England win eighth successive Women’s Six Nations after powering to victory over France

This article again highlights the immense damage being done to fundamental science, an area where the UK is genuinely world-leading. Funding choices at @ukri.org that erode the research base in pursuit of short-term economic impact risk weakening the foundations of future UK science and innovation.

Cuts have already devastated arts, humanities & social sciences in universities The fire is spreading & “blue skies” science is next This isn’t a tired “humanities vs sciences” battle We must all stand together or the flames will consume us all www.timeshighereducation.com/news/physics...

Physicists: please consider signing this open letter of support: nottinghamphysics.github.io/Open_Letter/ The University wants to cut a third of academic and related staff from the School of Physics and Astronomy.

Alongside the majority of my colleagues in the School of Physics and Astronomy at Nottingham, I have received a letter telling me I am at risk of redundancy. To my physics friends - please sign this letter to help us save our amazing School nottinghamphysics.github.io/Open_Letter/

My latest for Research Fortnight: 'A “highly successful” programme for using quantum technologies in fundamental physics research is in a state of limbo as decisions over its future hang in the balance, RPN understands.' Almost 50 postdocs have already been lost, according to project leaders.

IOP President Paul Howarth and I have today written to Science Minister Lord Vallance calling for a full impact assessment of proposed STFC cuts to particle physics, astronomy and nuclear (PPAN) research.

Brilliant to visit IBM Quantum in London today to speak about simulating quantum field theories on quantum computers. The range of work happening across so many disciplines was striking, from fundamental science through to applications in finance. Exciting times ahead.

There is absolutely no reason to transfer PPAN grants to EPSRC - especially right now, as the funding associated with any transfer would undoubtedly be at the planned reduced level and hence too low to sustain them properly. It would simply move the problem from one council to another within UKRI.

Our physicists are pushing the boundaries of research - contributing to major advances in our understanding of the Universe. Read more about some of their outstanding work 👉 tinyurl.com/yc45pa2u @durhamphysics.bsky.social | @icc-durham.bsky.social | @ukri.org | @dirac-hpc.bsky.social

I just sent this letter to the Science Minister and the CEO of UKRI concerning STFC's budgets

🔊Calling UK science & physics teachers. Could you lend me your voice to help us fight the devastating funding cuts planned for UK astronomy and particle physics? Please sign this open letter, which we will be delivering to the UKGov next week. 🧪🔭⚛️🎢 #STFC ✍️ ras.ac.uk/news-and-pre... Thank you!

Our Centre for Advanced Instrumentation @durhamphysics.bsky.social is helping to build the world’s biggest telescope! 🔭 We’re working on the HARMONI and MOSAIC instruments for the @eso.org Extremely Large Telescope – allowing deeper exploration of our Universe 👉 tinyurl.com/y2k5895e @ukri.org

At the #STFC Partnership Summit today, a live visual summary of the discussions was created in the room. It’s an interesting reflection of what was emphasised…and what wasn’t. Spot the PPAN science:

Durham physicist Professor Valery Khoze has been elected to the Academia Europaea, one of Europe’s most prestigious academic bodies. The honour recognises his outstanding contributions to theoretical particle physics and his international standing. Discover more 👉 www.durham.ac.uk/news-events/...

Terrific article by @si-wills.bsky.social describing the fragile progress we are seeing in particle, astro and nuclear early career researcher posts. Really hope UKRI sticks to Lord Vallances positive words on this.

Restoring physics postdoc posts could save a generation of researchers. UK science must stop using early career researchers as shock absorbers, says Simon Williams. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-v...

The latest edition of Research Fortnight is out today! A quick🧵of what's inside. Turbulence hitting the money available for research and researchers—in funding, in universities and in grant systems—is a theme. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-p...

STFC has committed to restoring postdoc numbers to the same level as last year. A welcome shift, but a commitment is only meaningful if delivered. I’ve written a short piece in @resprofnews.bsky.social on what needs to come next. Early-career researchers should no longer be shock absorbers.

Where do all the particle physicists* go? lifeandphysics.com/2026/04/23/w... #LifeAndPhysics

This would have made my university fencing days far easier…and far less contentious 🤺

@durhamphysics.bsky.social @icc-durham.bsky.social are taking us back nine billion years in time to understand the formation of our Milky Way! Their new movie is available in 3D VR format for schools and science outreach. See the full movie and discover more 👉 tinyurl.com/d7yppeem @ukri.org

That's a welcome win for STFC postdocs. More is needed to avoid severe cuts to STFC facilities. Postdoc cuts on hold as under-fire STFC announces extra funding www.timeshighereducation.com/news/postdoc...

NEW: Lead story from me for Research Fortnight. 'The UK is at risk of losing research capabilities in critical areas due to financial pressures on universities and funding changes at UK Research and Innovation, senior figures have warned.'

Today's lead Research Fortnight story by @francesjones.bsky.social www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-r...

👇The latest from RPN on the shake-up of funding at @ukri.org that is leading to ~30% cuts in UK research funding to astrophysics, nuclear and particle physics. Other research areas are now realising that these changes are going to impact their funding too....🧪🔭⚛️

New @ukri.org statement on the #STFC funding cuts "we commit to maintaining postdoctoral researchers across PPAN at least at the same level as last year" I think this a win for the fantastic ECR campaign, but last yr's numbers were already cut on the previous..🤔🧪🔭⚛️ ℹ️ www.ukri.org/publications...

I've written a piece for the Financial Times on the critical strategic choices the UK needs to make, and be seen to make, on technology sovereignty:👇🏾 www.ft.com/content/857c...

STFC budget falling in real terms even as UKRI spending rises. New figures show pressure on cash-strapped council, as scientists warn of wide-ranging impacts from cuts. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-r...

I think this says a lot about the pressure STFC is under: its budget will not have risen (in cash terms) between 2023 and 2030 Inflation is obviously going keep eroding that, and more so with the Iran war (Details of STFC budget figures over the spending review have not been published before now)

Finally some clarity on the #STFC budget: it's falling in real terms as UKRI spending rises. A conscious decision has been made to decrease UK funding for fundamental physics, despite all the evidence that our blue skies research is key for economic growth. Thank you @resprofnews.bsky.social!

@durhamphysics.bsky.social @icc-durham.bsky.social researchers are using their cosmology skills to improve treatment for people with triple-negative breast cancer. The initial “curiosity-driven” research behind this work was funded by the STFC / @ukri.org. 👉 tinyurl.com/mphek8vn

Benefits of an early start to attend the @iop.org conference for the STFC Townhall

Beautiful argument from @astroroyalscot.bsky.social to argue against cuts to fundamental science: one question that makes all children interested in science, regardless of their genders and origins, is whether there is life outside of Earth! 🧪🔭 #APPHEPP26

At 00:35 CEST today, the Artemis II mission successfully launched, marking the first human journey to the Moon since 1972. Six Timepix chips developed #AtCERN will measure the radiation environment inside the spacecraft that will orbit the Moon during @NASA’s Artemis II mission.

We need to locate and count particles in high radiation environments in @cern.bsky.social's Large Hadron Collider. That makes these detectors great at locating and counting particles in the high radiation environment of space. Great crossover!

We host the COSMA 8 supercomputer so scientists can test their theories about the origins of the Universe using high-powered computer simulations 👉 tinyurl.com/3k2a486k COSMA is part of @dirac-hpc.bsky.social funded by @ukri.org /Science and Technology Facilities Council @icc-durham.bsky.social

It’s April Fools Day in the UK, but this @durhamphysics.bsky.social research is no joke! Our experts cast doubt on the long-held theory that our galaxy, the Milky Way, will collide with its largest neighbour, the Andromeda galaxy, in 4.5 billion years-time. 🌌 👉 tinyurl.com/4yfdumbm

Extremely proud to be part of the UK’s national centre for Particle Physics Phenomenology. The UK is a world leader in particle physics: fundamental science that drives future growth. It’s difficult to see why this strength is now being cut so severely by @ukri.org

We’re home to the UK’s national particle phenomenology centre, playing a key role in understanding the forces and particles shaping our Universe 👉 www.ippp.dur.ac.uk Our Institute for Particle Physics Phenomenology is primarily funded by @ukri.org/Science and Technology Facilities Council.

It's hard to see how the statements from grant panels chairs can be misinterpreted More on the letter from Vallance and Chapman here by @francesjones.bsky.social www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-p...

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 🧵

Great week lecturing on Hamiltonian simulation with quantum computers + quantum machine learning in Würzburg. A very beautiful city!

This is pure 1984: Lord Vallance promises that there will be no reduction in UK particle theory postdoc numbers from ~20 per year. The actual number awarded in the last round in 2022 was 58. committees.parliament.uk/publications...

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.

More correspondence from Chair to Minister for Science, Innovation, Research and Nuclear and Chief Executive for UKRI, re: Scientific research funding committees.parliament.uk/committee/13...

What is the impact of cuts to physics? Read more here ⬇️ www.theguardian.com/science/2026...

Another article I was involved in about the scale of UK cuts, even Edward Witten agrees things are bad. Many thanks to Brian Cox for his support.

Fantastic long read from @francesjones.bsky.social on why the physics cuts ‘could hurt government’s dash for growth’. Shrinking the UK's pool of experts, particularly early career researchers, will 'hurt UK industry over the long term'. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-r...