All That Matters

It was only a few days ago that I blogged about the threats to science in an age of global austerity. The point I made is that in many countries national budgets are cut, and that as a result science, too, faces inevitable cuts. Of course, this does not mean that I favour such cuts, but if they’re coming we’re better be prepared! Not every country can afford to increase the science budget by 10 to 20% every year, as China is doing.

And indeed, today we have yet another case in point for the inevitable fallout from such cuts, sadly highlighting the pitfalls of a lack of broader strategy. The case I am describing is limited to the UK, but this example will be interesting for others, too.

As my colleague Richard Van Noorden reported today, budget cuts have been announced across the physical sciences in the UK. The situation at the funding agency, the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC),  is indeed dramatic. As Richard summarises: “The agency, which has a budget of £830 million (US$1.3 billion) for 2010–11, faces cuts of some 12–15% in real terms – and a 50% cut in capital funds – over the next four years.”

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