Institute of Physics submits to the Wakeham Review

The Institute of Physics

30 May 2008

The Wakeham Review

The Institute of Physics (IOP) has now submitted its response to the RCUK Review of UK Physics. The Review, chaired by Professor Bill Wakeham, vice-chancellor of the University of Southampton, will consider actions that might be taken to ensure the continued health of physics research in the UK. It is due to report in autumn this year.

The Wakeham Review was announced amidst much negative publicity surrounding the Science and Technology Facilities Council’s (STFC) funding shortfall and many hope that the Review will go some way to addressing current concerns.

The IOP’s submission discusses the value that physics-trained people add to the UK’s economy across a range of crucial industries, and the interdisciplinary nature of physics, reflecting on the catalysing effect that breakthroughs in physics can have across the other sciences.

It also raises key issues which need to be addressed to ensure a brighter future for UK physics, including the introduction of a system which would redirect the cost of running scientific facilities to the research councils which gain most use from them. At present, STFC foots the bill for a number of facilities for which its grant recipients are not the most frequent users.

Professor Peter Main, director of education and science at IOP, concludes the submission with a note of caution, “It would go some way to address the earlier bad publicity if the final report could be positive about the current and future importance of the subject and emphasise how much the nation needs physicists.”

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