More than 500 early career researchers have warned that the UK risks losing a generation of scientists after significant cuts to physics projects and research facilities. Scientists in particle physics, astronomy and nuclear physics have been told their grants will be cut by nearly a third, with project leaders asked to report on how their research would fare with cuts up to 60%.
The UK has also shelved plans for four large infrastructure projects to save over £250m, including an upgrade to a detector on the Large Hadron Collider at Cern and an electron-ion collider in the US. The cuts are driven by cost overruns at facilities, with UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) seeking to prioritise applied research over fundamental science.
In an open letter to UKRI chief executive Prof Ian Chapman, researchers warned that the combination of uncertainty, delay and re-prioritisation in early career pathways risks losing a generation from the UK research ecosystem. Dr Simon Williams, a 29-year-old postdoc at Durham University, said he is likely to take a position in Germany due to more stable opportunities abroad.
The Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) needs to make £162m in savings by 2030 after rising electricity costs and foreign exchange rates. Dr Claire Rigouzzo, a researcher at King’s College London, has accepted a post in Europe, noting that morale is extremely low. Prof Catherine Heymans, Scotland’s astronomer royal, said the timing of cuts is worst as new telescopes start delivering data.
Prof Mike Lockwood, president of the Royal Astronomical Society, urged government intervention to prevent a catastrophe. Chapman defended the moves, saying that without choices, everything becomes underfunded and uncompetitive.
