Coronavirus developments at a glance—25 March

France goes big on Covid-19 funding, as UK universities reel from multiple blows

Europe
In France, the government has said it will up its research budget by €5 billion over the coming decade, and immediately contribute €50 million to an emergency fund in the hope of developing a vaccine for Covid-19. French president Emmanuel Macron said on Twitter that long-term support of research was vital for society, and claimed the boost was the largest since the second world war.

UK
In the lead story from this week’s Research Fortnight, our team reports that research is being put on hold across the UK as universities and funders transition to remote working amid the coronavirus pandemic. Cornerstones of academic life such as teaching and grant applications face postponement or even abandonment as the Research Excellence Framework that has dominated British academia for years is delayed.