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Future of physics 'under threat' Future of physics 'under threat'
(2 days later)
Leading physicists have told the BBC that long-term research is suffering because of a shortage of funding. By Pallab Ghosh Science correspondent, BBC News A network of radio telescopes had been threatened by the cuts
They were responding to a government review which concluded that physics in Britain was "strong" and had an excellent international reputation. Leading scientists have said that physics research in the UK is suffering greatly because of a shortfall in funding.
They say a 25% cut in research grants is threatening the future of the field and has prompted many promising young physicists to leave. They made their comments to BBC News at a meeting to respond to a government review published last month which concluded that physics was strong and had an excellent reputation.
They also say many university physics departments are shrinking. At the meeting, the scientists said that a 25% cut in research grants was damaging the long-term future of research.
Some have had to halve in size because of a lack of money, the scientists say. They are concerned that university departments are having to cut back - with some having to halve in size.
Deficit And there are also worries that many young researchers are turning away from physics as a result of cutbacks.
The Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) is the main agency that channels taxpayers' money into physics and astronomy research in the UK. Late last year, it emerged that there was an estimated £80m shortfall in funding for physics research following the merger of two funding bodies to create the Science and Technologies Facilities Council.
Last year, it was forced to reassess its priorities when it found its government settlement over the next three years was £80m short of what it needed to meet planned commitments. Professor Brian Foster is a particle physicist at Oxford University. He says his own department had to find savings of £1.5m to cover grants that would no longer materialise.
"What we're suffering from is down-sizing - essentially getting rid of people that are funded by STFC. In my own department, we are having to half in size," he said.
Systems change
Professor Foster is also European director of the International Linear Collider, a giant machine that would follow on from the recently opened Large Hadron Collider at Cern.
The STFC withdrew from the ILC project earlier this year.
"The decision is a very retrograde one," Professor Foster said.
"We cannot afford not to be involved in the future of particle physics. Not to be involved in the future is clearly a death sentence in the not to distant future."
Professor Foster rejects claims that he is guilty of special pleading for his particular interests. A view supported by the president of the Institute of Physics, Professor Jocelyn Bell Burnell.
"Of course you can't fund everything, but as president of the Institute of Physics I'm taking an overview," she told BBC News.
Her concern is that spending allocations were made secretively, without proper consultation.
It resulted in a Comprehensive Spending Review in government that was not favourable to certain parts of science.
The institute is keen that in future the process is more transparent and that there is much better consultation with scientists working in the field.
"We see some changes in those directions but I've yet to be convinced that it's going to work well enough," said Professor Bell Burnell.
Professor Andy Fabian, president of the Royal Astronomical Society, said that grant cuts had led to young researchers leaving academia.
"We're all still reeling; it had its biggest impact on the young post-doctoral workers who've decided many of them to do something else and that kind of drop is going to take many years to recover from."
Future 'challenges'
In October, Professor Bill Wakeham, of Southampton University, carried out a review of the status, funding, university provision, school education, careers and skill-supply of physics in Britain.In October, Professor Bill Wakeham, of Southampton University, carried out a review of the status, funding, university provision, school education, careers and skill-supply of physics in Britain.
Overall, his findings were positive, but his report concluded that some "important challenges" had to be addressed. Overall, his review findings were positive, but his report concluded that some "important challenges" had to be addressed.
It recognised the considerable increase in science funding over recent years - rising from £1.776bn in 2001/02 to £3.235bn in 2006/07. The review recognised the considerable increase in science funding over recent years - rising from £1.776bn in 2001/02 to £3.235bn in 2006/07.
But it said that physics' share of this extra money was not as great as some areas because the government had made a strategic choice to push research funds towards health, the environment and energy.But it said that physics' share of this extra money was not as great as some areas because the government had made a strategic choice to push research funds towards health, the environment and energy.
Areas that have lost money are those deemed to be a low priority.
They include support for the Integral space telescope and the Veritas observatory which were designed to hunt for phenomena like black holes.
A planned upgrade to the array of radio telescopes centred on Jodrell Bank in Cheshire was also under threat. The STFC has since confirmed that it will still receive some funding, but will need to find additional money elsewhere.
A spokesman for the Department of Innovation, Universities and Skills said: "Public funding for science is now at its highest level ever and will increase from £3.4bn per year this year to almost £4bn by 2011.A spokesman for the Department of Innovation, Universities and Skills said: "Public funding for science is now at its highest level ever and will increase from £3.4bn per year this year to almost £4bn by 2011.
"While detailed funding decisions are rightly a matter for individual research councils, over the past five years public funding for physics has increased from £460 to £616m.""While detailed funding decisions are rightly a matter for individual research councils, over the past five years public funding for physics has increased from £460 to £616m."