Future of UK physics threatened by ‘ruinous’ funding cuts, says Institute of Physics

Physics World reports that the UK's Science and Technology Facilities Council has announced major cuts to international physics research projects, including cancellation of funding for a key upgrade to the LHCb experiment at CERN and support for the Electron-Ion Collider at Brookhaven. The cuts are driven by inflation, rising energy costs, and currency fluctuations, forcing the council to reduce core science funding by at least thirty percent. The LHCb collaboration's international spokesperson warns that without UK expertise—the country holds a twenty percent stake in the experiment—the future of the upgrade is uncertain and world-leading research opportunities for British scientists and students will be lost. The Institute of Physics calls the decision ruinous and says it threatens the UK's international reputation as a scientific leader and could discourage future generations from pursuing careers in physics.

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