STFC’s Science Board held its most recent business meeting on 19th-20th October 2009 at Polaris House in Swindon. Science Board’s main business concerned its ongoing work in prioritising future science and technology opportunities and the consultation process that has been put in place to prioritise STFC’s programme for 2010/11 and beyond.
Science Board received reports from the chair of PPAN and chair of PALS.
PPAN met on 28th-29th September 2009 and PALS met on 15th-16th September 2009, both in Swindon. Both committees reported on the prioritisation process they had been carrying out, using the decision making criteria they had further developed following the STFC strategy consultation. To enable PPAN and PALS to start prioritising the STFC programme, both committees received completed proformas from each project/facility under consideration and also took into account advice provided by the advisory panels.
PPAN received advice from the Particle Physics Advisory Panel (PPAP), Particle Astrophysics Advisory Panel (PAAP), Nuclear Physics Advisory Panel (NPAP), Far Universe Advisory Panel (FUAP) and Near Universe Advisory Panel (NUAP). PPAN also took advice from the draft report of the Ground-Based Facilities Review. PALS received advice from the Neutron Advisory Panel (NAP) and the Photon Advisory Panel (PAP). PPAN and PALS were grateful to the advisory panels for their hard work and effort in preparing their advice and noted the useful input provided by the community to each of the panels.
Science Board reviewed the current balance of STFC’s programme and the budget situation. They developed strategic advice for PPAN and PALS to use when continuing the prioritisation process at their next meetings. Both committees will report back to Science Board at their December meeting, after which Science Board will provide advice to Council on STFC’s programme.
The next meeting of PPAN is scheduled for 30th November – 1st December 2009.
The next meeting of PALS is scheduled for 23rd-24th November 2009.
The next meeting of Science Board is scheduled for 7th-8th December 2009.
Page last updated: 28 October 2009
by Julia Maddock
