A striking disconnect emerged this week over the STFC funding crisis. 🧪🔭
#UKRI framed the problem as a budget constraint, while ministers, Lords and MPs stressed protecting curiosity-driven research.
Full narrative: lheurtier.github.io/STFCcuts.html
Some thoughts after two parliamentary committee hearings
lifeandphysics.com/2026/03/08/s...
#LifeAndPhysics
As the most volatile part of the research pipeline, early-career researchers absorb the brunt of any funding uncertainty.
It’s extremely encouraging to see the Science, Innovation and Technology Committee taking this so seriously and pressing #STFC on the consequences of the new funding framework.
At yesterday's Science, Innovation and Technology Committee, I pressed Prof Michele Dougherty STFC Executive Chair to explain how the £162m financial shortfall threatening our physics, astronomy, and nuclear research base had come about and why early career researchers were paying for it.
A brilliant piece summarising yesterday’s Science, Innovation and Technology Committee hearing on the proposed #STFC cuts.
The risks to early-career researchers and the UK research pipeline are very real.
Honoured to have represented the ECR community and give evidence at the hearing.
After a long day in Parliament, it’s nice to come back Durham
Dr Simon Williams did a great job today at representing UK postdocs and PhD students in particle physics, astronomy and nuclear physics in front of the Science, Innovation, and Technology select committee.
We are all looking forward to what's coming next! 🧪🔭
Cern project cut ‘weakens’ UK global standing, says STFC leader
Michele Dougherty grilled by MPs on “catastrophic” impact of cuts on early career physicists
www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-r...
Today @astroroyalscot.bsky.social @jonbutterworth.bsky.social and I gave evidence to the Science & Technology Committee on the proposed #STFC cuts.
Chaired by @chionwurah.bsky.social the committee were clearly well briefed and asked strong questions of Prof Michele Dougherty. An excellent summary:
Rows of people wearing orange lanyards in a House of Commons committee hearing. At the front is Catherine sporting her "I'm about to perform an appendectomy" mask and looking particularly snazzy.
Here is my run-down of today's Science, Information & Technology Committee hearing (House of Commons) where @jonbutterworth.bsky.social @si-wills.bsky.social & I argued for no funding cuts, & Prof. Michele Doughtery explained why they were needed. The public gallery again packed with physicists 🔭👩🔬⚛️
Tomorrow I will be presenting evidence at the Science, Innovation and Technology Committee about the impact of UKRI’s funding framework alongside @astroroyalscot.bsky.social and @jonbutterworth.bsky.social representing ECRs in PPAN. You can view live here:
"Planned cuts to physics and astronomy funding threaten to undermine a core UK government strategy to harness innovation to boost economic growth, leading researchers have warned ministers."
Thanks @financialtimes.com for covering this really important story
🗞️: www.ft.com/content/a235...
📢 @astroroyalscot.bsky.social, Prof. Jon Butterworth, & our rep for Early-Career Researchers, Simon Williams @si-wills.bsky.social will meet the SITC Committee next week to talk about the STFC funding!
Let's all attend the hearing in person and online!🙎💻
committees.parliament.uk/event/26683/...
I'm concerned that this issue is now getting left behind by the news cycle, and STFC/UKRI will be able to grit their teeth and do nothing more to address it than promise "better communication". It needs to be kept very prominent and embarrassing for ministers or nothing will happen
For many theoretical physics groups, there will be no standard STFC-funded postdoctoral recruitment this year.
That represents the loss of an entire cohort from the UK system.
Theory is only one example, this will affect the whole of PPAN.
@profbriancox.bsky.social would value your voice on this
@fryrsquared.bsky.social @alastaircampbell2.bsky.social
Whether politics and science are incompatible feels very relevant to this.
When funding structures disproportionately affect early-career researchers, the consequences aren’t abstract, they shape long-term national capability.
Science is under threat in the UK. Over 1,000 early-career researchers have signed our letter to UKRI outlining the catastrophic effects of the new funding framework:
ecr-openletter-stfc.github.io
Happy to discuss further. Would value TRIP’s attention on this.
@alastaircampbell2.bsky.social this is about long-term national capability.
The UK risks losing highly trained young scientists at the very point it has already invested most heavily in them.
A strategic issue that may be worth discussing on @therestpolitics.bsky.social
Over 1,000 early-career researchers have now signed our open letter to UKRI on the proposed STFC funding changes
Planned cuts will fall directly on postdoctoral and early-career recruitment, hollowing out the pipeline of young scientists and damaging long-term UK scientific capability
#saveSTFC
📣"RAS Fellows urged to lobby against unprecedented cuts" 📣
🔭The @royalastrosoc.bsky.social is calling on its members to help force the Government to reconsider its proposed cuts to astronomy and space science.🧪⚗️🚀🛸🛰️🌌
#stfc #ukri #saveSTFC
Read and share: www.ras.ac.uk/news-and-pre...
On the difficult situation of young UK researchers 🧪🔭
Thanks @fionamcintyre.bsky.social and @isaacbarbosa1.bsky.social for the interview & excellent article.
#stfc #ukri #saveSTFC @ukri.org
UKRI funding changes ‘pushing junior researchers abroad’ www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-r...
I'm a Dr in physics, but in the UK...
📣Many researchers are facing the same reality: contracts ending, careers cut short, talent lost. 👥📉
UKRI needs to change course — now. 🧪🔭⚗️
If you’re affected, post your own photo and share this message. Visibility matters.
#stfc #ukri #saveSTFC
🎙️Our ECR open letter now has a sibling: an open letter from advanced fellows!👥📣
ECRs: ecr-openletter-stfc.github.io/index.html
Adv. Fellows: advancedfellows-openletter-stfc.github.io/index.html
Together, we hope UKRI and the government will hear the many voices across the PPAN community. 🔭🧪📡⚗️
The president of the Royal Astronomical Society urged the government to prevent a “catastrophe” in science. “You lose a whole generation,” he said. “As a nation, we can’t afford for that to happen.”
www.theguardian.com/science/2026...
🔭🛰️🧪⚛️🎢
Thank you for sharing the letter and helping it gain traction! We are very encouraged by the response so far. We have also had an article in the Guardian today:
www.theguardian.com/science/2026...
Thank you for sharing the letter and helping it gain traction! We are very encouraged by the response so far. We have also had an article in the Guardian today:
www.theguardian.com/science/2026...
Article in the @theguardian.com this afternoon:
"UK 'could lose generation of scientists' with cuts to projects and research facilities"
Highlighting the open letter from ECRs to UKRI in response to the new funding framework for STFC
#STFC #UKRI
Our open letter is gaining weight!
Current status: 628 signatures from ECR working in the UK
Young people can't pay the price of "outcome-driven strategies". #stfc #ukri @ukri.org @iop.org
ecr-openletter-stfc.github.io
If you are a postdoc or PhD, read and sign! 🧬🔭🔬⚗️🧪📡🛰️
Early-career researchers are rightly worried about the road ahead, and have drafted an open letter to UKRI & #STFC, calling for a "strategic correction" to avoid irreversible loss of curiosity-driven UK research - an essential part of future discoveries, tech, & growth. bsky.app/profile/si-w...
Thanks for the article! The early-career researchers in Particle Physics, Astronomy and Nuclear Physics (PPAN) have drafted a letter to UKRI, which can be found here in the link. We can't let this funding crisis remove a generation of young scientists from the UK system
