High Energy Particle Physics group
and the Astro-Particle Physics
group of the Institute of Physics
Brian R Bowsher
STFC Chief Executive
11 April 2017
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Highlights
Balance of Programmes - PPAN
Budget issues
Horizon scanning
Questions
Impact Report 2016 -2017
• Our frontier research in astronomy,
particle physics and nuclear physics ranks
first in the world measured by citation
impact. We invested more than £160
million in 2015/16 in these areas,
supporting a community of over 1,000
academics in 86 universities.
CERN
• Attended CERN Council
• Encouraging discussion with DG and senior
team on improved UK return on investment
• Met Brits@CERN
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Visits:
Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson 13 January
Science Minister Jo Johnson 29 March
GCSA Mark Walport 31 March
Particle astrophysics
• Strong support for vibrant UK gravitational waves (GW) community
• UK institutes had critical development role in first LIGO detection
• Direct dark matter searches with LUX-ZEPLIN
• UK is major partner in construction phase of this US-led project
• LZ has now successfully passed the DOE CD-2 and CD-3 reviews - final
design accepted and construction phase formally launched
• VHE gamma ray astronomy with international Cherenkov Telescope
Array (CTA) project
• Project currently in pre-production phase
Consolidated Grants
• Particle Physics Theory (PPT) consolidated grants announced in
November 2016
• Awards to 23 UK institutes (including IPPP from October 2018).
Total funding £17.8M over 3 years from October 2017.
• Particle Physics Experimental (PPE) grants capital equipment
announced in January 2017
• Final part of the PPE 2015 consolidated grants round
• Proposals encouraged for more strategic investments to
sustain international UK leadership and enhance UK
technology capability.
• Total funding £1.5M awarded to end of current CG period
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Highlights
Balance of Programmes - PPAN
Budget issues
Horizon scanning
Questions
Background: Nature of Issues
• PPAN budget ~35% real reduction from 2010 to 2020 based on
indicative allocations
• STFC’s strategic core programme has unique characteristics
• Strong linkage with international subscriptions
• Significant component of programme is development,
construction and delivery of national commitments
• Decadal nature of infrastructure investments in astronomy,
nuclear and particle physics
• Often linked with international experiments funded
directly through the core programme
• High level commitment of programme to exploit the
experiments or analyse data
• Long term planning results in minimal forward ‘headroom’
(all 17/18 budget is effectively committed)
Terms of Reference
• The Science Board Sub Group was asked to advise the most
appropriate balance between STFC’s key research areas:
• Astronomy
• Nuclear Physics
• Particle Physics
• Particle Astrophysics
• Accelerators for the above
• Computing for the above
• Sub-Group considered the breadth within each research area, the
balance between R&D, construction and scientific exploitation, and
possible financial scenarios
Programme Balance 1
• Computing support at critical level with increase in capacity
required to maintain UK competitiveness in PPAN disciplines
• Particle Astrophysics area should be reviewed to allow it to mature
into an established element of the PPAN programme
• Nuclear Physics support at critical level, support needed to provide
an appropriate level for PDRA funding
• Accelerator Physics support also at critical level
Programme Balance 2
• Astronomy overall balance is about right, and just adequate in
breadth but signs that UK scientists lack the resources needed to
lead key scientific exploitation of our large, international projects.
Exploitation funding widely seen as under intense pressure
• Particle Physics lacks sufficient funds to support the ATLAS and CMS
Phase II upgrades, maintain UK leadership in the DUNE and HyperK future neutrino experiments, and maintain the current
programme diversity
• Increase in support for computing for the LHC and other PP
exploitation (via GridPP) has placed additional pressure on
available funds
Recommendations and next steps
• BoP produced clear advice to STFC council and executive
• In continuing flat cash world we must protect existing science
wherever possible, even at the expense of future investment
• Council considered the report and implications on 22 March
• Welcomed the quality of advice and the huge volume of work
• Executive will report more fully to Council in May
• Implications of flat cash reviewed with BEIS throughout the last CSR
and since our allocation was announced
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Highlights
Balance of Programmes - PPAN
Budget issues
Horizon scanning
Questions
Financial summary
250
200
Key points
£17.6m gap between
capital budget &
requirement each year
Core capital budget
150
£12.3m gap between
resource budget &
requirement each year
£m
Global Challenges Research Fund
100
50
0
2016-17
Core resource budget
2017-18
2018-19
2019-20
2020-21
• We told government that “constant volume” (flat-cash plus inflation)
would avoid the need to withdraw from significant projects
• But our allocation was flat
• Capital cut of 40% from 2019/2020 in our indicative allocation
Pressures identified in CSR15
• International Facilities
• Funding gap due to foreign exchange risk
– covered by BEIS
• Large Facilities
• BEIS assumed ‘savings target’ that can’t
be met. International Review supposed
to “fix” the problem delayed 12 months
• Core Programme
• Despite clear explanations of future
implications, our allocation was flat-cash
• £12.3 million p.a. resource gap & £17.6
million p.a. capital gap by 2020/21
Autumn Statement
• Additional £4.7 billion over four years for science and innovation
• £425 million in 2017/18, rising to £2 billion in 2020/21
• Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund dominated the allocation
• Relatively little extra for ‘research capacity’ or capital
• Bids from STFC’s core programme areas unsuccessful
• No GCRF funding for STFC’s science areas from first “open” call
• Possibility of some new capital projects in 2018/19 but would
need to ensure that ‘batteries not included’ isn’t exacerbated
STFC budget - 2017/18
• Rosalind Franklin Institute at Harwell, likely funding for NSTF
• Autumn statement uplift in studentships across all Councils;
likelihood of support for CDTs
• Hints of support for facility issues
But
• Flat Cash in core, reduction in capital
• Little benefit from centrally held funds like ISCF and GCRF
• Exchange rate changes since referendum impacting on core
programme, facilities (and future years’ subscriptions)
• Increasing inflation
• Inability to recruit appropriate skills within pay constraints
• Apprentice levy
• Energy increases
Industrial Strategy
• ‘Building our Industrial Strategy’ Green Paper
launched at Daresbury Laboratory on 23 January
• STFC organising round table events for Campus
Partners at Daresbury and Harwell
• Working on cross-Research Council response
(deadline 17 April)
Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund
March Budget announcements, relating to:
• Battery technology for electric vehicles
• Artificial intelligence and robotics systems
• New medicine manufacturing technologies
• PhDs and Fellowships in areas aligned with
Industrial Strategy
Further announcements expected for other
challenges including satellites and space technology
and transformative digital technologies
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Highlights
Balance of Programmes - PPAN
Budget issues
Horizon scanning
Questions
UKRI appointments
• Professor Sir Mark Walport announced as UKRI Chief Executive
Designate on 2 February
• BEIS advertised for applications for the UKRI Board and the
advert for CFO is imminent
• Original plans were to establish an UKRI shadow
board in April 2017
• Potential to phase appointments for the ‘Councils’ and
Executive Chairs (CEOs) to aid transition
Brexit
Areas of potential impact
• 10% of STFC staff are non-UK EU or EEA nationals
• 80% of our EU staff are in SET roles
• Large facility usage by non-UK EU academics
• Foreign exchange rate fluctuations:
• International subs variation covered
by BEIS but LTA/T&S/procurement
impact not covered
• Loss of EU funding for university groups
• Seven years of flat cash and loss of EU
= real trouble for some
What next?
• Focus on providing high quality data and analysis to Government
• We want Ministers to understand the impact so they can plan
to mitigate in advance, e.g. funding, movement of people, UK’s
reputation as science lead
• Brian Bowsher chairing group to advise Science Minister on
impact on large scale infrastruture
• Government committed to maintaining world leading position –
one of their top Brexit negotiating positions
• Looking for opportunities from the Government’s desire for UK to
remain a world-class research nation
Questions?