Science and Technology
Facilities Council
One of Europe’s largest multi-disciplinary
scientific research organisations
UK Science Governance
HM Government (and HM Treasury)
RCUK Executive Group
STFC Role
We enable a broad range of scientists to do world class and
world-leading research, tackling some of the most fundamental
scientific questions, both curiosity driven and application led
We do this by:
o Funding university researchers
o Providing access to UK world class facilities
o Providing access to world class overseas facilities
This generates an asset base which we then promote and exploit to
stimulate innovation and growth in the economy
UK Astronomy Technology Centre
Edinburgh, Scotland
Polaris House
Swindon, Wiltshire
Daresbury Laboratory
Daresbury Science and Innovation Campus
Warrington, Cheshire
Rutherford Appleton Laboratory
Harwell Science and Innovation Campus
Didcot, Oxfordshire
Chilbolton Observatory
Stockbridge, Hampshire
Joint Astronomy
Centre
Hawaii
Isaac Newton Group
of Telescopes
La Palma
STFC Funding
Three budget strands:
• International Subscriptions – set by BIS
• Facilities – agreed by other RCs
• Core programme – STFC priorities
International Subscriptions
o CERN (14%)
o European Southern Observatory (20%)
o European Synchrotron Radiation
Facility (15%)
o Institute Laue-Langevin (33%)
o Gemini Observatory (20%)
STFC Facilities –
driving scientific research
Neutron Source - ISIS
Providing powerful insights into key areas of energy,
biomedical research, climate, environment and security
High Power Lasers
Providing applications on bioscience and
nanotechnology and demonstrating laser driven fusion
as a future source of sustainable, clean energy
Light Source - DIAMOND
Providing new breakthroughs in
medicine, environmental and materials
science, engineering, electronics and
cultural heritage
STFC’s Core Science Programme
Understanding our Universe
Particle Physics / Particle Astrophysics
o Revealing the structure and forces of nature Large Hadron Collider, CERN
o Advanced LIGO will observe and study
Gravitational Waves, opening a new window on
the universe
Ground based Astronomy
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European Southern Observatory, Chile
Very Large Telescope
Atacama Large Millimetre Array
European Extremely Large Telescope
STFC’s Core Science Programme
Understanding our Universe
Space based Astronomy
o UK Space Agency manages missions
o European Space Agency
and bilaterals – NASA, JAXA, etc
o Missions: Herschel/Planck/GAIA/James Webb
Space Telescope.
o STFC RAL Space Technology Department
o STFC funded science exploitation
Nuclear Physics
o Facility for Anti-proton and Ion Research,
Germany
o Nuclear Skills for - medicine, energy and
environmental applications
Academic Partners
STFC fund university research projects and postgraduate
training awards in astronomy, particle physics, space science
and nuclear physics
o Funding over 1,700 academics,
technicians, research associates,
engineers and technicians in UK
universities
o STFC also provide universities with
the opportunity to apply for contracts
with major international science
facilities
Technology to underpin science
Developing and delivering innovative technologies in STFC
laboratories and in collaboration with University groups
Key Technology Strengths
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Accelerator technologies
Instrumentation
Detectors and Sensors
Data Acquisition and Processing Systems
Microelectronics design
Micro/nano technology
High Performance Computing
o Engineering technology centres based at Harwell and
Daresbury Science and Innovation Campuses
o System Integration
Delivering Impact
STFC’s vision is to extract maximum impact and benefit
from its research base in order to:
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enrich society
develop new skills
drive the economy
improve the lives of citizens
Impact through inspiration and innovation
www.stfc.ac.uk
STFC Innovation strategy
• World class Science and Facilities leading to
Innovation and Skills
• Strong technology base for R&D
• Exploit in multiple applications
• Futures – develop links to Grand Challenges
• Campuses and Centres to stimulate exchange
• R&D – eg RAL Space and NERC for Earth Obs
• Contract work – eg ESO receivers for ALMA
STFC Science and
Innovation Campuses
Harwell and Daresbury
o Unique platform for Public/ Private
Collaboration
 Academia/ Local Authorities/ Business
o Multi-disciplinary
o Providing Incubator space for new
Businesses, and Specialist Research
Institutes, e.g. ESA Centre
Delivering Science/ Technology/ Innovation/
Commercialisation across a wide range
of disciplines and sectors
Science and Technology Centres
Deliver a new level of engagement between
Academic and Industrial Researchers
o International Space Innovation Centre (ISIC)
 Climate change, Earth observation, Mission
security
o International Centre of Excellence for Computational Science
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Energy, Life Sciences, Environment, Materials Science
o Innovations Technology Access Centre
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Providing laboratory space and analytical services to SMEs
o Centre for Advanced Laser Technology

Advanced Technologies for fast and high power lasers
International Space Innovation Centre
• A new environment where government, universities and
industry can work together to better exploit scientific
opportunities and create new technologies and IP that
exploits UK, European and Global Space Programmes
• ISIC project will focus on three key areas:
– Climate change
– Security of space systems
– Earth observation data
• ISIC building complex will house:
– Research – agencies, academics, and commercial
– Incubation of new businesses
– Open Innovation and Commercialisation
infrastructure
Research Complex at Harwell (RCaH)
• RCaH is a new, multidisciplinary laboratory that provides facilities for
researchers to undertake new and cutting edge scientific research in
both life and physical sciences and the interface between them.
• Located on the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (RAL) site on the
Harwell Science and Innovation Campus
• Adjacent to the Diamond Synchrotron Radiation (SR) source and
close to other leading facilities on the campus: the ISIS neutron
source, Central Laser Facility, Membrane Protein Laboratory, MRC
Mammalian Genetics Unit and Mary Lyon Centre, and a Biological
Solid State NMR Facility.
• It is open to research teams from UK
universities and the facilities. The MRC is
leading the project on behalf of RCUK, in
partnership with BBSRC, EPSRC, NERC,
STFC and Diamond.
Examples of Innovation
• Bio-imaging with BBSRC
• DL Innovation Centre
and ITAC
• Hydrogen storage materials on ISIS
• ISIC and other Centres
STFC science inspires
Through the wonders and inspiration of its science STFC
is securing the future research capability of the nation
o Science inspires youngsters and
school pupils to pursue further
education in STEM
subjects
Impact through Innovation
Impact through Innovation
Proteins for better health
Access to the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF),
through the UK’s STFC subscription, has given UK scientists the
opportunity to make an important development that will help the
design of new drugs
o Using exceptionally small beams of X-rays
the structure of G protein-coupled receptors
has been determined
o These findings will enable scientists to
target drugs more effectively and also
discover new drugs for the treatment of
other diseases
Mapping the brain with light
Each year 10,000 people in the UK are diagnosed with
Parkinson’s disease
o There is currently no cure but the Diamond Light
Source, the UK’s synchrotron, is helping scientists
better understand the brain’s chemistry which
could help early diagnosis and the development
of new treatments
o Early diagnosis is key to control chemical changes
that cause significant cell death
o This will result in more effective treatment and
helping to maintain a better quality of life
www.diamond.ac.uk
“The atomic nucleus is responsible for more than 99.9%
of the mass of all the matter we can see…
100 years after the experimental verification of
The nucleus and we are still uncovering its mysteries.”
Professor Paddy Regan, University of Surrey
o Exotic nuclei often only exist for fractions
of a second before they decay
 a gamma-ray spectrometer, designed
and built at STFC Daresbury Laboratory,
is enabling scientists to study their
existence and internal structure
www.stfc.ac.uk
A new vision for new times
Impact through inspiration and innovation