An image showing a mosaic of the 10 winners of our awards.
Pride in STEM is 10 this month, and we are so proud to celebrate these 10 change-makers who were proposed and voted in by the community.
Read about their work, their impact, and their commitment to improving the lives of LGBTQIA+ people in STEM and beyond, here:
prideinstem.org/2026/04/01/t...
There seem to be some inconsistencies between what Patrick Vallance and Ian Chapman wrote about #STFC funded postdoc numbers in their letter to the Commons science committee and recent reports from the chairs of STFC's own grant panels
🧵
The concrete numbers are clear:
2022–25: 58.3 FTE postdocs per year
2026–30: 19.5 FTE postdocs per year
That’s a ~70% reduction in postdoctoral capacity in theoretical particle physics.
In a letter to @chionwurah.bsky.social the Science Minister states:
"~20 particle physics theory post-doctoral researchers [are] funded by UKRI each year."
That’s not typical; that’s the post-cut baseline from 2026.
The previous cycle supported ~60.
Framing this as “normal” obscures a ~70% cut.
I wrote a piece for the Times Higher about the current crisis in UK funding for particle physics, astrophysics and nuclear physics in the UK.
Opinion: Even if delayed STFC grants arrive soon, it is too late to hire postdocs this year, and wider budget cuts will cut the supply of tech skills, says Malcolm Fairbairn #research #physics
www.timeshighereducation.com/opinion/stfc-turmoil-bod...
Today's reminder (from @malcfairbairn.bsky.social) that economic growth needs skills, that the generation and supply of skills from curiosity driven research is a pipeline, in an ecosystem that needs consistent support. This isnt a tap to turn off and on, not if you want to nurture best talent.
screen shot of the MRC 22-25 delivery plan https://www.ukri.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/MRC-200922-MRCStratrgicDeliveryPlan.pdf reads: We will: invest close to £200 million per annum to support the best discovery research through our boards and panels with the aim to improve our understanding of human health and disease, ranging from molecular and cellular mechanisms, to the physiology and pathophysiology of organs and systems, early clinical trials and population-level studies.
screen shot of table 4 from the UKRI budget explainer https://www.ukri.org/publications/explainer-ukri-budget-allocations/budget-allocations-for-uk-research-and-innovation/ shows Medical Research Council has 113 for curiosity-driven research in 26/27 27/28 dropping to £111 in 28/29 and is £115m in 29/30 full figures: Table 4: Investment in curiosity-driven research: breakdown of applicant-led research Curiosity-driven research: breakdown of applicant-led research FY 2026 to 2027 (total in millions) FY 2027 to 2028 (total in millions) FY 2028 to 2029 (total in millions) FY 2029 to 2030 (total in millions) Total (in millions) Arts and Humanities Research Council 39 42 42 45 167 Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council 112 113 111 117 454 Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council 292 294 288 295 1,170 Economic and Social Research Council 66 71 71 73 281 Medical Research Council 113 113 111 115 453 Natural Environment Research Council 84 86 85 88 342 Science and Technology Facilities Council 83 86 86 90 344 Outcome-driven allocation 42 43 85 Cross-research council responsive mode pilot 26 16 42 Total 815 821 836 866 3,338
However, this narrative doesn’t fully align with publicly available figures. For example, 22–25 Delivery Plan set MRC’s blue‑skies at £200m, while UKRI’s recent explainer gives £113m. This is a major shift, and it isn’t clearly signposted; spotting it requires comparing older and newer publications.
Minutes of @STFC_Matters record the Council's head of strategy describing "a major shift of funding from curiosity-driven research to priority areas and targeted programmes". @UKRI say this was a “misstatement”. 🧪. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
"... we strongly back curiosity-led research, especially in physics. It’s so important for the foundation of our economy and society, but we need to sort this problem out.”
Liz Kendall on STFC
www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-p...
The BBC have seen a leaked document that suggests funding has been strategically reassigned within UKRI from blue-sky research towards applied research. This is currently denied by Patrick Vallance and Ian Chapman.
Resharing with a better link to the BBC article
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Behind the story is a row that has seen the science minister, Lord Vallance, and the head of Britain's scientific research funding agency accused of diverting money away from blue sky research towards government scientific priorities to help grow the economy. BBC News has a leaked document that suggests this has happened. Vallance and those leading UK science funding have continued to deny this.
Higgs Boson was UK triumph, but British physics faces 'catastrophic' cuts - BBC News share.google/xhHAsAY1s1Kx...
The Science, Innovation & Tech committee have written the most amazing letter to DSIT/UKRI/STFC:
"What is clear is that, despite your assertions to the contrary... widespread cuts have been proposed before adequate consultation with those affected was undertaken. This is wholly unacceptable" 💪🔭⚛️🧪
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.
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 🔭👩🔬⚛️
A LOT going on in the Commons select committee hearing on STFC budget pressures
Michele Dougherty said that, despite having previously been on STFC's council, she didn't know until starting as exec chair in Jan 2025 that there was a £100-150m shortfall
She said it was "not what I signed up to" 😶
People sat in rows a committee hearing - all smartly dressed
Here is my run-down of today's Science and Technology Committee hearing (House of Lords) where "considerable disquiet in the science community" was raised with Sir Patrick Vallance. Really great to see the public gallery packed with physicists!
Good news: "I'm very determined that UKRI must find a way to look after PPAN"
But: "all funding gets tensioned against something so it either gets tensioned against the rest of physics which might be one way to do it or you tension against EPSRC...something they're looking at that at the moment"
Did you ask about why there don't appear to be any female scientists at this Institute?
Screen shot from the UKRI Funding Finder. Title: Fundamental AI Research Lab. Timeline Open 2nd March, intention to submit date 16 March, Closing Date 31 March 2026.
Can anyone think of an example of government spend of this magnitude and speed (excluding covid)??
4 weeks from call announcement to submission (no advance warning) and within that only 2 weeks to flag your intention to submit.
£40M total - individual awards £9.4M
www.ukri.org/opportunity/...
UKRI funding changes are raising serious concern across the UK science community. More than 50 university physics leaders including all 23 Russell Group universities with physics facilities have warned that proposed cuts risk undermining innovation-led economic growth.
🔗 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/...
STFC CEO responds to @jonbutterworth.bsky.social
"it is important for all of our ... programmes ... to contribute to us making savings across our entire portfolio"
No mention that *all* is disproportionately falling on the particle-astro-nuclear programme 🤷♀️😡
www.theguardian.com/science/2026...
Astronomy postdoc jobs on new STFC grants slump by 75 per cent.
Chair of research council grants panel warns of “unprecedented funding crisis” for UK astronomy.
www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-r...
Is this a change of position from UKRI’s CEO?
While still compartmentalising the problem to STFC, he has now said that the majority of funding cuts will be “borne by UKRI internally,” and not STFC devolved budget.
🧪🔭
(www.ukri.org/news/ukri-ce...)
Today the astro-community discussed the devastating proposed 30% cuts to our research funding, cuts that will be offsetting (some of the) rising costs at UK facilities that we don't use. Hard not to feel victimised when those same facilities make a fanfare announcement about an expensive facelift. 🔭
Yeah - sorry you found it before I had chance to reply. The plan to build an adventure playground, while we're being cut to the bone, is a 'nice' touch
@jonbutterworth.bsky.social have you seen that big expansion plans for Harwell were announced today?
Huge cuts to PPAN postdocs, but we can afford an adventure playground.
