Science and Technology Facilities Council
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Update on Neutron Strategic Review
An external review of neutron science and facilities will help update the UK’s long term strategy and maintain our global strength in this field.
The Research Councils announced plans to develop an updated Neutron Strategy in July 2016 with a call for community input. In December, an external strategic review panel held its first meeting and will draw on community and facility inputs to develop recommendations that will help shape the updated strategy. The updated strategy, led by the Science and Technology Facilities Council, will be published in Summer 2017 and will guide future developments and access provision aligned with the key scientific challenges to maximise the broader benefits of neutron science to the UK.
The external review panel members are:
- Professor Philip Withers (Chair) (University of Manchester)
- Professor Jayne Lawrence (King’s College London)
- Professor Matt Rosseinsky (University of Liverpool)
- Professor Julie Yeomans (University of Surrey)
- Professor Jeremy Lakey (Newcastle University)
- Dr Ivana Evans (Durham University)
- Dr Elizabeth Blackburn (University of Birmingham)
- Dr Richard Ibberson (Oak Ridge National Laboratory, USA)
- Dr Kurt Clausen (Paul Scherrer Institute, Switzerland)
- Professor David Rugg (Rolls-Royce plc)
The updated strategy will ensure the UK maintains its place as a world leader in the many areas of science and technology that use neutrons to probe materials and structures. This research is delivering important results in areas ranging from structural analysis in complex engineering components through to improved understanding of biological systems and medicines.
The strategy will provide:
- A 15-20 year vision for the UK science requirements for neutrons and the facilities needed
- A 10-year strategy for UK access to neutron facilities, including underpinning technology, skills and community development
The UK neutron community is one of the largest in Europe, supported by access to two world-leading facilities, ISIS at the Science and Technology Facilities Council’s Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (RAL) and the world-leading reactor source, Institut Laue-Langevin (ILL) in Grenoble. The UK is also making a significant contribution to the construction of the world’s next generation neutron facility, the European Spallation Source (ESS) currently being built in Lund, Sweden, and is a founder member of the ESS consortia.
