Hundreds of early career researchers have warned the UK risks losing a generation of scientists following significant cuts to physics projects and research facilities. Scientists in particle physics, astronomy, and nuclear physics have been told to expect grant cuts of nearly a third, with project leaders asked to report on how their research would fare with potential reductions of up to 60%.
UK Physics Funding Faces Deep Cuts
The UK has also shelved plans for four large infrastructure projects to save more than £250m, including an upgrade to a detector on the Large Hadron Collider at Cern near Geneva, and an electron-ion collider being developed with US researchers.
UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) is seeking to “do fewer things better” and prioritize applied research over fundamental science, driving the cost overruns and subsequent cuts.
More than 500 researchers expressed their concerns in an open letter to Prof Ian Chapman, the chief executive of UKRI, stating that the “present combination of uncertainty, delay and re-prioritisation in early career pathways risks the loss of a generation from the UK research and industrial ecosystem.”
Dr. Simon Williams, a 29-year-old postdoc at Durham University studying quantum computing applications in theoretical physics, said the only realistic options available to him are overseas positions. “As things stand, it is increasingly likely that I will take up a position in Germany rather than remain in the UK. There are simply far more viable and stable opportunities abroad.”
Dr. Claire Rigouzzo, a 26-year-old researcher at King’s College London, has accepted a post in Europe after finding no suitable positions in the UK. She noted that early career scientists are facing one of the harshest job markets in years, with broader implications for the field. “Even students can sense that science is no longer a priority,” she added. “Morale is extremely low across the board.”
UKRI has nearly £9bn to distribute through research councils this year, covering physical sciences and engineering, biological sciences, and medical research. The Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), which funds physics research, is also responsible for major facilities like the Diamond Light Source in Oxfordshire.
The STFC needs to make £162m in savings by 2030 due to rising electricity costs at its national facilities and increased subscriptions to international projects such as Cern and the European Space Agency, compounded by foreign exchange rate fluctuations. The funder also committed to projects it can no longer afford.
Dr. Lucien Heurtier, 37, a researcher at King’s College London, is seeking jobs in China as his contract ends in September. “It is clear that no UK university will want to open lecturer positions in curiosity-driven research if such lecturers would not be able to attract much national funding,” he said. “My wife and daughter will have to follow.”
The cuts threaten the UK’s involvement in international projects like the Rubin Observatory in Chile, which is set to begin operations this year. The UK has invested heavily in the observatory but may lack the astronomers to utilize its data. “The timing of these proposed cuts, just as the telescopes start to deliver, could not be worse,” said Prof Catherine Heymans, Scotland’s astronomer royal.
Prof Mike Lockwood, the president of the Royal Astronomical Society, urged the government to intervene to prevent a “catastrophe” in science, warning that the loss of researchers could be irreversible. “You lose a whole generation,” he said. “The facilities side is overcommitted and it’s young researchers that are taking the brunt of that. As a nation, we can’t afford for that to happen.”
Prof Chapman defended the moves, stating that making choices is necessary to ensure international competitiveness. “When you make choices there will be some things that miss out, but when you don’t make choices, everybody misses out because you choke everybody and nothing then can be internationally competitive because it’s all underfunded,” he said.
Discover more from Archyworldys
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
