STFC science board ‘gets it right’

The programmatic review by the Science and Technology Facilities Council’s science board has been largely welcomed by researchers, suggesting that the council has finally regained some trust.

The review, published on 26 March, follows a heavily criticised programmatic review in 2008 and a subsequent prioritisation exercise in 2009, when it was forced to cut projects to make up for a significant budget shortfall. The council was also accused of failing to make decisions in a transparent way.

But this time around, researchers are positive: “It’s a fair reflection of what the community’s priorities and concerns are and the balance between the different aspects of the programme,” says Paul Crowther, professor of astrophysics at the University of Sheffield.