£65m for `cutting edge’ research centres at Daresbury campus
July 16, 2008 – 7:21 am£65m for `cutting edge’ research centres at Darebury campus in Liverpool Daily Post
Should the golden triangle get all the research cash? - Guardian
May 20, 2008 – 10:37 amScientists in the north-west are angry at losing out on funding to southern universities. Article in The Guardian
Massive press reaction to damning report
May 1, 2008 – 7:25 am- Science cuts ‘hit UK reputation’ in BBC Science News, including `There is a recognition that some things could have been done differently and that the programme could have been communicated differently to the scientific community. I think the issue now is actually moving on from that and the STFC showing over the next couple of months it has the ability to address the issues raised in the report.’ from John Denham MP
- MPs berate UK government and funding agency over research cuts in Chemistry World, UK science looks ‘incompetent’ after funding fiasco from New Scientist, plus Report slams UK’s leading physics funding agency in Physics World - According to Phil Willis MP `It is very rare and rather sad that an individual or organization comes under such strong criticism in a report like this - So serious is the damage that appears to have been done to STFC that committee members took nearly four hours to agree on the wording’
- Top physicist is urged to quit over failings, flaws and secrets in The Times, plus Commentary including `Four months ago Britain enjoyed a priceless reputation, earned over many decades, as a world leader in pure physics. Not any more… An ill-judged merger of two physics research councils last year has led to a series of disastrous decisions since then by the hybrid quango that this merger has produced…The damage done to physics in the country of Newton and Rutherford is not irreparable, but it will take swift action, at a high level, to reverse.’
- MPs report blames Government and a quango for science funding crisis in Telegraph
- MPs criticise handling of research funds in Guardian
- Other reports focus on regional issues.. Report slams observatory job cut threat in The Scotsman, Government has left Daresbury `hanging in balance’ warn MPs in Liverpool Daily Post, Jodrell decision slammed in Manchester Evening News
- UK physics chief next for the chop in funding bloodbath? in the Register and Facing the Black Hole comment in The Engineer
- UK government slammed for underfunding research in Nature
STFC initial statement on Select Committee report
May 1, 2008 – 7:20 amThe STFC have issued an initial response to the report.
Prospect and TUC reaction to Select Committee report
May 1, 2008 – 7:15 amScientists trade union, Prospect, have reacted to the publication of the select committee report.
The TUC have also reacted, mentioning their view on he funding crisis as part of their report on science and the economy, “Hybris cars and shooting stars”.
Select Committee Report released
May 1, 2008 – 7:07 amAnd it’s pretty damning. Peruse a copy in browseable html or PDF format. The oral and written evidence can be found in PDF here. The committee have also issued a press release (link courtesy particle physics campaign).
Almighty Pod to hold a million - The Sun
April 16, 2008 – 2:15 pmA breakthrough in technology could see the memory capacity of devices such as the iPod increase by 150,000 times - work done by Daresbury Lab and Glasgow University.
Covered in The Sun, The Telegraph and BBC News.
The driving force behind the effort to halt cuts to physics - Times Higher
April 15, 2008 – 1:08 pmThe Times Higher has an interview with Mark Lancaster - spokesperson of the particle physics campaign.
Paul Crowther and Keith Mason articles - BBC News
April 15, 2008 – 1:06 pmPair of BBC news articles addressing the crisis by…
Paul Crowther - spokesperson for the astronomy campaign and
Keith Mason - STFC Chief Executive.
BBC Newsnight - Black Hole in Funding
April 9, 2008 – 4:12 pmTonight on BBC2, Newsnight has an article about the crisis. The accompanying online article is here and has interviews with Brian Cox and Swapan Chattopadhyay.