Funding cuts for fellowships could hurt UK research

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Cuts in funding for science and technology research studentships and fellowships could spell disaster for the research community in the UK, according to a leading society.

The Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) has decided to cut funding in this area by 25 per cent as part of its Science Programme Prioritisation for the next five years, but the Royal Astronomical Society has voiced its anger at the move.

Professor Andy Fabian, president of the society, said in a statement: “With these cuts UK based researchers will struggle to retain their leading position in astronomy and space science.”

He accused the council of making the cuts not because of the recession, but due to mounting structural and financial problems that it has had since its launch in 2007.

“These problems have led to an ongoing funding gap that now has to be plugged by cuts in the research base, particularly in the budgets for astronomy and particle physics,” he added.

Fabian has called on the Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS) to back astronomical research and keep the talent that the UK has in these areas in the country rather than going to the US or Europe.

A spokesperson from the STFC told IT PRO: “This reduction is regrettable but is a roll-back of previous increases and matches the overall volume reduction in the programme.”

They added: “We hope that it may be possible to restore studentships and fellowship funding to higher levels once the economic situation improves.”

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