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In brief

In brief

Higher education

Commission publishes draft work programme text for the next framework period

The draft sets out priority areas for the next funding period, including a new stream for cross-border doctoral training. Officials say the final text will not differ substantially, though the budget envelope remains subject to negotiation among member states. University associations have three weeks to submit comments before the text goes to committee. Several UK-based research offices are already drafting responses through their EU liaison teams.

Brussels

Research council issues guidance on generative AI in grant applications

Applicants must now declare where generative tools were used in preparing a proposal, covering drafting, data analysis and figures alike. Reviewers remain barred from uploading any part of a submission to an external AI system, a rule introduced after a data-handling complaint earlier this year. The guidance takes effect for the next call, with no retrospective changes to proposals already under review. Institutions are being asked to update their own policies to match by the same date.

Leaders

Sector body publishes latest data on staff contract types

The figures show a small rise in the share of academic staff on open-ended contracts, reversing three years of decline. Researchers on fixed-term contracts tied to specific grants still make up close to half of the research workforce, the data show. The sector body said the shift likely reflects funder pressure rather than a change in institutional policy. It plans to publish a fuller breakdown by discipline and career stage later in the year.

Correspondents

Grant portal outage delayed dozens of submissions ahead of deadline

A four-hour outage at a major funder's online submission system affected researchers working right up to a closing deadline earlier this week. The funder has extended the deadline by 48 hours for every scheme affected, and says no penalty will apply to late submissions caused by the fault. An internal review of the portal's capacity is now underway, following similar complaints during a deadline rush last year. Universities are being asked to log any submissions affected through their usual research office channels.

Industrial strategy

Regional innovation fund shortlists first cohort of university-industry projects

Twelve projects have been shortlisted from an initial pool of more than eighty applications, with a decision on funding expected within six weeks. The fund specifically favours proposals combining at least two universities with a private-sector partner based in the same region. Several shortlisted projects focus on advanced manufacturing and low-carbon materials, reflecting the fund's stated regional priorities. Unsuccessful applicants will receive individual feedback, a change from the fund's first funding round.

Research

Physical sciences: national facility extends access hours for university users

The facility will now offer weekend beamtime slots for the first time, aimed at reducing the current backlog of approved but unscheduled experiments. Access remains free at the point of use for UK-based researchers, funded through the facility's existing grant-in-aid arrangement. Early demand for the new slots has been strong, with the first weekend fully booked within a day of opening. A second facility is reportedly considering a similar extension after seeing the response here.

Higher education

Learned society calls for multi-year funding settlements in humanities disciplines

The society argues that single-year grant cycles discourage ambitious, longer-term projects in fields where results accumulate slowly. Its submission to the ongoing spending review proposes a pilot scheme offering five-year awards to a small number of research groups. Funders have previously resisted longer settlements, citing the need to respond flexibly to changing priorities. The society says it expects a response as part of the wider spending review outcome, due later this year.

Brussels

Universities report rise in applications from mature students

New admissions data show a modest but sustained rise in applications from students over the age of 25, continuing a trend first noted two years ago. Institutions attribute part of the increase to shorter, more flexible course formats introduced since then. Representative bodies say funding rules still assume a traditional school-leaver applicant, and are calling for maintenance loan terms to be reviewed accordingly. A government response to related consultation is expected before the next admissions cycle opens.

Leaders

Auditors flag inconsistent expense reporting across major grant holders

A routine audit found significant variation in how host institutions record and report grant-related expenses, though it identified no evidence of misuse. The auditors recommend a standard template be adopted across all major funders within two years. Several finance directors said the inconsistency stems from funders themselves requesting different formats, not from institutional practice. The relevant funders' forum is due to discuss a common template at its next quarterly meeting.

Correspondents

Ministers confirm timeline for delayed innovation accelerator sites

Three regional innovation accelerator sites, delayed by nearly a year, will now open on a staggered schedule starting in the spring. Each site pairs a lead university with a cluster of small and medium-sized manufacturing firms in its region. Officials blame the delay on procurement issues rather than any change in policy direction. Local partners say they remain committed to the original targets despite the shorter delivery window that now results.