And so the axe drops at @ukri.org . STFC confirmed it will “protect post-doctoral researchers within PPAN grants at the financial year 2025 to 2026 level” including inflationary increases, and “support continued investment in PhD studentships and fellowships”. -- hard to do this on cut projects.

British understatement doing some heavy lifting here

On display this morning, parliamentary scrutiny at its very best with @chionwurah.bsky.social and her committee questioning Secretary of State Liz Kendall about the STFC funding cuts. Worth watching in full, but here are some of the highlights! 1: Doctoring the minutes!

📢Nervous about UK research funding? Tomorrow, Liz Kendall will be heard by MPs, speaking about "scientific research funding, online safety and the gov’s proposed social media ban", which can include discussions on STFC. Everybody can attend. I'll be there. committees.parliament.uk/event/27775/...

If this leaked info is to be trusted, we'll soon be adding #SaveJodrellBank to #SaveUKAstronomy🔭. I fear this is UKRI "rolling the pitch" to prepare us for the official announcement of unpleasant news😔 There is still a little glimmer hope though: A DSIT spokesperson said: "This is speculation".

Not only are these cuts damaging for UK science, they make no financial sense. We pay the CERN subscription to access amazing facilities like the LHC. Cutting funding for the experiments reduces the science we get out for each £ invested. It’s like building a railway line but not funding the trains.

I can't emphasise enough what a disaster STFC cuts to PPAN science and facilities are, for a saving that is in the noise of DSIT budgets. Cut CERN/PPAN activities and you cut skills, capabilities and growth for our future. Cut facilities and you cut underpinning support for UK science. It is no win.

"the science department has now approved the prioritisation decisions made in the proposal, which are due to be announced within days. DSIT describes the final decision on the STFC savings as being down to the UKRI board." #UKRI must save PPAN 🧪🔭 www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-r...

UK research vandalism update. Surprising that such callous and unnecessary damage is being pushed through by a department ahead of a change in leadership.

Um..... so I did a thing 🫣 📽️: youtube.com/shorts/krnxj... Indie 📕: uk.bookshop.org/p/books/how-... Amazon 🔗: www.amazon.co.uk/How-Design-U... 🔭👩‍🔬🎢

Researchers from the AION collaboration, including Cavendish physicists, have demonstrated a key technique to cancel laser noise in atom interferometers under real-world conditions. The work marks an important milestone in developing the quantum technologies of the future: buff.ly/bdEi0VG

Excellent piece by Hiranya - also making the point that the path from fundamental science to application is unpredictable and opportunistic - a world away from work to solve a specific problem. Both have their place in enriching the world around us.

I owe my agent Simon Trewin a huge debt. Without him, my two books would never have seen the light of day. He backed me from the off, and helped shape the prologue of book 1, which was what caught the attention of Picador and Doubleday. I will miss him dearly. www.thebookseller.com/obituaries/s...

'A senior member of one of STFC’s advisory bodies told RPN that the..exercise represents “a major crisis for the UK"...all of the outcomes modelled are “shocking”....the government would be “committing an act of national self-harm by imposing these cuts”.' 🙏 @francesjones.bsky.social

The government has been implored not to let cuts at the STFC go ahead after an official impact assessment laid bare the “huge damage” they would cause to UK research and innovation, according to multiple people with inside knowledge of the process. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-r...

The process of deciding how to cut costs at STFC by £162m is reaching its endgame The ball is now firmly in the government's court. As @francesjones.bsky.social reports in today's Research Fortnight, an impact assessment of the cuts has been sent to DSIT It appears not to make pretty reading 🧵

Cern hails finding of its ‘broad’ socioeconomic impacts www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-euro...

UKRI sounding eerily like Linton Barwick from @aiannucci.bsky.social’s In the Loop. “Those minutes should not be a reductive record of what happened to have been said, but they should be more a full record of what was intended to have been said. I think that’s the more accurate version don’t you?”

We're deeply saddened by the death of Prof Peter Littlewood, internationally renowned condensed matter physicist and former Head of the Cavendish. Peter’s lifelong ties to the Department, as a student, researcher, professor and leader, left a lasting impact on our community. 1/2

A couple of things to note here: Other councils minutes pages don't yet contain this disclaimer. Does that make STFC special? Minutes are usually considered to reflect discussions and decisions as made at the time- otherwise they're not useful from a transparency and accountability standpoint. (9/n)

THE BIG HOP is now out in paperback ✈️ A Times 'Book of the Week' and a Sunday Times 'Summer Read of the Year' Read the first few pages here to see if you like it. I'm sure you will. Available wherever you get your books: print, e-reader, audiobook. www.penguin.co.uk/books/453796...

For sale: treadmill, one careful owner! After 15 years of using a treadmill desk in the @sciencemuseum.org.uk I'm sadly having to say goodbye - the victim of an office reorganisation. Would anyone like to bid something to give my machine a good home? www.linkedin.com/posts/roger-...

Altering public minutes months after publication, without explanation or a record of the changes made, is deeply concerning. This raises serious questions about transparency and governance at @ukri.org. We’re requesting an explanation.

A full-on week, fighting to #SaveUKAstronomy & PPAN from 30% funding cuts. There were highs (👇hanging out with fab-folk) & lows (@ukri.org trying to erase history in old Council minutes) but the amazing support & ❤️ from the wonderful wide astro-community makes it all worth it. Onwards and upwards 💪🔭

Given the current funding crisis at STFC, I found this triggering.

So yet again the the anti-Reform majority rallies behind the strongest opposition: that was the Greens, Plaid and now Labour. Tactical voting you beauty

Hey @ukri.org the STFC council minutes page has disappeared: www.ukri.org/publications... Don't worry though, the national archives has a copy here: webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ukgwa/202601... Could put it back up along with recent minutes, would hate to think you've something to hide 🤔

Time for some more reaction from Monday's Westminster event... Here's Dr Harry Cliff explaining that some of the cuts have already been made, including the "devastating impact" of axing funds to upgrade the LHCb experiment – a huge particle detector buried 100 metres underground at CERN.

Yesterday in Parliament lifeandphysics.com/2026/06/16/y... #LifeAndPhysics

Congratulations Tara!

We've had a great turnout here at Westminster Hall, with MPs and Peers packing out the room to hear from early career researchers and senior academics representing astronomy, particle physics and nuclear physics. Read more about the event 👉️ ras.ac.uk/news-and-pre...

It was a privilege to take part in this event with such a stellar group. I hope we changed some minds and spurred some action against what would be catastrophic cuts for particle physics and astronomy.

Stars of physics are in Westminster right now to call on the Government to halt funding cuts to astronomy and particle physics research. Professor Brian Cox called them "inexplicable", urging the Government to instead "trust, inspire and continue to invest in the next generation of scientists".

📢The results from a survey of 449 early-career researchers in PPAN science are out🧪🔭 Only 8% would now recommend a PPAN career in the UK. 79% are less reassured by recent UKRI announcements. 89% report low confidence in UK postdoc opportunities. 👉 ecr-openletter-stfc.github.io/survey.html

On the bus to Parliament to brief MPs on the impact of deep cuts to physics and astronomy research, with @astroroyalscot.bsky.social, @jim-wild.bsky.social, @jonbutterworth.bsky.social, @drbecky.bsky.social and friends and colleagues from across the UK.

Made it to London to help @astroroyalscot.bsky.social @jim-wild.bsky.social and many other friends brief MPs on the effect of cuts on particle physics and astronomy. Government seems sympathetic but no action forthcoming yet.

Heading to Parliament to meet MPs and enlist their help to stop the cuts that UKRI and STFC will impose upon UK particle physics, astrophysics and nuclear (PPAN) research! We need to help Science Minister Vallance, who is “determined that UKRI must find a way to look after PPAN” #SaveUKAstronomy

📢An opportunity to support PPAN science. On 15 June, PPAN leaders will brief MPs in Parliament on the impact of proposed STFC funding cuts🧪🔭 ✍️Please write to your MP and ask them to attend. Template here 👉 www.ras.ac.uk/news-and-pre... We need MPs in the room. #UKScience #STFC #ResearchFunding

Letter to The Times this morning about the cuts to Nottingham Physics. "Killing a goose that lays golden eggs is a short-sighted response to difficulties paying for goose feed." www.thetimes.com/comment/lett...

Not sure AI will be taking our jobs just yet. Gemini gives a competent explanation of why my ntuples have duplicated TTrees in them, but then suggests I watch a video about crabapple trees as a follow up.

The potential for #physics driven growth is huge, but getting #UKRI funding changes wrong could cause irreparable damage to our scientific capability. @iop.org calls for the pace of change to be slowed and for full consultation, to avoid unintended consequences ⬇️ www.iop.org/about/news/g...

The Institute of Physics telling it like it is. www.iop.org/about/news/g...

We have an exciting new result from LHCb about to be published in PRL - my colleague Mark Smith and I took a deep look at it in The Conversation. theconversation.com/our-large-ha...

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...

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!

... and now.. @harrycliff.bsky.social giving us an update on @lhcb.bsky.social #APPHEPP2026. Go Harry!

Great results from LHCb reviewed by @harrycliff.bsky.social Harry Victor Cliff at #APPHEPP26! A good way to show STFC and UKRI that they should think twice before de-prioritising it... 🧪🔭

I am in #edinburgh on Friday talking about physics with those who know - it is free but you can secure a ticket here www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/particles-...

In Edinburgh for the IOP Conference and delighted to find two very Scottish Tunnocks Teacakes on my hotel bed. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

How does fundamental physics impact our society? Find out some answers at a free public event this Friday, chaired by @robinince.bsky.social and featuring @harrycliff.bsky.social. At @summerhallarts.bsky.social, Fri 10 April from 5pm. Register here: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/particles-... #APPHEPP26