We need to talk about academia
@wnttaa.bsky.social
Exploring power, corruption and illusions of accountability within research/academia.
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X: @wnttaAcademia
Personal Account on x: @BarryIeGb
Email: tips@wnttaa.org
Website: wnttaa.org (coming soon)
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This post by CEO of @icr.ac.uk while ignoring complaints of lies within his own organisation smacks of hypocrisy & virtue signalling.
Complaint raised 16 Aug 24. No investigation as of April 2025. Complaints of lies on behalf of ICR “not a HR matter”. Nor a concern for the CEO it seems.
#academia
Complaint raised 16 Aug 24. No investigation as of April 2025. Complaints of lies on behalf of ICR “not a HR matter”. Nor a concern for the CEO it seems.
#academia
I wonder how much @cancerresearchuk.org money is wasted on lawyers by @icr.ac.uk . Money that could be better spent on research to help patients. Instead, money is spent protecting bullies & law breakers.
Some universities are spending a lot of money on lawyers to protect misbehaving senior administrators or academics
It's contrary to their core values & makes the scandals worse
The money that is being used to hush the scandals up is public money
21percent.org?p=2769
It's contrary to their core values & makes the scandals worse
The money that is being used to hush the scandals up is public money
21percent.org?p=2769
October 16, 2025 at 8:28 PM
I wonder how much @cancerresearchuk.org money is wasted on lawyers by @icr.ac.uk . Money that could be better spent on research to help patients. Instead, money is spent protecting bullies & law breakers.
Reposted by We need to talk about academia
UK HE senior management 101
When the University is burning down, make sure you’re in a 5* hotel on another continent
When the University is burning down, make sure you’re in a 5* hotel on another continent
Staff on strike for several weeks. VC away in India. UK HE in a nutshell, I presume.
October 15, 2025 at 7:27 AM
UK HE senior management 101
When the University is burning down, make sure you’re in a 5* hotel on another continent
When the University is burning down, make sure you’re in a 5* hotel on another continent
Do @luketaylorld.bsky.social, @bobbywdean.bsky.social & @paulkohlersw19.bsky.social know about ICR’s lack of ethics, data protections failures, bullying, discrimination & spending on legal fees and settlements to cover for failures they don’t even bother to submit defences for? Do they care?
We were joined this afternoon by MPs @luketaylorld.bsky.social, @bobbywdean.bsky.social and @paulkohlersw19.bsky.social 👋
Luke, Bobby and Paul met with Dr @maggiecheang.bsky.social to discuss her role at the ICR and the impact of her interdisciplinary research in the @icr-ctsu.bsky.social
Luke, Bobby and Paul met with Dr @maggiecheang.bsky.social to discuss her role at the ICR and the impact of her interdisciplinary research in the @icr-ctsu.bsky.social
August 1, 2025 at 5:03 PM
Do @luketaylorld.bsky.social, @bobbywdean.bsky.social & @paulkohlersw19.bsky.social know about ICR’s lack of ethics, data protections failures, bullying, discrimination & spending on legal fees and settlements to cover for failures they don’t even bother to submit defences for? Do they care?
Reposted by We need to talk about academia
Office for Students finds evidence of violations of free speech at Sussex Uni. It hands out £585 k fine
Office for Students finds evidence of sexual harassment of students at unnamed Uni. It hands out £1 k fine
OfS needs to be firm about a range of matters ... not just free speech
Office for Students finds evidence of sexual harassment of students at unnamed Uni. It hands out £1 k fine
OfS needs to be firm about a range of matters ... not just free speech
July 5, 2025 at 6:25 PM
Office for Students finds evidence of violations of free speech at Sussex Uni. It hands out £585 k fine
Office for Students finds evidence of sexual harassment of students at unnamed Uni. It hands out £1 k fine
OfS needs to be firm about a range of matters ... not just free speech
Office for Students finds evidence of sexual harassment of students at unnamed Uni. It hands out £1 k fine
OfS needs to be firm about a range of matters ... not just free speech
Reposted by We need to talk about academia
Talk of Just Culture Without System Change Is a False Promise
patientsafetyfirst.wordpress.com/2025/05/16/w...
patientsafetyfirst.wordpress.com/2025/05/16/w...
Talk of Just Culture Without System Change Is a False Promise
James Titcombe – May 2025 In recent years, just culture has become a central concept in patient safety. In 2016, the report of the Expert Advisory Group set up by the government to advise on …
patientsafetyfirst.wordpress.com
July 4, 2025 at 8:33 PM
Talk of Just Culture Without System Change Is a False Promise
patientsafetyfirst.wordpress.com/2025/05/16/w...
patientsafetyfirst.wordpress.com/2025/05/16/w...
Reposted by We need to talk about academia
The latest on research #fraud and how institutes cover everything up👇 @forbetterscience.bsky.social forbetterscience.com/2025/07/04/s...
Schneider Shorts 4.07.2025 – Why should I care about this?
Schneider Shorts 4.07.2025 – a fallen star in Spain, more retractions for Egyptians and Saudis, and for a defamed scholar in Iraq, with an editor correcting his paper, and finally, a total ab…
forbetterscience.com
July 4, 2025 at 6:31 AM
The latest on research #fraud and how institutes cover everything up👇 @forbetterscience.bsky.social forbetterscience.com/2025/07/04/s...
Reposted by We need to talk about academia
3 years for Wiley to retract a mess of a paper. Thankfully no “evidence of misconduct” was found. TBF there was no evidence of conduct either. 😸
pubpeer.com/publications...
pubpeer.com/publications...
July 4, 2025 at 6:10 AM
3 years for Wiley to retract a mess of a paper. Thankfully no “evidence of misconduct” was found. TBF there was no evidence of conduct either. 😸
pubpeer.com/publications...
pubpeer.com/publications...
Reposted by We need to talk about academia
We investigated, reported and it we're very happy it had an effect!
Collaboration with @elisabethbik.bsky.social @mortenoxe.bsky.social @smutclyde.bsky.social and @thatsregrettab1.bsky.social !
Collaboration with @elisabethbik.bsky.social @mortenoxe.bsky.social @smutclyde.bsky.social and @thatsregrettab1.bsky.social !
Exclusive: A major scientific publisher, Taylor & Francis, said it has paused submissions to its journal Bioengineered so editors there can investigate some 1000 of its papers that bear signs they contain manipulated results or came from paper mills. scim.ag/4kjR4la
Journal plagued with problematic papers, likely from paper mills, pauses submissions
The halt will let Taylor & Francis focus on checking Bioengineered’s papers for fraudulent works and paid authorships
scim.ag
July 4, 2025 at 5:16 AM
We investigated, reported and it we're very happy it had an effect!
Collaboration with @elisabethbik.bsky.social @mortenoxe.bsky.social @smutclyde.bsky.social and @thatsregrettab1.bsky.social !
Collaboration with @elisabethbik.bsky.social @mortenoxe.bsky.social @smutclyde.bsky.social and @thatsregrettab1.bsky.social !
Reposted by We need to talk about academia
‘Anyone can do this’: Sleuths publish a toolkit for post-publication review
The Collection of Open Science Integrity Guides (COSIG) aims to make “post-publication peer review” more accessible
Project headed by @reeserichardson.bsky.social
@cosig.net
retractionwatch.com/2025/06/04/c...
The Collection of Open Science Integrity Guides (COSIG) aims to make “post-publication peer review” more accessible
Project headed by @reeserichardson.bsky.social
@cosig.net
retractionwatch.com/2025/06/04/c...
‘Anyone can do this’: Sleuths publish a toolkit for post-publication review
For years, sleuths – whose names our readers are likely familiar with – have been diligently flagging issues with the scientific literature. More than a dozen of these specialists have teamed up to cr...
retractionwatch.com
June 4, 2025 at 3:40 PM
‘Anyone can do this’: Sleuths publish a toolkit for post-publication review
The Collection of Open Science Integrity Guides (COSIG) aims to make “post-publication peer review” more accessible
Project headed by @reeserichardson.bsky.social
@cosig.net
retractionwatch.com/2025/06/04/c...
The Collection of Open Science Integrity Guides (COSIG) aims to make “post-publication peer review” more accessible
Project headed by @reeserichardson.bsky.social
@cosig.net
retractionwatch.com/2025/06/04/c...
Ah yes. Commercialised charity. 🤣Spinning out the profitable bits on the backs charitable donations. Socialise loss, privatise profit.
It’s a story of pioneering science, and also exemplifies the full spectrum of university and charity commercialisation and technology transfer – from early-stage collaboration, forming a spinout company, and licensing, to hosting clinical trials in partnership with pharma.
Read more here ⤵️
Read more here ⤵️
PI3K inhibitors feature
PI3K inhibitors: decades of partnership between ICR researchers and industry leads to a new class of cancer drugs
www.icr.ac.uk
July 4, 2025 at 7:41 AM
Ah yes. Commercialised charity. 🤣Spinning out the profitable bits on the backs charitable donations. Socialise loss, privatise profit.
Don’t meet with academic HR. Full stop. Do everything in writing. Their entire strategy relies on not keeping a record of their stitch up. Not having a record of their failure to follow the processes they’ve already fixed in their favour. Let them hang themselves in writing.
Some sweet souls still think it's safe to meet HR solo
This is not a strategy, it’s a sacrifice
Like strolling into a snake pit without anti-venom — brave, naive & almost certainly not walking out
You must always, always take a companion or a Union rep to a University HR meeting
This is not a strategy, it’s a sacrifice
Like strolling into a snake pit without anti-venom — brave, naive & almost certainly not walking out
You must always, always take a companion or a Union rep to a University HR meeting
July 4, 2025 at 7:28 AM
Don’t meet with academic HR. Full stop. Do everything in writing. Their entire strategy relies on not keeping a record of their stitch up. Not having a record of their failure to follow the processes they’ve already fixed in their favour. Let them hang themselves in writing.
Reposted by We need to talk about academia
My caveat to this depressing story is to be careful — sometimes those who purport to be fighting for fairness are doing it as a cover for their own bullying behaviour.
Not in this case, however — I know Wyn well, and he is a thoroughly decent person.
(archive.is/SSL41) 🔭🧪
Not in this case, however — I know Wyn well, and he is a thoroughly decent person.
(archive.is/SSL41) 🔭🧪
June 17, 2025 at 10:17 PM
My caveat to this depressing story is to be careful — sometimes those who purport to be fighting for fairness are doing it as a cover for their own bullying behaviour.
Not in this case, however — I know Wyn well, and he is a thoroughly decent person.
(archive.is/SSL41) 🔭🧪
Not in this case, however — I know Wyn well, and he is a thoroughly decent person.
(archive.is/SSL41) 🔭🧪
100%
@icr.ac.uk and @clare-turnbull.bsky.social breached data privacy laws. Their DPO found no evidence that had happened. I have the evidence. It seems EIC at JMG tip them off and Clare then tried to evade discovery. These institutions are at best inept, if not dishonest.
@icr.ac.uk and @clare-turnbull.bsky.social breached data privacy laws. Their DPO found no evidence that had happened. I have the evidence. It seems EIC at JMG tip them off and Clare then tried to evade discovery. These institutions are at best inept, if not dishonest.
This.
Only the victim held to confidentiality. Perpetrators continue (more discretely) character assassination. Throughout 'investigations'. Then freely after, despite culpable findings. While victim is silenced, erased. As HR directs.
Why we must eliminate NDA's in all University "settlements".
Only the victim held to confidentiality. Perpetrators continue (more discretely) character assassination. Throughout 'investigations'. Then freely after, despite culpable findings. While victim is silenced, erased. As HR directs.
Why we must eliminate NDA's in all University "settlements".
June 16, 2025 at 10:47 PM
100%
@icr.ac.uk and @clare-turnbull.bsky.social breached data privacy laws. Their DPO found no evidence that had happened. I have the evidence. It seems EIC at JMG tip them off and Clare then tried to evade discovery. These institutions are at best inept, if not dishonest.
@icr.ac.uk and @clare-turnbull.bsky.social breached data privacy laws. Their DPO found no evidence that had happened. I have the evidence. It seems EIC at JMG tip them off and Clare then tried to evade discovery. These institutions are at best inept, if not dishonest.
Reposted by We need to talk about academia
Voice of Victim
"I've a lot of experience dealing with Human Resources in my University
Confidentiality is used as a weapon by HR to protect themselves & senior people
It's unenforceable & it's a bluff
It's not about discretion. It's about control
Call their bluff"
"I've a lot of experience dealing with Human Resources in my University
Confidentiality is used as a weapon by HR to protect themselves & senior people
It's unenforceable & it's a bluff
It's not about discretion. It's about control
Call their bluff"
June 15, 2025 at 9:46 AM
Voice of Victim
"I've a lot of experience dealing with Human Resources in my University
Confidentiality is used as a weapon by HR to protect themselves & senior people
It's unenforceable & it's a bluff
It's not about discretion. It's about control
Call their bluff"
"I've a lot of experience dealing with Human Resources in my University
Confidentiality is used as a weapon by HR to protect themselves & senior people
It's unenforceable & it's a bluff
It's not about discretion. It's about control
Call their bluff"
Reposted by We need to talk about academia
A Professor made 18 defamatory allegations against 3 of his colleagues who intervened to stop horrific bullying
The University of Shamebridge investigated allegations for almost 2 years before concluding that there was no actually evidence at all
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/06...
The University of Shamebridge investigated allegations for almost 2 years before concluding that there was no actually evidence at all
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/06...
Silence on bullying at universities ‘like Post Office scandal’, says Cambridge chancellor hopeful
Prof Wyn Evans says academics made to feel their cases are isolated
www.telegraph.co.uk
June 15, 2025 at 8:54 PM
A Professor made 18 defamatory allegations against 3 of his colleagues who intervened to stop horrific bullying
The University of Shamebridge investigated allegations for almost 2 years before concluding that there was no actually evidence at all
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/06...
The University of Shamebridge investigated allegations for almost 2 years before concluding that there was no actually evidence at all
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/06...
Reposted by We need to talk about academia
Together with @forthe100.bsky.social, we are conducting survey to find the Hateful Eight
The 8 worst UK universities for discrimination, bullying, harassment & lack of care
Whether staff or student, if you've been mistreated, tell us in our survey
21percent.org?p=2124
Who'll top the Hateful 8 ?
The 8 worst UK universities for discrimination, bullying, harassment & lack of care
Whether staff or student, if you've been mistreated, tell us in our survey
21percent.org?p=2124
Who'll top the Hateful 8 ?
June 14, 2025 at 9:55 AM
Together with @forthe100.bsky.social, we are conducting survey to find the Hateful Eight
The 8 worst UK universities for discrimination, bullying, harassment & lack of care
Whether staff or student, if you've been mistreated, tell us in our survey
21percent.org?p=2124
Who'll top the Hateful 8 ?
The 8 worst UK universities for discrimination, bullying, harassment & lack of care
Whether staff or student, if you've been mistreated, tell us in our survey
21percent.org?p=2124
Who'll top the Hateful 8 ?
Reposted by We need to talk about academia
yeah ok being called a troll who should not be platformed broke me. i just excused myself from a workshop i was excited to attend. i have no more tolerance left for name-calling and condescension. that's how diversity dies.
It's become so toxic that sometimes I'll get invited to disciplinary gatherings and I'll first have to ask who else will be there to make sure I won't be entering an antagonistic environment. It's not the divergent views that's causing this divide but the ingrained self-righteousness.
June 11, 2025 at 5:23 PM
yeah ok being called a troll who should not be platformed broke me. i just excused myself from a workshop i was excited to attend. i have no more tolerance left for name-calling and condescension. that's how diversity dies.
Maybe if academic institutions, funding bodies and publishers listened when ethics issues are raised time and again instead of closing ranks in defence of vested interests, academia wouldn’t be ripe for destruction!
I disagree with this piece. I can see how it would feel comforting to present an image of science as certain, so that it can inform policy. But it's wrong. People publish wrong papers all the time and if they didn't it would mean we weren't testing ideas thoroughly.
www.science.org/content/arti...
www.science.org/content/arti...
Science’s reform movement should have seen Trump’s call for ‘gold standard science’ coming, critics say
Efforts to improve the rigor of research may have unwittingly handed the administration a way to attack science
www.science.org
June 13, 2025 at 2:01 AM
Maybe if academic institutions, funding bodies and publishers listened when ethics issues are raised time and again instead of closing ranks in defence of vested interests, academia wouldn’t be ripe for destruction!
"Those who fear the facts will forever try to discredit the fact-finders." - Denis Diderot
Image from Debunked board/card game.
Image from Debunked board/card game.
June 13, 2025 at 12:36 AM
"Those who fear the facts will forever try to discredit the fact-finders." - Denis Diderot
Image from Debunked board/card game.
Image from Debunked board/card game.
If there is a mob, it is those who fail to act with integrity in the first place. Sleuths wouldn't be required if all was well with academia!
Apparent NCI director candidate @weldeiry.bsky.social wants ‘open, respectful’ post-publication peer review while promoting anonymous site that calls sleuths a ‘mob’
Apparent NCI director candidate wants ‘open, respectful’ post-publication peer review while promoting anonymous site that calls sleuths a ‘mob’
Wafik S. El-Deiry Brown University physician-scientist Wafik El-Deiry has been a longtime critic of the post-publication forum PubPeer, where 75 of his papers have been flagged. For example, in an …
retractionwatch.com
June 13, 2025 at 12:29 AM
If there is a mob, it is those who fail to act with integrity in the first place. Sleuths wouldn't be required if all was well with academia!
Reposted by We need to talk about academia
The continuation of @weldeiry.bsky.social his rather odd behaviour. As usual he doesn't answer the questions asked, only increasing the suspicion. He is a lover of the science fools, a fraudulent platform to defend ( #papermill) #frauds @thatsregrettab1.bsky.social
Apparent NCI director candidate @weldeiry.bsky.social wants ‘open, respectful’ post-publication peer review while promoting anonymous site that calls sleuths a ‘mob’
Apparent NCI director candidate wants ‘open, respectful’ post-publication peer review while promoting anonymous site that calls sleuths a ‘mob’
Wafik S. El-Deiry Brown University physician-scientist Wafik El-Deiry has been a longtime critic of the post-publication forum PubPeer, where 75 of his papers have been flagged. For example, in an …
retractionwatch.com
June 11, 2025 at 4:40 AM
The continuation of @weldeiry.bsky.social his rather odd behaviour. As usual he doesn't answer the questions asked, only increasing the suspicion. He is a lover of the science fools, a fraudulent platform to defend ( #papermill) #frauds @thatsregrettab1.bsky.social
If an institute can mislead an ethics investigation at a journal and the journal seems not to care, is that a trustworthy publisher? A problem in science publishing? @timeshighered.bsky.social @hossenfelder.bsky.social
EIC delighted he and PI "got it through", avoiding "ethics black hole"
EIC delighted he and PI "got it through", avoiding "ethics black hole"
June 13, 2025 at 12:06 AM
If an institute can mislead an ethics investigation at a journal and the journal seems not to care, is that a trustworthy publisher? A problem in science publishing? @timeshighered.bsky.social @hossenfelder.bsky.social
EIC delighted he and PI "got it through", avoiding "ethics black hole"
EIC delighted he and PI "got it through", avoiding "ethics black hole"
Significant funding from @cancerresearchuk.org goes to this institute. As reported by @hannahdevlin.bsky.social & Sarah Marsh in @theguardian.com in 2018, CR UK promised sanctions against "scientists who bullied or harassed colleagues..." 🧵
thread 1/3
thread 1/3
This post by CEO of @icr.ac.uk while ignoring complaints of lies within his own organisation smacks of hypocrisy & virtue signalling.
Complaint raised 16 Aug 24. No investigation as of April 2025. Complaints of lies on behalf of ICR “not a HR matter”. Nor a concern for the CEO it seems.
#academia
Complaint raised 16 Aug 24. No investigation as of April 2025. Complaints of lies on behalf of ICR “not a HR matter”. Nor a concern for the CEO it seems.
#academia
June 12, 2025 at 11:56 PM
Significant funding from @cancerresearchuk.org goes to this institute. As reported by @hannahdevlin.bsky.social & Sarah Marsh in @theguardian.com in 2018, CR UK promised sanctions against "scientists who bullied or harassed colleagues..." 🧵
thread 1/3
thread 1/3
This post by CEO of @icr.ac.uk while ignoring complaints of lies within his own organisation smacks of hypocrisy & virtue signalling.
Complaint raised 16 Aug 24. No investigation as of April 2025. Complaints of lies on behalf of ICR “not a HR matter”. Nor a concern for the CEO it seems.
#academia
Complaint raised 16 Aug 24. No investigation as of April 2025. Complaints of lies on behalf of ICR “not a HR matter”. Nor a concern for the CEO it seems.
#academia
June 12, 2025 at 10:48 PM
This post by CEO of @icr.ac.uk while ignoring complaints of lies within his own organisation smacks of hypocrisy & virtue signalling.
Complaint raised 16 Aug 24. No investigation as of April 2025. Complaints of lies on behalf of ICR “not a HR matter”. Nor a concern for the CEO it seems.
#academia
Complaint raised 16 Aug 24. No investigation as of April 2025. Complaints of lies on behalf of ICR “not a HR matter”. Nor a concern for the CEO it seems.
#academia
Reposted by We need to talk about academia
Ideal candidate for the Chancellorship of the university is ... unethical financier who flies round the world in private jet striking deals with dictators
Auric Goldfinger, Ernst Stavro Blofeld...
The people who matter have met, decided on wealthy name & moved on 😉
Staff will be informed later
Auric Goldfinger, Ernst Stavro Blofeld...
The people who matter have met, decided on wealthy name & moved on 😉
Staff will be informed later
June 5, 2025 at 9:39 AM
Ideal candidate for the Chancellorship of the university is ... unethical financier who flies round the world in private jet striking deals with dictators
Auric Goldfinger, Ernst Stavro Blofeld...
The people who matter have met, decided on wealthy name & moved on 😉
Staff will be informed later
Auric Goldfinger, Ernst Stavro Blofeld...
The people who matter have met, decided on wealthy name & moved on 😉
Staff will be informed later