Signals are grim for Jodrell Bank Observatory after UK science funding decision

SCIENCE

Support for e-MERLIN ends 2028 unless the historic radio astronomy center can find another source of cash

Jodrell Bank Observatory faces an uncertain future after UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) pulled funding.

The UK's Particle Physics, Astronomy and Nuclear Physics (PPAN) science budget is decreasing by 2.7 percent over four years, which, coupled with increasing costs, means cuts seem inevitable, and the venerable Jodrell Bank could be on the chopping block.

Professor Michele Dougherty, Executive Chair of the Science and Technology Facilities Council, said the situation required "some tough, but necessary, decisions."

One victim of the cuts is e-MERLIN, an array of radio telescopes across England run from Jodrell Bank. It includes the iconic Lovell Telescope, a 250-foot-diameter steerable dish radio telescope.

Royal Astronomical Society President Professor Jim Wild wrote: "This is devastating news for UK astronomy. At a time when technological innovation is crucial to our country's prospects, discarding unique, globally significant observatories threatens both our scientific future and the inspiration of future generations of astronomers."

Other cuts include the withdrawal of future UK funding for the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope in Hawaii and an invitation for the Birmingham Solar Oscillations Network (BiSON), which has spent decades studying the Sun, to apply for funding at 60 percent of previous planning assumptions.

A spokesperson for Jodrell Bank wrote: "While these cuts to e-Merlin's funding are significant, Jodrell Bank remains a major scientific, cultural and economic centre nationally and for the local area. We will be working with colleagues from The University of Manchester and other partners to secure the future of the Lovell Telescope and e-MERLIN."

Macclesfield MP Tim Roca noted that funding for e-MERLIN astronomy was in place until 2028, but that a case would be made "for protecting this world leading scientific institution."

Professor Brian Cox, Professor of Particle Physics at The University of Manchester, posted: "This is the result of many bad legacy decisions taken by UKRI hastily and without proper consultation, overseen by a government department that no longer exists."

UKRI was sponsored by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), which was recently scrapped by the UK government and its responsibilities redistributed.

The clock is ticking for alternative sources of funding to be found for Jodrell Bank. As Roca observed, the budget runs until 2028.

The iconic Lovell Telescope will turn 70 next year and has played a key role in Soviet and US space missions over the decades. While the cuts will affect many science programs in the UK and beyond, the symbolism of the iconic Grade I-listed structure facing a possible future as a rusting monument to UK scientific endeavors is something to focus the minds of campaigners. ®