UK research at Cern to shrink as government approves STFC cuts

Exclusive: Science department approves UKRI’s cost-saving proposal, with major UK facilities also facing cutbacks

British participation in research at Cern is set to fall after ministers approved a proposal from UK Research and Innovation for saving £162 million in costs at the Science and Technology Facilities Council, Research Professional News can reveal.

Alongside a drop in funding supporting flagship experiments at the world-famous particle physics laboratory in Switzerland, several UK facilities are also likely to be scaled back, including the prestigious Lovell Telescope at Jodrell Bank Observatory.