John Womersley

Developing STFC’s Science and Technology strategy

John WomersleyDirector, Science Strategy

June 2007

John Womersley

Who are we?

The Council was created on April 1, 2007 It is responsible for

– fundamental research in particle physics, nuclear physics, astronomy, space

– major UK facilities for the physical and life sciences synchrotrons, light sources, lasers, neutrons

– national laboratories at RAL, Daresbury, UKATC– international science projects

CERN, ESO, ESA, ILL, ESRF… Over 2000 staff and an annual budget of over £700M

John Womersley

World Class Science

Fund the best research, working for the UK as a whole

Adventurous not “solid”

Doing new things not doing the same thing with smaller errors

Influencing a project not tagging along

Focused on excellence not make sure we are doing a bit of everything

John Womersley

Science strategy

Over the next year or so, we need to

Identify and prioritise the scientific opportunities likely to arise within the next fifteen years or so, understanding the scientific potential, the competitive context, the technologies required for their success and an estimate of the cost

Prioritise short to medium-term investment projects in the context of funds available

Carry out a programmatic review of current projects and programmes

John Womersley

The strategy must then inform a detailed STFC scientific investment plan against the budget set by Council

It must

Connect with the research communities and the other research councils

Be clearly communicated and explained to staff and stakeholders

John Womersley

The strategy must also …

Be an international strategy

– Successfully carrying out our strategy is likely to involve our asserting a greater degree of influence over the strategies of the international organisations that we are members of

– When we engage internationally with partners on ESFRI projects, or with India or China, we must be mindful of the place of these projects in our science strategy

John Womersley

Be a people strategy– Our science capabilities depend on our skills base

and training– Movement of skilled people is of great importance to

economic impact

Be coordinated with plans for the Harwell and Daresbury campuses– If the campuses are to “deliver a radically new way

of doing science” the science strategy must support this.

– If we wish to anchor each campus with an ESFRI-class facility we need a closely coordinated approach between science strategy, campus strategy and the international office.

John Womersley

Be a science and technology strategy– Can’t meaningfully separate the two– STFC’s science programmes drive technology – STFC’s facilities enable technology development

John Womersley

Strategy development

Science CommitteesPeer Review

Science Strategy Team

FacilitiesIn-house expertise

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Committees and peer review

Science Board

PPAN PALS

AGP PPRP etc.PPGP

NPGPASTAB

Accelerator Science and Technology Advisory Board

Still to be finalisedScope of PPRP?Separate panel for R&D?

new

Now in place

John Womersley

STFC Science Board

Professor Sir Peter Knight, Imperial College (chair) Professor Jenny Thomas, UCL (deputy chair) Professor Gabriel Aeppli, London Centre for

Nanotechnology Professor John Ellis, CERN Professor Monica Grady, Open University Professor Matt Grifffin, University of Cardiff Professor Douglas Kell, University of Manchester Professor Tony Ryan, University of Sheffield

John Womersley

PPAN science committee

Professor Walter Gear, Cardiff (chair) Dr. Jordan Nash, IC/CERN (deputy chair) Dr. David Barnes, Aberystwyth Dr. Iain Bertram, Lancaster Professor Michael Bode, LJMU Professor Jonathan Butterworth, UCL Professor Yvonne Elsworth, Birmingham Professor Brian Fulton, York Professor Ruth Gregory, Durham Professor Sheila Rowan, Glasgow

John Womersley

PALS science committee

Dr. Katherine Brown, Imperial College Professor Athene Donald, Cambridge Professor Carole Goble, Manchester Professor Michael Gunn, Birmingham Professor Ken McKendrick, Herriott-Watt Professor Steven Rose, Imperial College Professor Chick Wilson, Glasgow Professor Phil Withers, Manchester Professor Paul Attfield, Edinburgh (+ one vacancy)

Chair TBN

John Womersley

Science strategy team

Small group of order six people, seconded from universities etc. to bring new and different viewpoints

In process of being set up– Professor Louise Harra (UCL)– Professor John Zarnecki (Open University)

Goals– Horizon scanning for opportunities, new ideas,

brainstorming– Select and develop ideas to take forward– Examples:

Energy Cross council programmes on stem cells and

security

John Womersley

Communication

Communication is critical– Within the organisation– With the research communities– With the other research councils– With the government– With international partners– With the public– …

S&T Strategy will be tightly coupled to communications Good communication is especially critical when resources

are tight and the community is under stress

John Womersley

Particle and nuclear physics What can particle and nuclear physics expect?

Short term – continuity – Existing grants and awards will continue – PPAN will continue the broad direction established by

PPARC, with nuclear physics brought into the process New Nuclear Physics Grants Panel

Longer term – opportunities and challenges– PP/NP projects will be part of a much broader

spectrum of activities– Opportunity to secure funding from a larger pool– … but need to make case in a wider forum

John Womersley

Saying no

Resources are limited

We will need to say “no” to good science– This is a real shame– but we can’t borrow

(or print) money

And if we’re going to say “no”– Best to say “no” sooner– Best to say “no” to whole projects

John Womersley

Proteins or protons? How to compare projects in very different areas?

Viki Weisskopf’s diagram– Good proposals lie near the boundary– Goal is to push the boundary upwards and to the right

1

4

2

3

intrinsic(“science”)

interest

external impact

John Womersley

We need to think about a large number of potential projects…

HiPER Extreme Light

Infrastructure DIPOLE laser ESS and/or a MW neutron

source ILL 20/20 upgrade ESRF upgrade European ELT SKA ESA centre at Harwell FAIR (nuclear physics)

ISIS Target Station 2 phase II Diamond phase III Diamond “Sapphire”

upgrades Materials Innovation and

Imaging Institute Computational science centre 4GLS light source LHC upgrade International linear collider Neutrino factory Underground Science …

John Womersley

Remember – for UK projects

We control the schedule and the overall scope We can choose “yes”, “no” or “not yet”

– For international projects We do not control the schedule or the scope But we have the flexibility to choose a level of

participation

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Large Facilities Roadmap Timeline

– “Long list” of projects being finalised now

– Consultation process over the summer

– Prioritisation first within each research council, then jointly in the autumn

– New roadmap by end of year

John Womersley

A draft set of criteria Scientific impact and timeliness

– Does it offer the potential for breakthroughs in its area? “tear up the textbooks?”

Economic impact Societal impact

– Education, outreach, training/skills, match to public policy priorities Level of UK leadership or UK impact Breadth of community served Risk Match with the views of other research councils and communities Coherence and synergy across programme

– does it enhance and/or exploit existing facilities or subscriptions– does it exploit our unique capabilities and/or skills base– match to DSIC/HSIC campus developments

The European context, ESFRI, need for quid pro quo? The global context, India/China etc.

John Womersley

Final thoughts

Our long-term ability to generate more support depends on more than just good science. We must also show that– we can plan– we can prioritise– we can stop things (even when they are good)– we can be imaginative – we can “do more”– we are relevant

(economic impact, society, education…)

This is what the Science and Technology Strategy will aim to do

John Womersley

MICE issues

Schedule

Common fund

Support for MICE– MICE phase II in the UK

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backups

John Womersley

Questions, comments on these issues or on the programme?

Your input is welcome

john.womersley@stfc.ac.uk

01793 442622

John Womersley

In the coming year

“Business continuity”– Grants, proposals, project oversight…

Taking stock– A broad programmatic review– Review of accelerator R&D (cross-STFC)

New ideas– Two areas where we should “think different” in the

short term: Communications Campus developments

– The creation of STFC gives us a mandate and an opportunity in both these areas

John Womersley

Younger members of the audience (and the young at heart)

we are looking to you

More ambition, more excellence

Let’s see how good we can be