purpletigron (
purpletigron) wrote2009-12-28 11:07 am
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UK science funding crisis
The UK is currently facing a major science funding crisis, far worse than many of our 'economic competitors'. Fundamental physics is being particularly badly hit.
I have just written to my MP to protest in detail.
These blogs, written by UK professional scientists, give a lot more background:
http://pacrowther.staff.shef.ac.uk/stfc.html
http://telescoper.wordpress.com
http://andyxl.wordpress.com
If you are unimpressed, and you have a UK MP, you might consider writing to them: http://www.writetothem.com/
I have just written to my MP to protest in detail.
These blogs, written by UK professional scientists, give a lot more background:
http://pacrowther.staff.shef.ac.uk/stfc.html
http://telescoper.wordpress.com
http://andyxl.wordpress.com
If you are unimpressed, and you have a UK MP, you might consider writing to them: http://www.writetothem.com/
no subject
I'll be making the point that since he has two universities in his constituency, voting for massive cuts in higher education and science would be actively detrimental to the people he's supposed to be representing, and that he might want to think about that carefully with a general election coming up soon.
I'd be interested to know what you wrote, if you're willing to post a precis.
Written as a former astrophysicist ...
The 2008 allocation to STFC, which Lord Drayson presents as a 13.6% increase was not in 'spendable money'. The 'Near-Cash Increase' was well below inflation.
Other CERN, ESA, ESO etc. members do not pay for their subscriptions to these international projects from their national science budget. Their science budgets are thus protected e.g. from currency fluctuations.
UK science, particularly fundamental physics, is being faced with unsustainable cuts which will seriously damage not only research, but recruitment of young people into science. There is a double blow because our economic competitors such as the USA are boosting science funding to help stimulate their economies. The funding proposals from the Government essentially sells off the future of UK fundamental physics to pay for their current economic failures.