Kirsty Grainger

@kirstygrainger

By day: enabler of research & cheerleader of people. By night: sweary embroidery, speedcubing, books, parkrun. University of Bath (ex-UKRI). She/her

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Kirsty Grainger @kirstygrainger· 29d

Parkrun update: away from home. Arnhem. Sadly public transport didn't allow me to get to the Z course two hours away in time to run. An excuse to visit the Netherlands again! Token theft a multi-country issue. Here for the European Rubik's Cube Championships my son representing the UK 1/2

Parkrun sign on the grass, reads Sonsbeek

Parkrun sign reads: Lever Je Token Alsjeblieft Weer In

Kirsty Grainger @kirstygrainger· Jul 17

And another podium for the 🇬🇧 UK with Caleb Wolf Dunn with an average of 3.26 seconds in the clock finals! #SpeedCubing

Clock winners in screenshot. Showing Caleb Wolf Dunn in third

Kirsty Grainger @kirstygrainger· Jul 17

The first GOLD for the 🇬🇧 UK with an average of 8.76 seconds for Nicholas Archer in the 3x3 One-Handed! #SpeedCubing

Screenshot showing Nicholas Archer's win

Kirsty Grainger @kirstygrainger· Jul 17

He won round one! Semi final and final tomorrow. 🇬🇧 #SppedCubing

Screenshot showing Aidan Grainger in first place.

Kirsty Grainger @kirstygrainger· Jul 17

When you teenager is "famous in speedcubing circles" you get to watch him do autograph signings at the European Championships. This was not on my bingo card when thinking about having kids.

Sign reads Autograph signing

15.00-15.30 Aidan Grainger and Luke Garrett

Kirsty Grainger @kirstygrainger· Jul 15

Accidentally set up a watch party for all English people currently in Arnhem. There are a lot of us as the European Rubik's Cube Championships start tomorrow. This bar was opened especially for us and is now filling full of English people ready to watch COME ON ENGLAND!!!

Kirsty Grainger @kirstygrainger· Jul 5

Agatha Christie books are littered with em dashes. You are in good company. And my guess is that Agatha is why LLMs are full of them.

Pages from Agatha Christie's book Death in the Clouds. Full of em dashes.

Kirsty Grainger @kirstygrainger· Jul 5

Sunday night treat.

Photo showing crowd sat on the grass in the sunshine, in front of a stage that reads Finsbury Park with an image of Wolf Alice on the screen.

Kirsty Grainger @kirstygrainger· Jul 4

Parkrun update: home course, first one for a while. Number 123 overall. The very definition of the word muggy. Gave the "we've not been lapped" shout at the top of the hill and created much excitement as it was the first time that many had achieved that. The 16 minute runners were away this week!

Screenshot reads

Lydiard Park

04/07/26 #739
392 finishers
53 volunteers

Kirsty Grainger @kirstygrainger· Jun 23

Very happy to introduce you to this! My OH calls it heart-attack pie. Me and my mates cook every year on 1st Dec to remember our late friend wonderful Matthew. This is his recipe ❤️ not all Prestonians will agree with his construction. History - lancashiremuseumsstories.wordpress.com/2022/11/25/f...

Butter pie recipe

Quantities to suit, just make them kind of proportional!

Ingredients
Potatoes, peeled and cut into pieces
Onions, peeled and sliced
Cheese, grated
Butter
Salt and pepper
Shortcrust pasty for crust

Method
Boil potatoes till softening. Meanwhile, fry the onions in oil. Drain potatoes, mix into them the onions, butter coma grated cheese and salt and pepper. Transfer mixture to greased/buttered not-too-deep oven proof dish. Rollout pastry to sufficient size to cover potato mixture. Proceed to cover! Can brush pastry with milk (if you so desire - an adverse sweet leaf-shaped bits of pastry that take longer to make than the rest of the meal!) .. I digress .. to continue ... Bake I oven (190 °C) for about 20 minutes till pastry is browned and looks cooked. Enjoy! Ooh, don't forget the mushy peas!

Kirsty Grainger @kirstygrainger· Jun 23

Figures. They've also been on the train....

Feathers McGraw escaping on the back of a train carrying a crate labelled Madame Butter Pies.

Kirsty Grainger @kirstygrainger· Jun 15

I'll use one example to explain my point. Go look at "the Design Generators" Unanswered questions

Screen shot from new early announcement webpages. Reads:

Design Generators

Funds innovative, design led research projects that contribute to the green transition. It will focus on interventions within existing systems, such as healthcare, food networks, governance structures, financial infrastructures. One of two rounds.

Funding information: total fund of £1 million with awards for projects between £150,000 and £200,000.

Kirsty Grainger @kirstygrainger· Jun 13

Parkrun update: home. Fab atmosphere celebrating ONE MILLION parkrun events. Congratulations, thank you @pauls-h.bsky.social and the millions of volunteers that make this. My dad, oldest active runner here, hoping for a sub 37 as I sneaked him to near the 30 pacer to enable a faster narrow start.

Kirsty Grainger @kirstygrainger· Jun 12

Today's breakfast chat brought to you by scribbled notes, and last minute revision podcast listening by the youngest and extra sleep for the eldest. GCSE Chemistry this morning and ALevel further maths this afternoon.

Hand written note reads:

halides - silver nitrate + nitric acid
Metals solution - sodium hydrochloride
Carbonates + acid -> co2 -> like water turns cloudy
White precipitat sulphite ions = borium chloride + HCL
Flame emission spectroscopy

Kirsty Grainger @kirstygrainger· May 31

I've was using them pre AI. Comp school too. But also a reader of Agatha Christie and I wonder if this is what the AI has stolen from.

Pages from Agatha Christie's Death in The Clouds with lots of em dashes

Kirsty Grainger @kirstygrainger· May 29

And in an incredible FIRST place with 2.5 working days* to apply for up to £1.5M it's IUKs Future offshore wind technologies: industrial research (research organisations) www.ukri.org/opportunity/...

Screen shot of UKRI funding finder call
Future offshore wind technologies: industrial research (research organisations)
UK registered businesses can apply for a share of up to £10 million to support Industrial research in Offshore Wind across the two strands of the competition. This funding is from Innovate UK.
Opportunity status:
Open
Funders:
Innovate UK
Funding type:
Grant
Publication date:
28 May 2026
Opening date:
29 May 2026 9:30am UK time
Closing date:
3 June 2026 11:00am UK time

Kirsty Grainger @kirstygrainger· May 29

Just short of the top spot, in SECOND place it’s EPSRCs Fundamental AI Research Lab with less than one month for £40M www.ukri.org/opportunity/...

Screen shot of UKRI funding finder call
Fundamental AI Research Lab
Opportunity status:
Closed
Funders:
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)
Funding type:
Grant
Total fund:
£40,000,000
Maximum award:
£9,400,000
Publication date:
2 March 2026
Opening date:
2 March 2026 9:00am UK time
Closing date:
31 March 2026 4:00pm UK time

Kirsty Grainger @kirstygrainger· May 29

In THIRD place (and there were a few from IUK that could have taken this coveted spot) with one month to apply for £30M it’s IUK’s Ofgem Strategic Innovation Fund round 5 discovery C6 www.ukri.org/opportunity/...

Screen shot of UKRI funding finder call

Ofgem Strategic Innovation Fund round 5 discovery C6
Opportunity status:
Open
Funders:
Innovate UK
Co-funders:
Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem)
Funding type:
Grant
Publication date:
28 May 2026
Opening date:
27 May 2026 9:30am UK time
Closing date:
24 June 2026 11:00am UK time
See the full opportunity details on the Innovation Funding Service.
Organisations can apply for a share of up to £30 million exclusive of VAT, for collaborative Discovery Phase Projects that meet the round 5 challenges. This funding is from the Ofgem Strategic Innovation Fund.

Kirsty Grainger @kirstygrainger· May 29

In FIFTH Place with two months to apply for £5M it’s Research England’s Partnership to transform university knowledge exchange metrics www.ukri.org/opportunity/...

Screen shot of UKRI funding finder call
Partnership to transform university knowledge exchange metrics
Apply for funding to partner with Research England to develop next generation knowledge exchange metrics and insights. Drive forward institutional practice and national policy by leading new data insights and outputs.
The project must be based at an organisation eligible for Research England funding.
Opportunity status:
Open
Funders:
Research England
Funding type:
Grant
Total fund:
£5,000,000
Publication date:
13 May 2026
Opening date:
13 May 2026 9:00am UK time
Closing date:
22 July 2026 12:00pm UK time

Kirsty Grainger @kirstygrainger· May 27

Still from S2:E3 of Poirot showing the inside of Senate House in its art deco splendor. With props to make it look like a hotel lobby

Kirsty Grainger @kirstygrainger· May 25

I'd very much like to see this diagram replicated for 2026

Figure 1.6 from https://royalsociety.org/news-resources/publications/2010/scientific-century/

Shows the career pipeline of PhD holders with only 3.5% being permanent research staff and 0.45% becoming a professor. Figure published in 2010.

Kirsty Grainger @kirstygrainger· May 24

Please send photos of the outside fun you're having Proud Parenting but stuck indoors at the All England Dance regional finals. Really well organised. He's already through to the Global finals but the big one next - Musical Theatre, Try Me. This is the one he wants🤞 yes, we're a competitive family

Programme for the competition on a gym hall floor. Reads AED West Final 2026

Kirsty Grainger @kirstygrainger· May 16

Jude was my gateway drug and I was lucky enough to stumble across these a few years ago and they fit perfectly in the hand for some extra special reading.

Shelf of MacMillan Thomas Hardy books from the 1920s.

Kirsty Grainger @kirstygrainger· May 14

Found this in a hotel bedside draw one time suggesting more than one signed copy exists.

Open Bible with hand scrawled message "all the best, God" written on it.

Kirsty Grainger @kirstygrainger· May 14

If you have a BBSRC Early Independence Fellowship outline in, check your inbox. Please give professional services teams a few days to design demand management processes as we're finding out the same time as you. The outlines per institute data provided is super interesting; 15 awards available 👀👀👀👀

UKRI – Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
Annex A – Maximum Number of Applications to the 2026 round of the BBSRC Early Independence Fellowship scheme per HEI
These figures have been calculated based on submissions to the 2021 Research Excellence Framework (REF) with the number of Early Independence BBSRC Fellowship applications permitted related to the FTE staff numbers included within each institutions REF submission as follows:
Academic organisations who did not submit to the REF and are not identified within the grouping are permitted to submit one application to this opportunity.

Table

UKRI – Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council

Annex A – Maximum Number of Applications to the 2026 round of the BBSRC Early Independence Fellowship scheme per HEI

These figures have been calculated based on submissions to the 2021 Research Excellence Framework (REF) with the number of Early Independence BBSRC Fellowship applications permitted related to the FTE staff numbers included within each institutions REF submission as follows:

Academic organisations who did not submit to the REF and are not identified within the grouping are permitted to submit one application to this opportunity.

Table

Higher Education Institution (HEI) Number of outline applications Maximum number of applications to this opportunity
Aberystwyth University 8 1
Aston University 4 1
Babraham Institute 1 1
Brunel University London 1 1
Cardiff University 8 2
Cranfield University 4 1
Durham University 5 1
Earlham Institute 1 1
Edge Hill University 2 1
Harper Adams University 3 1
Heriot-Watt University 3 1
Imperial College London 27 2
Institute of Cancer Research 3 1
James Hutton Institute 1 1
John Innes Centre 3 1
King's College London 28 2
Lancaster University 3 1
Leeds Beckett University 1 1
London School of Hygiene…

UKRI – Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council

Table

Higher Education Institution (HEI) Number of outline applications Maximum number of applications to this opportunity
Northumbria University 1 1
Nottingham Trent University 2 1
Oxford Brookes University 1 1
Quadram Institute Bioscience 8 1
Queen Mary University of London 7 1
Queen’s University Belfast 7 1
Rosalind Franklin Institute 1 1
Rothamsted Research 3 1
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew 4 1
Royal Veterinary College 4 1
Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre 1 1
Swansea University 2 1
The Francis Crick Institute 5 1
University College London 34 3
University of Aberdeen 2 1
University of Bath 5 1
University of Birmingham 30 2
University of Bradford 1 1
University of Bristol 13 2
University of Cambridge 57 3
University of Dundee 4 1
University of East Anglia 2 1
University of Edinburgh 22 3
University of Essex 2 1
University of Exeter 16 1
University of Glasgow 21 1
University of Hull 2 1
University of Leeds 13 2
University of Leicester 7 1
University of Lincoln 1 1
University of Liverpool 12 1
University of Manchester 25 3
University of Nottingham 11 2
University of Oxford 56 3
University of Plymouth 3 1
University of Reading 8 1

Kirsty Grainger @kirstygrainger· May 7

Shout out to everyone else in the UK that isn't voting today as there is no elections in their area. 18yo disappointed that he's not voting for the first time and doggo sad not to be at a polling station.

Tightly curled up and skeeping black and white cocker spaniel on a blue sofa.

Kirsty Grainger @kirstygrainger· May 4

As the sunsets on this Bank Holiday (not all of the UK) I am very much looking forward to reading this. Had the pleasure of meeting @pauls-h.bsky.social today. A 5km freedom run/walk round our local parkrun (the wrong way round!) and then to listen to Paul talk and kindly sign my copy. Lovely stuff.

Book held in the air with setting sun behind. The book is One Small Step by Paul Sinton-Hewitt it has an orange cover with a crowd of cartoon runners at the bottom edge.

Kirsty Grainger @kirstygrainger· May 2

Parkrun update: away from home. At the other local parkrun. Home parkrun cancelled so already seeing lots of familiar faces even though I've not been here before! Chatting to some tourists from Kent. Love the shared language of parkrun and friendliness if you want to be social. Thankyou marshalls

Parkrun sign on grass with trees behind. Reads Seven Fields

Kirsty Grainger @kirstygrainger· Apr 25

Parkrun update: home course. Maybe another event PB but I don't think my feet have yet got me to my goal of sub 32 on my home course. Tantalising close I think. Home course cancelled next week so won't be able to try again until the week after. Away from home next week then. Thank you marshalls.

Close up if my bright yellow trainers and orange socks on concrete

Kirsty Grainger @kirstygrainger· Apr 18

Parkrun update: home course. Could this be my home course parkrun PB barcode?? Awaiting the official time. I'm a luddite and don't track myself just await the official time. One thing is for certain my parkrun time < my son's record store day queue time. He's been there since before 8 still not in!