News: Academic Publishing Weekly

Congress says no to research cuts, McGraw Hill welcomes new CEO, and "hot takes" for 2026

Posted on January 9, 2026 in News

It’s Hot Take Time

Year endings and beginnings always inspire wrap-ups and hot takes on past and upcoming trends. This week The Scholarly Kitchen took the opportunity to cast a wider net than usual and look back at the last 25 years of scholarly publishing. Or, as they put it, the first quarter of the 21st Century. From digital content distribution to open access to content discovery, and even some prognosticating, Todd Carpenter, Executive Director of the National Information Standards Organization (NISO), shares his thoughts on the biggest milestones in scholarly publishing. Here at Choice, we couldn’t resist our own wrapping up. In case you missed them, here are lists of some of our best content from 2025 at The Authority File podcast (staff picks and most-listened-to), LibTech Insights, and Toward Inclusive Excellence.

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Congress, Your Spine Is Showing

Congress lately has been showing signs of, dare we say it, bipartisanship and a willingness to reign in the administration’s slash-and-burn approach to any number of policies, laws, and institutions. This time, it’s three key science agencies. Science reports that legislators have struck a deal to continue funding for the National Science Foundation, NASA, and the Department of Energy. The appropriations bills negotiated by Senators and House members are dramatic rollbacks of President Trump’s intended cuts. The NSF’s budget will shrink by 3.4% instead of 55%. NASA will receive a 1% cut instead of Trump’s preferred 47%. And the budget for the DOE’s Office of Science will actually increase by almost 2%. While those three appropriations bills will be rolled up into a “minibus”, notes Science, lawmakers will turn their attention to other agencies such as the Department of Defense and the Department of Health and Human Services.

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McGraw Hill, Inc. Says Yes to AI with New CEO

McGraw Hill laid out its “CEO succession plan” with Philip Moyer becoming President and CEO starting in early February. Moyer follows Simon Allen, who has led the company since late 2019 and will stay on as Chair of the Company’s Board of Directors “to ensure a smooth transition and help steer the Company’s long-term growth strategies.” Moyer’s previous roles include leading Google’s Generative AI strategy at Alphabet and  “launch[ing] an AI-first video strategy” as CEO of Vimeo. AI is clearly top of mind for Moyer (and McGraw Hill) as he stated, “McGraw Hill’s trusted brand…creates a unique opportunity to harness AI to deliver personalized learning experiences. I look forward to working with Simon and the entire team at McGraw Hill to build on this strong foundation and continue using advanced technology to shape the future of education.”

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PeerJ Expands and AI’s Impact on Translational Research

First up, Taylor & Francis’s PeerJ is expanding its scope to “[offer] authors a more streamlined publishing experience, enhanced visibility of their work and new opportunities for cross-disciplinary collaboration.” With the expansion, the multidisciplinary journal will accept submissions in “Chemistry, Materials Science and some fields of Engineering.” PeerJ plans to include Mathematics, Physical Sciences, and Engineering subjects later in 2026, in addition to updates to its website. Speaking of T&F, the publisher and the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) released Using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to Advance Translational Research. According to a range of stakeholder discussions and case studies, the report finds that AI can strengthen translational research, though “will require careful implementation, appropriate governance and sustained investment.” The report outlines key findings and offers recommendations to those in the research lifecycle.

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Previewing New Reads in 2026

You thought you escaped the book lists from 2025? Think again! Literary Hub shared its “Most Anticipated Books of 2026.” A mix of nonfiction and fiction, the list features several university press titles, including The Traitor by Kōbō Abe, translated by Mark Gibeau, from Columbia University Press and Thomas Dekeyser’s Techno-Negative: A Long History of Refusing the Machine from University of Minnesota Press, among others. Even if you add nothing to your TBR, it’s still a treat to look at these covers. Happy reading (or scrolling)!

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