The UK government is set to slash its funding for astronomy, particle and nuclear physics by 30 percent in a move branded as disastrous by industry groups and one likely to affect a generation of researchers.
The cuts were announced in a letter by Michele Dougherty, the UK's Astronomer Royal and executive chair of the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), which was sent to stakeholders on Jan. 28. STFC is a part of the UK Research and Innovation national science funding agency, which distributes funds to the astronomy and physics communities and runs high-tech facilities including particle accelerators, laser research centers and astronomical observatories.
