A_J_Millar, 4 months ago to privacy

It's reporting season for UK academics funded by #UKRI. UKRI mandates use of #ResearchFish, a commercial product that was originally spun out (maybe from #MRC?) and is now owned by #Elsevier 🙃. For the first time IIRC, I will have to accept Elsevier #privacy policy when I upload my #research outcomes.

Oligopoly and massive vertical integration in this sector: in medium term, most likely to benefit #investors.

➡️ https://www.wired.com/story/tiktok-platforms-cory-doctorow/
@pluralistic

➡️ https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.230206
@brembs

stephenserjeant, 6 months ago to uk

Update to #UK #government plan to make UK a "science and technology superpower": UK govt raise salary #visa threshold for skilled foreign workers to £38700. New PhD starting salary for #UKRI PDRAs is typically £37099. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-politics-67612152

ProfLouiseL, 7 months ago to random

Meanwhile, if you're an academic and haven't yet signed the letter criticising #UKRI for its craven respone to Michelle Donelan interfering in academic free speech, you might want to join the 3000+ of us who have already signed
https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vQuP_mvDHNjryNd2gnenQJ0ffUMZ_1SdVL-2RnWdYJZdw5CGIAuyG00-KzCBLWiYwvBD2Xear-hGSsX/pub

tanjabueltmann, 7 months ago to random

This morning I wrote to #UKRI to inform them of my resignation from the UKRI Talent Peer Review College with immediate effect. My decision to resign is a direct result of the letter from the UKRI CEO published here https://www.ukri.org/news/response-to-the-open-letter-from-the-secretary-of-state/ yesterday.

I attach my resignation letter for information.

I do not think that this is just about UK HE, but a much wider concern.

Full text of my letter unfortunately too long to fully copy for all images, so here is a summary that captures the essence: I argue that I expected UKRI to express concern in terms of wellbeing and safety issues that the public singling out of two academics might cause, and to confirm EDI as a core mission of UKRI. I then say that the UKRI CEO's response is anything but, setting a chilling precent that precedent that documents that UKRI is prepared not only to bow to government pressure, but to identify EDI as immediately dispensable in the process. I then continue to explain why I think this is so concerning. I note that such developments are not happening in isolation given the recent pledge at the Conservative Party conference to to ‘kick woke ideology out of science’, and examples from elsewhere that document that the government is moniroting those critical of government policy. I end by asking about where this will end and saying that I cannot serve in an org that makes such choices.
Full text of my letter unfortunately too long to fully copy for all images, so here is a summary that captures the essence: I argue that I expected UKRI to express concern in terms of wellbeing and safety issues that the public singling out of two academics might cause, and to confirm EDI as a core mission of UKRI. I then say that the UKRI CEO's response is anything but, setting a chilling precent that precedent that documents that UKRI is prepared not only to bow to government pressure, but to identify EDI as immediately dispensable in the process. I then continue to explain why I think this is so concerning. I note that such developments are not happening in isolation given the recent pledge at the Conservative Party conference to to ‘kick woke ideology out of science’, and examples from elsewhere that document that the government is moniroting those critical of government policy. I end by asking about where this will end and saying that I cannot serve in an org that makes such choices.

pvonhellermannn, 7 months ago to IT

Question to #IT people on here: can you explain the awfulness of digital platforms that #University staff have to interact with on daily basis? True probably in many sectors and life in general, but it seems to be particularly bad in #HE. My trophy for worst, worst platform of all goes to #Je-S #RCUK #UKRI - whatever it's called. It is painful, horrible to use. I don't care if I come across as stupid. You shouldn't be made to feel stupid when you do free work for others. #AcademicChatter

pvonhellermannn, 7 months ago to random

In the larger scheme of things this is miniscule i know, but there is a particular kind of pain in having to produce three sets of different exam questions for the same module at the same time: the actual exam, the resit papers for last year’s cohort, and the resits for this year. #academicchatter

dfg_public, 7 months ago to random German

#CallforProposals in bilateral collaboration: UK-German 🇬🇧 🇩🇪 Funding Initiative in the #Humanities by #DFG & Arts and Humanities Research Council (#AHRC), part of UK Research and Innovation (#UKRI): Proposals may be submitted in any area of the Humanities as defined in funding guides. Closing date: 20 Feb. 2024, projects start in early 2025.

➡️ https://www.dfg.de/foerderung/info_wissenschaft/info_wissenschaft_23_80

dfg_public, 10 months ago to random German

New Lead Agency Agreement 📢 #DFG and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (#UKRI) are pleased to announce their 1st biliteral call and funding opportunity for collaborative research proposals 🇩🇪 🇬🇧 on the "Integrative #Microbiome".

More about key challenges, eligibility, application procedure: ➡️ https://www.dfg.de/foerderung/info_wissenschaft/2023/info_wissenschaft_23_65/

petersuber, 1 year ago to opensource

The #UK House of Commons just issued a report on improving the #reproducibility of UK research.
https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5803/cmselect/cmsctech/101/summary.html

"We welcome #UKRI’s policy of requiring #OpenAccess to research that it funds, but we recommend that this should go further in requiring the recipients of research grants to share #data and #code alongside the publications arising from the funded research."

#OpenData #OpenCode #OpenSource #FOSS #FLOSS