Martin Smith

@martinrsmith

Head of Policy Lab, Wellcome. Science policy things, puns, cats

262 Folgt890 Follower308 Posts

Bluesky

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Martin Smith@martinrsmith· 2d

Solar panel readings show a bit of drop off at the right time (but not any real pick up afterwards as they’re facing east, and the sun dips behind a big hill)

Martin Smith@martinrsmith· 2d

Pattern through the leaves of a bush

Shadow eclipse picture with lots of little crescents of light overlapping each other against a cream coloured wall

Martin Smith@martinrsmith· Jul 5

Trip to the beach today near Brighton included sharing the sea with a seal

Choppy seawater, a seal’s head is sticking up from the waves

Martin Smith@martinrsmith· Jun 5

New official statistics just published on the UK's performance in Horizon Europe so far. The graph says it all. A familiar Brexit story - but with light at the end of the tunnel. Decline since the vote to leave in 2016. But the recovery journey has begun.

Graph of UK funding share in Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe - showing steep decline from 2016 and an uptick in 2024

Martin Smith@martinrsmith· Mar 31

Mood

A small Southern Rail sticker over a scanner at a ticket gate. Text reads simply “Sorry, I am broken”

Martin Smith@martinrsmith· Mar 25

Full text of Charles Walker’s pint of milk protest (25 March 2021) “At the end of the day it will be warm, and I can choose whether to drink it or pour it away, because it will be robbed of its refreshing elegance by the time it has been in my pocket for 12 hours”

Martin Smith@martinrsmith· Mar 25

Today in political history: 25 March is the five year anniversary of Charles Walker’s ‘pint of milk protest’ “For the next few days I am going to walk around London with a pint of milk on my person, because that pint will represent my protest”

Charles Walker MP, a white clean-shaved man with greying hair, standing in Central Lobby in a dark suit and tie, holding a pint of semi skimmed milk in one hand. He is speaking to an interviewer out of frame and making an important point, gesturing with his other hand

Martin Smith@martinrsmith· Mar 12

Excellent example of select committee scrutiny through an incisive follow-up letter on cuts to particle physics and astronomy at STFC. A great set of questions here after last week’s session. committees.parliament.uk/publications...

Martin Smith@martinrsmith· Feb 3

Cabinet Committees: Before and after Nov 2025, with closest equivalent now being Digital and Technology. Previous Committee was set up to 'consider matters related to science and tech, to drive the UK's economic growth and national security', with wide x-govt attendance.

Martin Smith@martinrsmith· Dec 10

🎉Measures of research environments are now going to play a bigger part in the REF. Improving research culture is the foundation of future excellence - everyone involved in research culture should be pleased with today's Announcement. Brace yourself for my SPRE acronym quip... #culture

Martin Smith@martinrsmith· Dec 3

AI accidentally manages to add another layer to this poem. A profound message for our times.

AI response to a google search for a poem called Wild Geese, with an error message that looks like part of the poem itself

You do not have to be good
You do not have to walk on your knees
Something went wrong with this response

Martin Smith@martinrsmith· Nov 16

Accurate AI summary of the entirety of Twitter

Screenshot of AI summary of Twitter notifications. Text says “Illegal migration; Government; Nigel Farage”

Martin Smith@martinrsmith· Nov 9

Players from Patcham Silver Band supporting the Salvation Army today in Brighton for Remembrance Sunday. Bram (in the SA hat) has played the Last Post here since 1967

Four brass band players dressed in smart dark clothes and wearing poppies, standing in a line. A sunny day at a war memorial. They are holding shiny silver brass instruments - two cornets, a flugelhorn and a euphonium

Martin Smith@martinrsmith· Nov 9

Fat toast for jam?

Martin Smith@martinrsmith· Sep 24

A strong statement from The Sainsbury Laboratory on what this all adds up to

Martin Smith@martinrsmith· Sep 24

Some fascinating details below the surface - university/insitute attempts to offer interest free loans to help researchers cover upfront visa costs and up being stymied (two different case studies in screenshots)

Martin Smith@martinrsmith· Sep 5

wellcome.org/news/wellcom...

Screenshot of John Arne quote available from link in tweet

Martin Smith@martinrsmith· Sep 3

‘The global partner of choice’ - will it catch on? From DSIT’s twitter feed, maybe that has now started… 🤞🏻

Screenshot of DSIT twitter feed - “A new Horizon campaign will position the UK as the partner of choice for researchers across the world”

Martin Smith@martinrsmith· Aug 31

This shit is Branäs B-R-A-N-Ä-S

Photo of ikea label - Branäs - a kind of basket.

Martin Smith@martinrsmith· Aug 18

Arrived at 1987’s best train station (large station category)

A plaque on a yellow brick wall commemorating Cambridge station winning the 1987 prize for best station

Martin Smith@martinrsmith· Jul 15

Strength in science can help the UK find its place in a changing world. Wellcome has published a new report on how the UK can be the global partner of choice for R&D, and why investing in science supports diplomacy and security as well as economic growth.

Martin Smith@martinrsmith· Jun 23

Some more info in the Industrial Strategy doc - the £54m Global Talent Fund is over 5 years and will support around 10 researchers and their teams. The taskforce will provide a 'conceirge service' to facilitate a 'smooth and soft landing'.

Focus on getting the world’s brightest minds to relocate to the UK, by: − Setting up a new Global Talent Taskforce, reporting to the Prime Minister’s Office and the Treasury. This will provide a concierge service for top talent, using our international network and UK diaspora to connect with elite individuals; facilitating a smooth and soft landing into the UK for them; and identifying improvements to our offer to make the UK the natural destination for them to come. − Improving our offer for top talent, with a £54 million Global Talent Fund to attract around 10 world-class researchers and their teams to the UK, covering relocation and research costs over five years, with funding starting this year; and new Turing AI ‘Global Fellowships’ specifically for overseas researchers, providing £25 million of multi-year funding for academics to build a team and conduct groundbreaking AI research at a UK institution.

Martin Smith@martinrsmith· Jun 23

Weekend announcement of a new ✨Global Talent Taskforce✨, reporting to the PM and Chancellor, to identify and approach top research talent and help people to relocate to the UK www.gov.uk/government/n...

Reporting directly to the Prime Minister and Chancellor, the Global Talent Taskforce will:

Facilitate support researchers, entrepreneurs, investors, top tier managerial and engineering talent and high-calibre creatives to relocate.
Work to identify and approach top talent to move to the UK.
Work closely with the UK’s international presence to network and build a pipeline of talent who want to come to Britain.

Martin Smith@martinrsmith· Jun 11

Tintin cartoon meme - ‘what a week, huh?’ - ‘Captain, it’s Wednesday’

Martin Smith@martinrsmith· Jun 11

It's Spending Review day! The Chancellor has announced £86bn for research over the next four years A big number, particularly in the economic context... ...but it also amounts to a reduction in ambition. Here's why 🎞

Martin Smith@martinrsmith· May 20

An honour to attend a Royal Garden Party today at Buckingham Palace - a brass band, tea and cake, and beautiful weather. Many thanks to DSIT for nominating me.

A photo of me - a white man in a dark suit and tie - and my wife - in a floral print dress with coral shoes and fascinator, in front of the back of Buckingham Palace, standing on the lawn in the sunshine. We are wearing sunglasses and other people are milling around behind us

Martin Smith@martinrsmith· May 14

Just another normal Wednesday at Wellcome… On the right here is Guido, the Chilean Blue Eagle who gently discourages pigeons from nesting on the building.

Photo of a white man with brown hair and a
beard, with a large eagle perched on a glove on his hand.

Martin Smith@martinrsmith· Apr 7

As announced by the Prime Minister this afternoon www.gov.uk/government/n...

Screenshot from Sky News of Keir Starmer speaking, dressed in a dark suit with a red tie, subtitles reads “A welcome partnership with Wellcome Trust”

Martin Smith@martinrsmith· Mar 27

Many happy memories

Me, standing on the roof of the Palace of Westminster on a chilly day - better known as the Houses of Parliament. In the background are ornate Victorian gothic-style towers and crenellations - a different view of a familiar iconic building

Martin Smith@martinrsmith· Mar 7

New Elsevier report on the performance of UK research. The UK is a hub for international collaboration: - More than half of UK research publications are with an international partner - 3x global average - These publications are more highly cited elsevier.shorthandstories.com/uk-research-...