STFC response to article in The Times (21st June 2008)

Radiotelescope at
Jodrell Bank
Credit: The University of Manchester

Saturday’s Times contained an article (link opens in a new window) and Leader (link opens in a new window) about the future of Jodrell Bank that misrepresented the programmatic review consultation process and its recommendations to STFC Council.

To prevent this false information from spreading and to avoid unnecessary alarm, we would like to clarify the following points:

• It is completely untrue to say that the Science and Technology Facilities Council has ignored the advice of the independent panels we commissioned in relation to our investment programme including Jodrell Bank or to say there will be “a second wave of cuts”. The programme STFC Council finalises will be affordable for the duration of the spending review period.
  
  
• The recommendations of the panels were scrutinised very carefully by the relevant standing peer review bodies. In the case of e-Merlin, PPAN – the Science Committee for Particle Physics, Astronomy and Nuclear Physics - recommended that the project be raised to a higher priority, in accord with the independent panel’s advice. STFC Council had already noted the strategic importance of e-Merlin at its meeting in February.
  
  
• The final STFC funding programme will be announced on July 8th, after our Council has met and approved the plans, but we are exploring with the University of Manchester and other stakeholders how best to finance the operation of eMerlin at Jodrell Bank.
  
  
• Despite the picture painted in the Times leader, UK astronomy is world-leading. To keep it that way, STFC is investing in the exploitation of productive facilities now, such as the Scuba-2 camera being commissioned this year on the James Clerk Maxwell telescope, and a strong role for the UK in upcoming international projects. An excellent example is the Square Kilometre Array radio telescope, for which the UK is coordinating the preparatory phase – with the work being led from Jodrell Bank.

Contact

Julia Maddock
STFC Press Office
Tel: + 44 (0)1793 442094