And the Winner Is...'Sometimes Humorous'

'Tired and emotional'

Yes, I was as startled as I looked. At last week's ARMA Conference I was given the Piirus Technology and Innovation and Application Award for services to scurrilous blogging. Well, that wasn't quite the citation: instead it was for 'a well regarded, innovative and sometimes humorous blog'. I loved that final phrase: 'sometimes humorous'. It's deliciously (and I'm sure, unintentional) faint praise, and very much in keeping with the spirit of the blog.

RCUK to Clawback Money from Grants

RCUK has announced that it will be clawing back funding from some existing awards in light of a fall in the official forecasts of inflation.

The changes, estimated to be around 1.2%, will take effect from April 2010 onwards, and will affect any grant with outstanding payments of more than £100k.

Alan Thorpe, Chair of Research Councils UK said: "The decline in inflation needs to be reflected in the grants we award. All savings made as a result of changing the rate will be reinvested into research and postgraduate training."
It's noted, however, that 'rises in inflation' are not reflected in the grants they award.

Thanks to Juan and Gill for highlighting these changes. The full press release is available here.