of ARIA funding stays in the golden triangleTwo-thirds of the Advanced Research and Invention Agency’s £152.3m investment went to organisations in London, the South East or the East of England, the…News · 16 Jul 2026 Catapults under reviewInnovate UK is seeking to ensure that the country has “the right mix of catapults” to match the government’s industrial strategy ambitions. Executive chair Tom…News · 15 Jul 2026 British Academy on the weakening teaching-research nexusThe traditional relationship between teaching and research in academic careers is weakening due to the rise in teaching-only contracts, the British Academy has…News · 15 Jul 2026 “Worrying trends” in the clinical academic workforce continueThe clinical academic workforce is a good example of where UK medical science is “under strain,” according to a snapshot assessment from the Academy of Medical…News · 14 Jul 2026 Research supervision report tracks disciplinary differencesA new piece of research from the Next Generation Research SuperVision Project (RSVP) digs into the differences in experience of doctoral supervisors in…News · 10 Jul 2026 Science diplomacy should be part of UKRI’s remit, MPs argueThe House of Commons Science, Innovation and Technology Committee’s inquiry into science diplomacy has concluded with a final report: Sovereignty, strategy,…Analysis · 7 Jul 2026 The European Innovation Act is an opportunity to “acknowledge universities’ needs”The European University Association sets out its stall on the forthcoming legislation.News · 6 Jul 2026