On 22 May, two UK funding agencies released a joint statement in support of their merging, a move suggested by the Treasury earlier this year. The government is expected to decide this summer whether to go ahead with the proposed merger of the Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council (PPARC) and the Council for the Central Laboratory of the Research Councils (CCLRC), and to decide on the purview of the new agency.
The motivations for the proposed merger, according to government spokespeople, include positioning the UK to play a stronger role in the next generation of European and global projects and gaining clout with the business community, which could benefit technology transfer. Financial savings is not one of the motivations. Merging would aid in long-term strategic planning over a wide spectrum of scientific fields, says PPARC head Keith Mason. “If you have it all under one roof, it’s easier to...
