IoPP onscreen PowerPoint slides

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International Review of UK Research in Physics
and Astronomy 2005

Professor Peter Main Director, Education and
Science 27 January 2006 peter.main_at_iop.org
www.iop.org
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Terms of reference

• The Panel was asked to report on the quality,
  distribution of effort and future potential of
  research in physics and astronomy in the UK.
• Where possible the Panel should indicate areas of
  strength, weakness, improvement, decline and
  growth with respect to the preceding review.

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Terms of reference

• Evaluation in a quantitative manner may not be
  possible but comparison with and contrasting to
  the very best research internationally in
  equivalent research areas would be valuable.
• Recommendations that point out aspects that need
  special attention either to strengthen, halt
  decline or ensure a capacity to future
  opportunities are particularly requested.

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The Steering Group and the Secretariat

• The Steering Group
• Professor Sir John Enderby, the Institute of
  Physics (Chair)
• Professor John OReilly, EPSRC
• Professor Keith Mason, PPARC
• Professor Kathryn Whaler, the Royal Astronomical
  Society
• The Secretariat
• Institute of Physics Professor Peter Main,
  Philip Diamond, Tajinder Panesor and Vanessa
  Crichton
• EPSRC Jane Nicholson and Dr Joanna Coleman
• PPARC Dr Catherine Ewart and Nigel Calvin
• Royal Astronomical Society Dr Mike Hapgood

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The Panel

• Professor Jürgen Mlynek, Helmholtz Association,
  Germany (Chair)
• Professor Roger Blandford FRS, Stanford
  University, USA
• Professor Richard Casten, Yale University, USA
• Professor Mildred Dresselhaus, Massachusetts
  Institute of Technology, USA
• Professor Stephen Forrest, Princeton University,
  USA
• Professor Daan Frenkel, University of Amsterdam,
  the Netherlands
• Professor Hermann Gaub, Ludwig-Maximillians
  Munich University, Germany
• Professor David Gross, University of California,
  Santa Barbara, USA
• Professor Massimo Inguscio, University of
  Florence, Italy
• Professor Sir Anthony Leggett FRS, University of
  Illinois at Urbana- Champaign, USA
• Professor Tuija Pulkkinen, Finnish Meteorological
  Institute, Finland
• Professor Govind Swarup FRS, National Centre for
  Radio Astronomy, India
• Professor Albrecht Wagner, German Synchrotron
  Research Centre (DESY), Germany
• Professor Anton Zeilinger, University of Vienna,
  Austria

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Information available to the Panel

• Experience and knowledge of UK research and of
  the British physics and astronomy community by
  the panel members in their areas of expertise.
• A Background and Information Data Document,
  which is a substantial body of data on the
  funding, staffing and outputs of physics and
  astronomy research throughout the university and
  research council sector, collected and collated
  by the Secretariat.

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Information available to the Panel

• A Key Issues Paper, which used the 2000 report
  as a baseline, to highlight the key changes that
  have taken place in the science base, and the
  individual sub-fields of physics and astronomy on
  which the 2000 international panel commented, and
  suggested recommendations for support and
  improvement.
• The results of a questionnaire sent out by the
  Panel to their non-UK colleagues, with the aim of
  providing the Panel with a broad-based view of
  the quality of UK physics and astronomy research
  being undertaken in their particular sub-fields.

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Information available to the Panel

• The programme of site visits for the Panel was
  devised by the Steering Group and agreed by the
  Chair of the Panel. The Panel were divided into
  four sub-groups reflecting their research
  expertise. Departments at the following
  universities were visited
• University of Cambridge
• Cardiff University (with University of Wales
  Swansea)
• University of Durham
• Lancaster University
• University of Leicester
• University of Liverpool
• Liverpool John Moores University
• Imperial College London
• University College London
• Scottish Universities Physics Alliance (at
  University of Glasgow) and
• University of Warwick.

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Information available to the Panel

• The Panel also visited the CCLRC Rutherford
  Appleton Laboratory. Individual panel members
  visited groups at the University of Oxford.
• All the university departments completed a
  comprehensive data template, to provide the Panel
  with a comparable set of information and
  statistics on their research as well as providing
  an insight into their research priorities.
• The visits to the university departments
  consisted of presentations and informal
  discussions with academics, PDRAs and PhD
  students.

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Outline programme

• Monday, 31 October 2005
• Introduction and welcome Professor Peter Main,
  IOP.
• Background Presentations Professor John
  OReilly, EPSRC
• Professor Keith Mason, PPARC and Professor Sir
  John Pendry, RAE 2008.
• The Panel - working sessions.
• Sub-panel groups travel to 1st set of departments.

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Outline programme

• Tuesday, 1 November 2005
• Sub-panel groups undertake formal departmental
  visits.
• Sub-panel groups travel to 2nd set of
  departments.
• Wednesday, 2 November 2005
• Sub-panel groups undertake formal departmental
  visits.
• Sub-panel groups return to London.
• Evening off.

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Outline programme

• Thursday, 3 November 2005
• CCLRC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory visit.
• Evening Working dinner for Panel.
• Friday, 4 November 2005
• Panel meeting and drafting of report.
• Meeting of Panel with representatives of the
  Steering Group and the Secretariat.
• Formal thanks. Panel members free to leave.

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Response to the Review

• Each of the four sponsoring bodies will be
• making an official response to the Panels
• report.
• For the Institute, please forward any views and
• comments to Tajinder Panesor, Policy Officer
• at tajinder.panesor_at_iop.org

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Working for physics Supporting physicists
Professor Peter Main Director, Education and
Science 27 January 2006 peter.main_at_iop.org www.
iop.org