Developing STFCs Science and Technology strategy

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Developing STFCs Science and Technology strategy

• John Womersley
• Director, Science and Technology Strategy
• November 2007

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Outline

• Introduction to STFCs Science Strategy processes
• UK Large facilities roadmap and consultation
• Technology Strategy and Gateway Centres
• Comprehensive Spending Review 2007

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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

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The Science we Address

• Some examples
• Why is there a universe?
• What is the origin of mass?
• Was there ever life on Mars?
• How are the chemical elements created?
• How can we design better treatments for cancer?
• How do cells work?
• How can we create new materials to store energy?

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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

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Science strategy

• We are currently engaged in the process of
• Identifying and prioritising 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
• Prioritising short to medium-term investment
  projects in the context of funds available
• Carrying out a programmatic review of current
  projects and programmes

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The strategy must

• Provide the guidebook for the councils detailed
  investment plan
• Which means it must
• Connect with our research communities and the
  other research councils
• Be clearly communicated and explained to staff
  and stakeholders
• Be an international strategy
• Be a people strategy, nurturing our core
  competencies and skills
• Integrate both science and technology
• Connect with plans for to develop the Harwell and
  Daresbury sites as science and innovation
  campuses

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In tres partes divisa est
Facilities In-house expertise
Science Strategy Team
Science Committees Peer Review
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Committees and peer review
Council
Science Board
Science Committees
PPAN1
PALS2
AGP
PPRP
ASTAB
GrantsPanels
PPGP
Accelerator Science and Technology Advisory Board
Projects PeerReview Panel(s)
NPGP
1 Particle Physics, Astronomy and Nuclear
Physics 2 Physical and Life Sciences
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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

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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

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PALS science committee

• Professor Tim Wess, Cardiff (chair)
• Professor Chick Wilson, Glasgow (deputy Chair)
• Dr. Katherine Brown, Imperial College
• Professor Carole Goble, Manchester
• Professor Michael Gunn, Birmingham
• Professor Ken McKendrick, Herriott-Watt
• Professor Steven Rose, Imperial College
• Professor Phil Withers, Manchester
• Professor Paul Attfield, Edinburgh
• (vacancy)

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Links to communities

• An essential component
• Role was played in the past by PPARCs advisory
  panels, with varying degree of success
• PPAN and PALS committees have been charged to
  come up with proposed mechanisms
• Will try to make use of existing professional
  societies and user groups where appropriate
• In the meantime, please feel you can talk to us
  or to the committee members

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Saying no

• Resources are limited
• We will need to say no to good science
• This is a real shame
• but we cant borrow (or print) money
• And if were going to say no
• Best to say no sooner
• Best to say no to whole projects

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Proteins or protons?

• How to compare projects in very different areas?
• Viki Weisskopfs diagram Physics Today, May
  1967
• Good proposals lie at (or beyond) the boundary
• Goal is to push the boundary upwards and to the
  right

Intrinsic interest or Science Impact Longer term
payoff
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4
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External impact Short term payoff
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• Letter to The Times, August 27, 2007
• Sir, Richard Horton, editor of The Lancet, says
  the best science more and more depends on
  international collaborations. No single nation
  can stand alone successfully in its science
  policy. (letters, August, 23). I couldnt agree
  more.
• What I would disagree with is his assertion that
  UK policymakers are being driven by short-term
  political concerns. The Government fully
  recognises the importance of international
  collaboration on scientific research. In fact,
  recent figures show that nearly 40 per cent of UK
  scientific output over the past five years
  involved international collaboration a 50 per
  cent increase compared with the previous five
  years.
• Britain has a proud tradition of excellence in
  science and we must ensure that continues. We
  need to be world class at both basic research and
  translating the outcomes of that research.
  However, there should be no suggestion that basic
  research will suffer as a result of the drive to
  achieve the more effective use of research for
  Britain. That the Government has doubled science
  spending in real terms in the last decade serves
  as testament to our commitment to scientific
  research.
• JOHN DENHAM Secretary of State for Innovation,
  Universities and Skills

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STFC criteria

• Scientific impact and timeliness
• Does it offer the potential for breakthroughs in
  its area?
• Economic impact
• Societal impact
• Education, outreach, training/skills, 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
• The global context, US, India/China

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Large Facilities Roadmap

• Update on 2005 roadmap
• To include any projects that we may wish to fund
  through the Large Facilities Capital Fund (as
  before)
• But also to include major projects funded through
  the Councils base level of support,
  subscriptions etc.
• ? A broad view of research infrastructures

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STFC Projects
Diamond phase 3
Materials Innovation Institute
Sapphire
ISIS TS2 phase 3
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STFC Projects
4GLS
ESRF upgrade
Hartree Centre Computational Science
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STFC Projects
HIPER
ELI
Future neutron sources ESS/MW neutron source ILL
20/20 upgrade
DIPOLE laser
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STFC Projects
European ELT
Next generation Gravitational wave observatory
FAIR
SKA
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STFC Projects
International Linear Collider
LHC upgrades
Underground science Neutrinos, dark matter
Neutrino factory
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How did we get this list?

• Drawn from
• ESFRI roadmap
• Roadmaps of the European particle physics,
  astronomy and particle astrophysics communities
• PPARC and CCLRC roadmaps
• Facility user communities, UK nuclear physics
  community

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Guiding principles

• Facilities should match our core businesses and
  benefit from our technology or skills base
• Should be large
• i.e. capital contribution of order 25M or more
• Should have significant UK community interest

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Community input

• Roadmap consultation period started early
  November
• The roadmap and invitation for input are at
• http//www.rcuk.ac.uk/research/resinfra/lfroadmap
  .htm
• Comments are solicited both on the projects in
  the draft roadmap and those that the community
  might wish to see added
• Deadline is mid January, but sooner is better

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Large Facilities Capital Fund

• UK government funding mechanism for large
  capital-intensive facilities
• 100M/year
• Research councils are to agree their priorities
  and present them to government by end of year
• Financial flexibility is limited until 2010,
  but the CSR07 settlement mentions the possibility
  of significant increase in the fund if the
  quality of projects merits it

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UK Light Source Review

• International review committee to give strategic
  advice on future provision of light sources and
  high power lasers
• Murray Gibson (ANL, Chair), Jerry Hastings
  (SLAC), Yves Petroff, Wolfgang Sandner (Max Born
  Inst.)
• Met in London July 17-18
• Presentations from broad spectrum of the user
  community and from project proponents
• Diamond and Sapphire
• CLF and upgrade plans
• XFEL and FLASH
• ESRF and upgrade plans
• 4GLS, ERLP and SRS
• Thoughtful committee, very useful discussions

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Recommendations

• In the Panels view in many respects the UK is in
  excellent shape
• a strong record in light source science
• a strong diverse research community
• many innovative accelerator and detector
  concepts
• Diamond is demonstrating enormous potential
• The Panel expressed very serious reservations
  about the 4GLS and Sapphire projects as currently
  proposed
• However the Panel clearly stated that if we
  harness our expertise in the field there is a
  real opportunity for the UK to develop a
  world-class facility and to propel us to
  European leadership

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Next Steps

• We are not putting forward either 4GLS or
  Sapphire projects to the Large Facilities Capital
  Fund instead, we are pressing the reset button
• We are instituting a new project to deliver a
  proposal for a Next Light Source
• Project needs to be focused on the key science
  drivers start by identifying these science
  drivers and how to address them, in conjunction
  with the community
• We want a proposal ready for consideration by
  late summer 2009
• We are taking this forward within a new Photon
  Sciences Department in STFC

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XFEL

• Project launched on 5th June
• This means DESY is now authorised to spend
• XFEL GmbH to be set up by end of year
• Our goal is to maximise our in-kind contributions
  within the 30M already allocated in LFCF
• Pixel detector, streak camera

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Technology strategy
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STFC and Technology

• STFCs facilities and science programmes drive
  the development of cutting edge technologies
• Sensors and instrumentation
• Advanced materials
• Computing
• Engineering and space technology

• STFCs capabilities enable technology
  development by industry and HEI researchers
• Imaging
• Simulation and modelling
• Access to facilities
• Campuses as focal points for collaboration with
  industry and HEIs

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• STFC spends gt 20M per year on technology
  development
• Generates gt 100M per year in industrial
  technology spending
• We plan to work with the Technology Strategy
  Board
• to strengthen ties to industry
• to apply our technology base to major challenges

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Applications of STFCs capabilities
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Applications of STFCs capabilities
Space technology centre
Work with TSB - e.g. Innovation Platforms
programme Expand technology partnerships programme
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Technology Gateway Centres

• Joint Institute for Materials Design
  integrating materials innovation with advanced
  characterization
• Imaging Solutions Centre transforming
  facilities access into solutions access
• Detector Systems Centre - delivering advanced
  detector technology
• Hartree Centre a step-change in simulation and
  modelling capabilities for strategic research
• Space centre a new space centre for the UK
• Serve as focal points for collaboration, linking
  laboratories, universities and industry
• Technology Strategy Board, other RCs and RDAs

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Accelerators

• Accelerator technology is a key enabler across a
  large fraction of our research
• Particle and nuclear physics
• Synchrotrons and free electron light sources
• Neutron sources
• Accelerator Science and Technology Advisory Board
  
• set up by CCLRC, will continue to advise STFC
• International membership, chair Steve Myers
  (CERN)
• Gives advice on strategic direction
• Meeting in October and December 2007
• Cockcroft and John Adams Institutes

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Comprehensive Spending Review 2007
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2007 Spending Review

• At its meeting on 2 November STFC Council
  considered its CSR07 settlement.  The settlement
  contained an increase for full economic cost and
  support for the costs associated with the closure
  of the SRS, otherwise it represented an
  essentially flat cash allocation.
• While the settlement will enable the Council to
  pursue much of our planned programme, the costs
  of running the STFC will increase not just with
  inflation but also due to the increased costs of
  operating some new major facilities.  The
  consequence is that with other minor adjustments
  the STFC is looking at a deficit of about 80m in
  its existing programme over the CSR period.

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• In moving forward the Council reaffirmed that its
  strategy will continue to be guided by four key
  principles which it believes are at the heart of
  its mission and the rationale for creating the
  Council. They are
• the highest quality science and technology
• a healthy and vibrant university community
• international impact and credibility
• increased economic impact particularly through
  the development of the Harwell and Daresbury
  Science and Innovation Campuses

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• Council also reaffirmed that a major
  restructuring of its activities is necessary
• Given the settlement this process of
  restructuring will now be accelerated. Some tough
  decisions will have to be made and in some cases
  relatively quickly. The Council has asked the
  executive to come forward with detailed plans in
  consultation with its Science Board and the PALS
  and PPAN Committees.
• Council recognises that the restructuring of our
  activities will impact on both our research
  community and our staff but believes it will put
  us on a stronger footing for the future.
• We will aim to reach decisions and remove
  uncertainty as soon as is possible.

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• At its meeting on November 21, Council considered
  such a plan
• Details are presently embargoed
• Some free advice
• Fasten your seatbelts, turbulence ahead
• Wait till you see the whole picture before
  reacting
• When the wagons are circled, remember to shoot
  outwards

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Closing remarks
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Per ardua

• 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 deliver
• 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
  Strategywill aim to do

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ad astra

• The future is not short of challenges
• If they are to be addressed, we will need to
  harness
• science
• technology
• innovation
• and the enthusiasm and dedication of people like
  you
• More ambition, more excellence
• Lets see just how good we can be

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• Questions, comments?
• Your input is welcome
• john.womersley_at_stfc.ac.uk
• 01793 442622

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Keith Mason presentation to SUPA

• We are ambitious to foster a new generation of
  research leaders who can increase our science
  impact
• We are ambitious to increase substantially our
  RD investment consistent with our strategy and
  priorities (the scale of this investment and rate
  of ramp-up will depend on CSR07)
• We are looking for opportunities to base more
  European capability in the UK.
• What is the best model for us to engage with
  Scottish universities, Scottish Enterprise and
  the SFC on the Knowledge Exchange agenda? Could
  a tripole form an element of such a model?

UK ATC
Daresbury
Campus Dipole
Campus Tripole?
Harwell