Signals are grim for Jodrell Bank Observatory after UK science funding decision
UK Research and Innovation has reduced funding for the Particle Physics, Astronomy and Nuclear Physics budget, putting Jodrell Bank Observatory’s future at risk. The e-MERLIN radio telescope array, including the historic Lovell Telescope, will lose UK support after 2028 unless alternative financing is found. Additional cuts affect other facilities such as the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope and the Birmingham Solar Oscillations Network.
- ▪UKRI announced a 2.7% cut to the PPAN science budget over four years, leading to potential funding loss for Jodrell Bank.
- ▪Funding for the e-MERLIN array, operated from Jodrell Bank, is set to end in 2028 without new sources of money.
- ▪The iconic 250‑foot Lovell Telescope, a key component of e-MERLIN, faces an uncertain future as funding dries up.
- ▪Other UK science programs, including the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope in Hawaii, also lost future funding.
- ▪Scientists and officials have expressed concern that the cuts could damage the UK’s scientific reputation and inspire future generations.
2 outlets in our directory ran this story, first to last over 21 hours. All of the coverage we found sits in one bucket: centre. That one-sidedness is itself worth noticing.
- ▪ Jodrell Bank observatory set to lose scientific funding — Financial Times — World
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(function() { let windowUrl = window.location.href; windowUrl = windowUrl.substring(windowUrl.indexOf('?') + 1); let messageElement = document.querySelector('.shareableMessage'); if (windowUrl && windowUrl.includes('code') && windowUrl.includes('expires')) { messageElement.style.display = 'block'; } })(); SCIENCE Signals are grim for Jodrell Bank Observatory after UK science funding decision Support for e-MERLIN ends 2028 unless the historic radio astronomy center can find another source of cash Richard Speed Richard Speed MICROSOFT ECOSYSTEM REPORTER Published tue 28 Jul 2026 // 11:28 UTC Jodrell Bank Observatory faces an uncertain future after UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) pulled funding.The UK's Particle Physics, Astronomy and Nuclear Physics (PPAN) science budget is decreasing by…
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