Initial response to STFC prioritisation and cuts

“These cuts to STFC funded activities will be a blow for the foundation of UK research capability. Whilst it is welcome that UKRI have broadly protected the grant giving capability of the STFC and international subscriptions, the substantial cuts to multidisciplinary research facilities and other research infrastructure will likely have a profound negative impact across the research sector.

“The UK’s world leading facilities are not a resource that can be turned on and off on a whim. They require consistent and sustained investment to ensure that they can stay at the competitive cutting edge of new technological developments. They are also vital for the discovery research that under-pins many of the priorities, such as AI and Quantum, that DSIT and UKRI want the UK to lead on and are a focus for significant investment.

“In the long term these cuts are likely to have a much bigger economic and research impact than the level of savings realised in the short term. If we lose capability in any given area, it’s likely it will be very difficult to regain in a meaningful way. DSIT should think again: is it worth losing national capability to make short-term savings?”