We all worked for the lab at the university.
It was a very successful lab. It was run on big grants obtained by our highly-cited PI. We made many important contributions to medical research for over 25 years. We had many influential publications in high impact journals.
The lab was shut.
There was a quarrel between Professors. Our PI was ousted by the Head of Department. The lab was shut.
There were 25 people employed on the grants; 3 senior research associates, 10 research associates, 6 research assistants and 6 graduate students
This is the story of what happened to us. It’s a story of damage.
The 10 research associates and 6 research assistants all had fixed-term contracts. Their contracts were not renewed. They all left without any redundancy pay. Some found jobs at other labs, some had to leave research altogether.
The entire experience has caused me personal distress. It prevented me from publishing my work, which has restricted future academic opportunities. As a result, I’ve had to relocate and now commute, reducing time I spend with my family and my children, who are settled in school. I’ve lost faith in the university due to the hostile manner in which this process has been handled, as well as the lack of care for its staff. I would never consider working there again, nor would I recommend it to anyone I know
There were 3 graduate students who were near the end of their PhDs. Two were OK, one had PhD corrections that needed access to lab data, which was refused by the Head of Department. We had to get a dispensation from the examiner.
There were 3 graduate students near the beginning of their PhDs. They suffered badly. One had to change project completely. Others suffered from sporadic supervision and disrupted projects, inevitable with the lab closure
Many research projects proposed by my supervisor have been unable to proceed. During this period, many members of the lab have left, and no new members joined, resulting in few opportunities for collaboration. I have only one high-risk research project, which requires two years of work with no guarantee of a positive outcome until the later stages. With limited research opportunities and the stress of a single high-risk project, I have experienced chronic stress, increased anxiety, and a persistently low mood, driven by concerns about the impact of reduced research output on my career and graduation prospects. This has contributed to burnout, including exhaustion and growing cynicism towards my research
The 3 senior research staff had ‘open ended (subject to funding)’ contracts. The university had to give us redundancy pay. Even then, they used a trick to reduce the money. Two of us had worked at labs now part of the university, but not then. They denied that those years counted, saving our wealthy university a few thousand pounds
The distressing reality is that I have lost the once vibrant enthusiasm I used to possess for academic research. Previously, I eagerly looked forward to entering the laboratory, engaging in my research, and mentoring junior colleagues. However, now I find myself struggling to even formulate a coherent experimental plan due to a lack of focus, and my ability to mentor students has been severely hindered by a profound loss of interest and patience. The destructive aftermath of these events has left me with an overwhelming sense of distrust towards others, greatly impeding my ability to engage in research collaborations. Consequently, my career, which used to boast an average of five publications per year, has plummeted to almost zero publications this year, resulting in significant setbacks. I expressed my profound distress at what has been done to me. It unfortunately did not elicit any human response from the HR departments of the university.
It’s a grim tale of the effects of precarity and lack of duty of care in modern research.
Universities take the benefits but completely absolve themselves of the risk of employing researchers longer than the project grants with which they are associated. Universities won’t update the fixed-term contract system — or even ameliorate its worst features — despite simultaneously and insincerely insisting on their commitment to anti-bullying, diversity and inclusion.
It’s a tale of a pitilessness and dishonesty.
28 Comments
Feste · 19 January 2025 at 22:55
This is a very sad story, I do hope the students and postdocs are able to recover and move forward with their lives.
It is the hypocrisy that is so shocking,. Their actions contradict everything a university is meant to stand for.
sholto david · 20 January 2025 at 19:02
“As a result, I’ve had to relocate and now commute…” – Devastating indeed. Perhaps shooting really would have been kinder.
“Consequently, my career, which used to boast an average of five publications per year, has plummeted to almost zero publications this year” – Almost zero publications… one?
The blog post seems to use hyperbolic language and is thin on details. Seems like several people moved from a greatly pampered position to a normal one. Loss of status is painful, but probably best not to whinge about it.
21percent.org · 20 January 2025 at 21:19
“As a result, I’ve had to relocate and now commute…”
Early career researchers often face a choice between progressing their career and family commitments. This affects males, but is most detrimental to women. We should be taking this seriously.
“The blog post … is thin on details”
Agreed, some aspects of this matter are the subject of legal action. We expect everything will become public over the course of the next year or two. The 21 Group wanted to write about the powerless, those who get hurt or made unemployed when the powerful argue.
“Seems like several people moved from a greatly pampered position to a normal one.”
No. Several people moved from a normal postdoctoral position to unemployment.
We admire your work on scientific image manipulation reported here
We see a strong connection between research misconduct and shabby treatment of early career researchers. An institute that does not treat young researchers well is also an institute in which misconduct or fraud can flourish. For example, Prof Ranga Dias was guilty of data fabrication in room temperature superconductivity and of mistreatment of his graduate students & postdocs
Science suffers if we fail to preserve integrity, both with regard to data and with regard to people. We need to have high standards for both
Eileen Nugent · 21 January 2025 at 14:09
In rare cases it is not the loss of status that has the most significant impact. Individuals can have an emotional attachment to their work that gives them an edge in solving problems e.g. Jim Allison had this in Cancer research. These individuals can also have a very accurate sense of right and wrong which allows them to both produce accurate work and to sense injustice. Then it can be the loss of meaning and the injustice of a situation that has the most impact on the individual as in the case of Professor Stefan Grimm Imperial College. Individuals in that position are not whinging when they do eventually speak out, they are recognising a legal obligation to raise concerns on that is owed to other individuals. It is inaccurate to assume that every individual in a high performing organisation has it easy as it has to be the case that a subset of individuals within any high performing organisation are the source of high organisational performance. To be in such a position within an organisation can carry significant individual risk. If the organisation comes under significant external pressure and doesn’t distribute that pressure evenly across the organisation internally individuals can be left in positions that carry significant risk. The individual then experiences situational organisation risk that is independent of individual performance.
Eileen Nugent · 21 January 2025 at 14:58
There is something to be gained from not raising any concerns about any organisational situation because it allows us to maximise our individual effort to find solutions to the problems we face. There is something to be gained from individuals raising concerns in relation to an organisational situation because it allows the organisation to maximise its effort to find solutions to the problems it faces. In any high risk organisational situation individuals must exert their maximum effort to find solutions to the problems they face and the organisation must also exert its maximum effort to find solutions to the problem it faces. That is the reality of these high risk organisational situations.
Cuchilloslargos · 22 January 2025 at 10:46
This is exactly the situation of our team at Cambridge. We had a PI who was bullied by his head of department and very systematically forced us out i.e. rescinded successful grant awards, terminated independent scholarships, removed office space and website profiles showing our affiliation to Cambridge. One person had actually left a tenured academic position at another university to take up a research contract in our team, then left academia as a consequence. We also had a single mother who depended on income support from the project. They erased all that we had accomplished and as early career researchers we had no means to resist.
21percent.org · 22 January 2025 at 11:57
If you are able & willing to share more details (in confidence) on this case, we’d like to hear — please use contact@21percent.org
As other individuals have posted, this has happened to a number of other research groups.
aggrieved · 4 February 2025 at 02:53
I was a member of this lab, which endured four years of intense investigation due to baseless and malicious allegations. When exoneration finally arrived, it was under strict confidentiality, preventing us from disclosing details due to ongoing legal proceedings.
Our lab was highly successful, producing numerous high-impact publications—achievements that resulted from relentless dedication, often working late nights, weekends, and beyond. We never pursued this work for financial gain, as academia offers little in monetary reward, but rather out of sheer passion for discovery.
Losing our positions over unfounded accusations has been profoundly disheartening. However, we are NOT whinging the loss of so-called “pampered” roles. Instead, we are sharing our experience to shed light on the challenges we have faced.
Maria · 21 January 2025 at 10:28
Was this the lab that left the UK for the United States last year or another case that is still yet to be resolved? (Not a problem however if you are unable to say due to ongoing legal actions, which is why I am keeping the wording of this comment deliberately vague)
21percent.org · 21 January 2025 at 13:02
We know the case you mean & we will discuss it shortly.
It is a different lab, but the SAME university.
Spartacus · 21 January 2025 at 14:15
Is this Ca … I mean … Calamity University?
Management is all about control, intimidation is widespread, leaders don’t listen and staff are frightened to speak up, failures are buried, VC has record pay award, everyone knows the university is on the wrong track but no-one can change its direction, good news abounds on university controlled websites.
Are they trying to set a record for the most toxic and unhealthy culture in academia?
Chandi · 21 January 2025 at 16:58
What is nuts is that these are not the only two instances. I personally am familiar with at least five cases of research groups at the uni that were randomly shut down in the last few years – even though they had funding to continue. It is crazy.
Spartacus · 21 January 2025 at 18:48
I guess — at the top — there are double agents working for Oxford & Princeton & Harvard & Yale to bring the place to its knees
Curious Interest · 24 January 2025 at 13:46
Was about to post a comment to say not to be so cautious – every one in our field knows this case, as it was widely discussed on chat, social media, web page indirect mentions. But after a quick google search it now seems only a few of these remain, there was obviously a systematic attempt of cover up.
Carol · 26 January 2025 at 12:17
This is part that makes me spitting furious. We may have slipped in other areas but this was a field in which we could still claim to be a world-leading university, centre of an innovation ecosystem.
The Einsteins running the show around here thought that they could just settle on the day of court after years of dragging it out.
But by then, everyone from Stanford to Strathclyde to Singapore knew what a disaster we were.
DaveW · 26 January 2025 at 13:35
Agreed.
In my subject, there has been a huge scandal known to most of the UK and international academic community.
The policy of denying everything, dragging everything out for years and then settling on the day of the tribunal maximises the damage to the department and the university.
Needs major changes of personnel at the top of the unrestrained Human Resources & Legal departments at the university
Silop · 27 January 2025 at 10:41
Can confirm: We now explicitly warn job candidates against applying for jobs there, and others do so too.
The river's all wet · 27 January 2025 at 19:13
I think it’s inevitable that HR undergo reform. Good, because essential for university survival and public image and they can’t go on the way they have hurting people and using those tactics. Howling mad in a democracy.
🐺 Ahh-wooooooo !
MacD · 30 January 2025 at 16:19
Oh yes that is right entirely the fault of HR and legal
not at all the fault of petty senior professors ignoring repeated advisories and warnings / distorting and manipulating records / promoting old friends / engaged in stupid factional battles / lying from the start
DaveW · 30 January 2025 at 18:44
MacD
It is truly a wonder how HR can turn the mildest of problems into full-scale tragedy for all
Anon · 31 January 2025 at 17:41
MacD, no doubt. They’re the other big player in this.
Anon · 23 January 2025 at 20:51
To whom it may concern,
F*** you and your HR Einsatzgruppen. You haven’t just violated PIDA countless times, but also the Computer Misuse Act (1990) repeatedly, several data protection and privacy laws, employment laws, and several national and international human rights laws to boot. Well done.
You are not providers or facilitators of education; you are now criminals by law and, therefore, liable for criminal prosecution, which is why you are so damn terrified—and it shows. Your cowardice, fear, and desperation are palpable, yet you keep showing it through retaliation instead of simply accepting that you screwed up and making amends, which would have solved all of this.
It doesn’t matter what heinous things you do to us; there will be blowback, and you are not going to come out of this alive as a business (which shouldn’t even be part of the picture when it comes to education anyway) or an institution—something you already know intuitively.
You can go and line me up against the wall with the other person affected; I stand with them and I’ll face the protectionist firing squad with them.
Worst regards,
Anon
TigerWhoCametoET · 24 January 2025 at 07:54
Anon: whoever you are, we all feel the same anger, and together will deliver change in the end.
Anon · 25 January 2025 at 16:31
Tiger: Whoever you are, Godspeed, and my solidarity.
21percent.org · 24 January 2025 at 08:47
The 21 Group is aware of some of the background to this case, which involves bullying, victimization and harassment at a UK university of the most serious nature
We hope to expose the university department at the centre of this matter in due course
Julicious · 24 January 2025 at 09:25
For anything criminal, you should go to the police. Any individual aware of a crime is required to report it. For civil infractions a solicitor, citizens advice and your union should be informed though I am assuming you already have?
senseless and scentless · 26 January 2025 at 08:45
people already tried all of these things. it did not make a difference. the system failed. this is all that is left.
Anonymous · 27 January 2025 at 08:14
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