Astronomy and Geophysics, August 08, Vol 49, p 4.5, News

STFC programmatic review implementation

The Science and Technology Facilities Council has announced how it will implement the reduced programme available to scientists over the next three years. This assessment includes the results of a three-month consultation exercise but, overall, little has changed from the proposals that so enraged the astronomical community.

The STFC funding programme for the next three years includes support for `UK participation in major new astronomy projects such as the Square Kilometre Array radio telescope and the European Extremely Large Telescope, and in the provision of cutting-edge instrumentation such as the SCUBA 2 camera for the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope in Hawaii [and] searches for gravitational waves and a broad programme of space science and exploration'.

The Programmatic Review involved a detailed consultation overseen by STFC's Science Board and its advisory panels. Ten independent specialist panels assessed input from the wider scientific community during a consultation which received more than 1400 responses from the UK and abroad.

The decisions are much as expected, with little change as a result of the consultation that involved heroic efforts on the part of the panels. The fundamental problem remains funding, with the STFC standing out among the research councils in receiving an essentially flat cash budget. Even the `highlights' of the astronomy programme, such as the E-ELT and SKA will have to work with a 25% cut in provision. Widespread concern over the strategic effects of damage to e-MERLIN on the future of UK radio astronomy in general and the SKA in particular was acknowledged in an increase in research ranking to `give e-MERLIN the chance to prove itself'. STFC is negotiating with other funding bodies for extra support.

Partial support for Gemini will continue, with the sale of half of the UK's time on Gemini North, and support for UKIRT will continue until at least December, with the completion of the UKIDSS a priority. STFC support for UKIRT may then cease. UK support for - and time on - the Isaac Newton Group will decrease by half, with UK support after 2012 in question.

In space science, planned STFC support for ExoMars was cut by 25% and, despite the low priority given to BepiColumbo, the panel accepted that the UK is committed to providing the MIXS instrument. Integral will no longer be funded. Successful astrophysics theory and high-performance computing projects were recognized and there were hopes of some negotiated support for lower ranking projects. AstroGrid will no longer be supported. In astroparticle physics, Veritas will no longer be supported, but the panel `note that we are open to future proposals for participation in high-energy gamma-ray experiments, and any such proposals will be peer reviewed on their merits .. We would expect such proposals to build on the current HESS efforts and emphasize work towards the next generation of high-energy gamma-ray projects (such as CTA).'

In solarterrestrial physics, Hinode has benefited from a timely start to its operations, allowing results to be cited and, consequently, its priority has increased. Support for BiSON will stop, and the UK will withdraw from EISCAT in 2011. However, the specialist panel stressed that this did not, in fact, mean no further support for ground-based STP in the UK. The Astronomy Grants Panel was advised `that ground-based STP grants should be considered on their individual scientific merits'. And the panel encouraged `the community to pursue other sources of funds, including the cross-council Living with Environmental Change programme, and we will seek to play an enabling role in any such discussions'.

The overall tone of the presentation does come closer to acknowledging that this is not universally good news. New research areas are opening up, but our participation in them is less than researchers had been led to expect. The optimistic message is that grants should be available for excellent research, even in areas where facilities are not supported. However, anyone active in research knows that excellence is not enough to secure funding, and the squeeze on grants over the coming years will only make success here harder to achieve.