Jodrell Bank funding cuts put e-MERLIN and Lovell Telescope at risk
UKRI’s PPAN budget reduction leaves Jodrell Bank seeking future backing for e-MERLIN, with current funding running to 2028.
By Dominic Okoye · Staff Writer
· 3 min read
Jodrell Bank funding cuts are now a live risk for one of the UK’s best-known scientific sites after UK Research and Innovation reduced support tied to particle physics, astronomy and nuclear physics. UKRI’s PPAN science budget is set to fall by 2.7 percent over four years, and rising costs mean research infrastructure is being put under pressure.
The immediate concern is e-MERLIN, the radio astronomy network operated from Jodrell Bank Observatory. The array links radio telescopes across England and includes the Lovell Telescope, the 250-foot steerable dish that has become the public face of the observatory.
Professor Michele Dougherty, executive chair of the Science and Technology Facilities Council, said the funding position meant difficult decisions had to be made. The council sits within UKRI and is responsible for supporting large science facilities and research programs.
Why is Jodrell Bank facing funding cuts?
Jodrell Bank is affected because the UK’s PPAN budget is being reduced while operating costs are increasing. That combination leaves less room to fund long-running facilities such as e-MERLIN, even where the science case and public profile remain strong.
Macclesfield MP Tim Roca said e-MERLIN astronomy funding is in place until 2028, which gives campaigners and institutional backers a limited window to argue for continued support. Roca said a case would be made for protecting the facility, describing it as a world-leading scientific institution.
A Jodrell Bank spokesperson said the e-MERLIN reductions were significant, but said the observatory remained an important scientific, cultural and economic center for the UK and the local area. The spokesperson said Jodrell Bank would work with the University of Manchester and other partners to try to secure the future of both the Lovell Telescope and e-MERLIN.
What else is being cut?
The pressure is not limited to Jodrell Bank. UKRI’s decision also includes ending future UK funding for the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope in Hawaii. The Birmingham Solar Oscillations Network, known as BiSON, has been invited to apply for funding at 60 percent of earlier planning assumptions after decades of studying the Sun.
Royal Astronomical Society President Professor Jim Wild called the decision damaging for UK astronomy and warned that walking away from distinctive observatories could harm both research capability and the pipeline of future astronomers.
Professor Brian Cox, professor of particle physics at the University of Manchester, blamed the outcome on legacy decisions by UKRI, which he said were made too quickly and without proper consultation. He also pointed to oversight by a government department that no longer exists.
UKRI had been sponsored by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology. The UK government recently scrapped that department and redistributed its responsibilities, adding another institutional complication as affected programs look for clarity on future support.
The Lovell Telescope turns 70 next year. Over its operating life it has supported Soviet and US space missions, as well as radio astronomy research. The question now is whether alternative funding can be found before the current e-MERLIN budget period ends in 2028.
This story draws on original reporting from The Register.
