Professor Brian Cox, the TV scientist and University of Manchester physicist, has described severe cuts to UK particle theory research funding as the 'destruction of the future'. The Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) has slashed grants by nearly 70% for the period 2026 to 2030, meaning fewer than 20 postdoctoral researchers per year will be employed in the field across the country.
Cox said the impact was 'unquantifiable', noting that the work underpins advances in quantum computing and medical imaging. The University of Manchester, where Ernest Rutherford discovered the proton, has seen its particle theory grants cut by 90%. Professor Jeff Forshaw, also at Manchester, called the cuts 'annihilating' and 'an act of wanton self-sabotage', warning they attack the pipeline of talent that inspires young people into physics.
Despite an overall science budget uplift, UK Research and Innovation has shelved four major infrastructure projects to save £280m, while the STFC seeks £162m of further savings by 2030. Costs have risen at national facilities and subscriptions to international projects like CERN due to inflation and exchange rates. In January, researchers were told to expect 30% cuts, with models up to 60%.
Professor David Waters at University College London said the university is set to lose STFC postdoc funding for theoretical particle physics for the first time in two decades. He called for a pause on decisions and restoration of 2025 funding levels. Over 600 international researchers, including physicist Ed Witten, have signed an open letter in support, with Witten warning the UK not to follow the US path of major science cuts.
A senior physicist at a prestigious university said some colleagues have already secured positions abroad, adding: 'Unless these cuts are reversed, it’s difficult to see how we can recover. Jobs will be lost, and physics departments will close.' The STFC said support for relevant training and skills is set to rise, but its budget faces 'particular pressures'.
