UK’s research funding body says best scientists are taking posts overseas due to lack of job stability at home
Hundreds of early career researchers have warned the UK will lose a generation of scientists after the announcement of significant cuts to physics projects and research facilities.
Scientists working 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 back on how their research would fare with cuts up to 60%.
At the same time, the UK has shelved plans for four large infrastructure projects to save more than £250m. The projects include an upgrade to a detector on the Large Hadron Collider at Cern near Geneva, and an electron-ion collider under development with researchers in the US.
While the cost overruns are driven by facilities, the cuts are landing on physics grants as the science funding body UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) seeks to “do fewer things better” and prioritise applied research over more fundamental science.
