Select committees Well, the fight to stop the decimation of particle, astro and nuclear physics continues. The House of Commons Science, Innovation and Technology select committee session I mentioned in the previous…

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 - Research Professional News Michele Dougherty grilled by MPs on “catastrophic” impact of cuts on early career physicists

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 🔭👩‍🔬⚛️

4 March 2026 - Science, Innovation and Technology Committee - Oral evidence session - Committees - UK Parliament 09:00 - The Wilson Room, Portcullis House

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:

Top academics warn UK physics cuts threaten effort to boost economy More than 50 heads of departments tell science minister that changes risk undermining crucial tech growth fields

"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...

4 March 2026 - Science, Innovation and Technology Committee - Oral evidence session - Committees - UK Parliament 09:00 - The Wilson Room, Portcullis House

📢 @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...

UKRI funding changes ‘pushing junior researchers abroad’ - Research Professional News Disruptions to core funding streams raise fears for a “generation” of early career researchers

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. 🔭🧪📡⚗️

UK ‘could lose generation of scientists’ with cuts to projects and research facilities UK’s research funding body says best scientists are taking posts overseas due to lack of job stability at home

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...

🔭🛰️🧪⚛️🎢

UK ‘could lose generation of scientists’ with cuts to projects and research facilities UK’s research funding body says best scientists are taking posts overseas due to lack of job stability at home

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...

UK ‘could lose generation of scientists’ with cuts to projects and research facilities UK’s research funding body says best scientists are taking posts overseas due to lack of job stability at home

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...

UK ‘could lose generation of scientists’ with cuts to projects and research facilities UK’s research funding body says best scientists are taking posts overseas due to lack of job stability at home

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

Is UK science in jeopardy? Huge funding reforms spark chaos and anxiety Major reforms to the United Kingdom’s national research funding agency are aimed at boosting the nation's economy.

UKRI reprioritisation threatens Particle Physics, Astronomy and Nuclear Physics (PPAN) in the UK, risking the loss of an entire generation of young researchers.

Curiosity-driven research underpins long-term technological leadership and resilience.

#STFC #UKRI