Transcript Document

Particle Physics Town Meeting 2010
John Womersley
Director, Science Programmes
March 2010
Outline
• Programme Prioritisation and implementation
• Particle Physics Grants
• New Accelerator Centre at Daresbury
• Drayson/Sterling Review of STFC
• UK Space Agency
• Comprehensive Spending Review
Programme Prioritisation
Programme Prioritisation
Focuses support on highest priorities within each area
Support (at reduced funding levels) the following projects:
• Particle Physics
– ATLAS + upgrade, CMS + upgrade, and LHCb at LHC,
GridPP, T2K, SuperNEMO, neutron EDM, IPPP at
Durham
• Nuclear physics
– NUSTAR at FAIR
Programme Prioritisation
• Astronomy
– ESO telescopes (VLT, VISTA and ALMA), R&D for ELT and
SKA; KMOS, Dark Energy Survey, SuperWASP, operation
of ING, and JCMT (SCUBA2) to 2012
• Space
– Aurora, Cosmic Vision (including LISA, LISA Pathfinder
and Solar Orbiter missions), GAIA, Rosetta, BepiColombo, Herschel, Planck and JWST (MIRI) missions,
post-launch support for Swift, Stereo and Hinode
• Particle Astrophysics
– Gravitational wave searches
Programme Prioritisation
• Increased support for Diamond
– though not as much as the full aspiration
• ISIS
– though not as much as the full aspiration
• ILL
– Flat cash
• ESRF
– Reduced UK share after 2016/7 as Diamond 
• Vulcan – 10 PW upgrade
HiPER – 2010 fusion review
Programme Prioritisation
• Balances the budget from 11/12 onwards (flat cash)
• Supports campuses and gateway centres
• Supports new accelerator centre at DL
– also Cockcroft Institute and MICE
• Assumes international subscriptions all held to flat cash
– except ESRF  (2016) as Diamond 
– any ESO subscription growth for ELT will be found
within the astronomy programme
• Reduces funding for studentships and fellowships
by 25% across the board
Particle Physics advisory panel
•
•
•
•
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Highest Priority: ATLAS and CMS exploitation and upgrades; LHCb
exploitation; nEDM, eEDM, T2K, theory
Involvement essential: Direct dark-matter search experiments;
LHCb upgrade; Linear Collider accelerator and detector R&D;
neutrino detector R&D/ neutrino factory accelerator R&D;
Neutrinoless double-beta decay; CDF/D0
Limited involvement: High-precision muon experiments; MINOS;
NA62
Future opportunities: High-luminosity flavour factory; Future highprecision kaon experiments; LHeC; Muon collider
Involvement not foreseen: CNGS; Precision charm experiments;
g – 2; Belle; MEG; Nova; Precision neutrino mass experiments;
Reactor neutrino experiments.
Projects supported
Roll-out of commitments or limited support
Particle Astrophysics advisory panel
•
Essential:
Gamma rays, Neutrinos, Dark Matter, Gravitational Waves
•
Essential for exploitation of current facilities:
CMB-Polarisation, Cosmic rays
•
Encourage innovative ideas and support for small projects:
Inverse Square Law test, eEDM
Projects supported
Roll-out of commitments or limited support
Feedback
• Feedback letters sent to all PIs.
• PPAN and PALS reports released at
http://www.scitech.ac.uk/About/Stats/Rev/intro.aspx.
These include the feedback on each project.
Internal savings
• This plan is predicated on internal savings:
– 20% of savings in 2010-11 will come from internal cuts
to operational budgets and staffing costs (£11M)
– Reductions in programme support will also affect staff
within STFC departments who are funded as part of
project grants
• Ongoing efficiency gains each year to re-invest in science
• Essential that STFC delivers on these
We have completed a thorough reprioritisation of STFC’s
programme, starting with community consultation.
We will support only the highest priority items in each area.
This requires some painful reductions in support - in all the
areas of science supported by STFC.
STFC has presented an affordable, sustainable plan within a
constrained budget.
The programme priorities give us a firm basis for prudent
planning in tough times to come.
Accelerator Centre
New Accelerator Centre
• The centre will focus on accelerator science and
technology development
– for future major scientific facilities
– for the broader applications of accelerators in novel
areas such as security, energy, and medicine.
• Accelerator workshop held in Swindon in June 2009
identified many opportunities in both areas, but no clear
mechanism to take forward
• Centre will seek partnerships and external funding to
enable this mission
Synergies
• Focus on applications will complement Cockcroft which is
perhaps more academic in focus
– but co-location should lead to strong partnership
• Will work closely with new Security Futures Centre
• Gateway centre role
• Need a name for the centre
– National Centre for Accelerator Applications?
Broader Accelerator Strategy
• In addition to the new accelerator centre (including ALICE
and EMMA), STFC will continue to support
– The Cockcroft Institute
– The John Adams Institute
subject to successful review of a new proposal after 2012
– high power proton driver R&D
– the MICE experiment at RAL.
Implementation - 1
• We expect all existing ASTeC staff to transition to the new
centre
• We expect (almost?) all Photon Science Dept staff at DL to
transfer, and possibly some Technology Dept staff later
• We foresee that the centre will occupy the ASTeC office
space in the CI building
• Centre will operate ALICE and EMMA as a test facility
– allow ALICE operation for science if self-funded
• 2010/11 budgets have been set on this basis
Existing accelerators
ALICE R&D @ Daresbury
(RF, SRF, High Brightness E-Gun, Laser, NS-FFAG, Vacuum, Cryogenics, Diagnostics)
Diagnostics
Vacuum
}
Generically applicable
NS-FFAG
RF
SRF
Cryogenics
RF
MEIS and High Power
Proton
Front End Ion Source
High brightness E-gun
Laser
Source/Diagnostics
IR-FEL
THz
CBS
Laser
Future potential
Accelerator R&D @ Daresbury
(RF, SRF, High Brightness E-Gun, Laser, Proton, Vacuum, Cryogenics, Diagnostics)
Vacuum
Support
Lab
High
Brightness
Injector Test
Facility
Control
Room
SRF Module and
Security R&D
Facility
Klystron
Room
Advanced X-Ray Source
(Security, Energy, Health)
SRF Cleanroom
and Processing
VTF
1
VTF
2
Laser &
Plasma
R&D
RF
Supp
Lab
Diagnostics
Laboratory
Laser
Room
Cryo
Plant
High Current
Proton/Hadron
Facility
Existing enclosure
Existing AND being
utilised/implemented right now
Particle Physics Grants
Grants
• PP experimental grants are now in process of being issued
– for 2+2 years from 1 October 2010.
• Grant funding level follows PPAN recommendations
• Following council’s guidance, LHC upgrade non-core posts
will not be issued until the schedule and priority of the
GPD upgrades is better understood.
– Input from PPAN and from CERN
• PP theory – Proceeding with very small standard grant
round this year
Grants Review
• Council has asked us to review the rolling grant
mechanisms and process
– Concern that PP system is overly complex
– Many outside STFC appear to believe rolling grants are
“outmoded”, are “entitlements” etc.
• Will set up a small panel with outside members
• TOR being drafted
Studentships and fellowships
• 2010 studentship allocations announced – 235
studentships, a 10% reduction.
• 2010 Advanced fellowships offered – 12 fellowships, no
reduction
– Cancellation of the postdoctoral fellowships protected the
studentships and advanced fellowships from an expected 25%
reduction.
• Consultation underway on balance of Studentships vs.
Advanced fellows vs. Postdoctoral fellows for future years.
Impact on Universities
• By the end of any transition period, there will have been a
significant reduction in grants and projects support for
universities
– In addition to the 25% grant reductions from CSR 07
• We will work with the universities, Funding Councils,
EPSRC and other stakeholders, to understand the impact
on physics departments and ensure that physics in the UK
remains vibrant
– BIS report Higher Ambitions – the Future of Universities in a
Knowledge Economy (2009): “We must use scarce resources well.
In future this should mean more research concentration, not less,
especially in the high cost scientific disciplines.”
Drayson/Sterling Review of STFC
Announcement from Lord Drayson
“...there are real tensions in having international science
projects, large scientific facilities and UK grant giving roles
within a single RC. It leads to grants being squeezed by
increases in costs of the large international projects which
are not solely within their control. I will work urgently with
Professor Sterling, STFC and the wider research community
to find a better solution by the end of February 2010.”
Lord Drayson
16 December 2009
Input to the review
• Michael Sterling met with Lord Drayson, BIS, other
Research Coucil chairs & CEOs, astronomy & physics Heads
of Departments, RAS forum, IOP, Wellcome.
• Input to BIS on programme spend by subject by year –
past and planned future, international subscriptions,
facilities.
• Independent input from community, other organisations.
• Formal submission from Michael Sterling to Lord Drayson
with recommendations.
Lord Drayson’s announcement on 4 March
International subscriptions:
• ‘For the remainder of this spending review, 2010/11, the
Department expects to continue to provide STFC with a
level of protection similar to that which has been provided
this year and last in respect of the additional costs of
international subscriptions due to exchange rate changes’
• ‘From the next spending review onwards, BIS is looking at
options for managing the currency risks better. BIS is
working closely with the Bank of England on how to
reduce the exposure of the STFC’
What does this mean in practice?
• For 10/11, it means STFC has to find the first £3M of any
fluctuation due to NNI and exchange rate, and we should
get compensation for any additional requirement.
• This assumption was already built into the prioritisation
planning.
• From 11/12 onwards we may have full compensation but
mechanism not agreed. Still potentially a risk to the
Science Budget.
Lord Drayson’s announcement on 4 March
National facilities
• ‘From 2011/12, RCUK will work with STFC to agree the
availability and support requirements for our large
domestic facilities, Diamond, the Central Laser Facility and
ISIS, at the beginning of each CSR period, with indicative
planning covering the subsequent spending period, a total
of some six years.
• The funding for the delivery of these agreed requirements
will be allocated separately to STFC by BIS starting from
the beginning of the next spending round, 1st April 2011,
and will be managed independently from the remainder of
its budget allocation. This will further increase STFC’s
planning ability and will separate the funding of these
facilities from STFC’s grant-giving function’.
Work on this started before the review
• BIS asked the Research Councils to look at future funding
arrangements for facilities in July 2009. Defined as the UK
based facilities - CLF, ISIS and Diamond.
• Cross Council discussions led by RDG.
• Developed key principles that a good funding option would
need to address:
– how to best target science and extract the most benefit
from large scale research facilities
– how to optimise the operation
– how to choose and manage the acquisition of large
scale research facilities.
RCUK has agreed the following aims
• Funders understand the operating costs and the drivers of
costs at all stages for each facility – open book accounting
• Funders agree the desirable levels of long term support,
but also regular reviews to allow for changes if needed
• Enable funders to commit to costs before demand is
established but negotiate extra access at cost if level of
demand changes
• Allow appropriate access by international researchers and
UK researchers who do not currently hold Research
Council grants
• No change to concept of the capital costs being funded
from the Large Facilities Capital Fund
What does this mean in practice?
• Required capability and funding for each facility agreed at
the beginning of each CSR period, with indicative planning
for additional 3 years (3 + 3 model).
• This funding to be allocated by BIS to STFC on a ring
fenced basis.
• RCUK Implementation group to be established to fill in
the (many) details e.g. upgrade / replacement funding,
international access, access for non grant holders.
• New model to begin April 2011.
Good news but the devil is
in the details….
UK Space Agency
• Announcement by Lord Drayson in December 2009 that
there will be a new executive agency to replace BNSC and
bring together the six Government Departments, two
Research Councils, TSB and the Met Office.
• Launch event 23 March 2010 – Lords Mandelson and
Drayson
UK Space Agency
• Agency to come into being on 1 April 2010
• Additional funding announced for the International Space
Innovation Centre (ISIC) at Harwell - £12M from the BIS
Strategic Investment Fund, total cost £40M. Co-located
with the ESA centre at Harwell.
• Space Agency to take over ESA subscription, and to
represent the UK internationally
• Manage major EU projects including GMES, Galileo and the
EU satellite centre.
• Space science grants to be “dual-key” STFC+UKSA
• CEO to be recruited.
Comprehensive Spending Review
Light at the end of the tunnel
or
oncoming public spending cuts?
CSR preparation
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Discussed at STFC Council in March 2010
Will start to develop scenarios (good and bad)
Base on the existing PPAN and PALS rankings
We are discussing how PPAN, PALS and SB can be
involved in the process
Reasons for worry?
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Public finances
Reasons for optimism?
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Successful work by the community to make science an
election agenda item and raise its profile
– Thanks - and please keep it up
Opportunities offered by LHC, etc.
We have good arguments
Drayson Review and Space Agency means we are
starting from a blank-ish slate
We are not alone in having good arguments…
Understanding the Universe
In the next decade:
• Our new ground and space-based astronomical observatories
will help to reveal the large scale structure of the Universe and
better understand the nature of dark matter and dark energy
• Our experiments at the LHC will reveal the basic laws of nature
at energies where our current models fail
• We expect to directly detect, for the first time, gravitational
waves from distant cosmic phenomena
• We will explore the origins of the elements at FAIR
• We will land a rover on the surface of Mars and search for
evidence of life
… and much more
VISTA telescope
Accepted by ESO December 2009
VISTA
Telescope
M42 nebula
ZJKs – 600 sec
backups
Prioritisation Process
• in October Science Board defined target funding envelopes
for each panel:
10/11
11/12
12/13
13/14
14/15
PALS
£94M
£112M
£116M
£118M
£118M
PPAN
£375M
£373M
£347M
£350M
£348M
• Each panel was also asked to explore ±£10M scenarios
A small strategic shift of resources driven by the goal of
supporting the fuller exploitation of our facilities, and
maximising the impact of major public investments.
Strategic Initiatives
Diamond
Grants, projects, students
International
Subscriptions
STFC Facilities
RCUK £14M
• Research Councils UK agreed that the other Research
Councils will make up to £14M available to STFC from
within the Science and Research Budget.
• This exceptional action, in FY2010-11 only, will assist STFC
to move to a sustainable new strategy in line with the level
of resource already provided to STFC by Government in
CSR07.
• In particular it has removed the risk that STFC's existing
research grants to universities for scientific exploitation
activities would need to be terminated early.