Review of STFC Particle Physics Department

27 Jun 2011 02:13 PM

STFC is conducting a review intended to provide recommendations on future Particle Physics activity undertaken by STFC staff at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory.

The review will report to Richard Wade, Chief Operating Officer, STFC in September 2011 and will be conducted by a panel comprising:

• John Womersley - STFC (Chair)
• Austin Ball - CERN
• Steve Lloyd - Queen Mary, University of London
• Janet Seed - STFC
• Steve Watts - University of Manchester

The implementation of the recommendations of the review will be led by STFC RAL Particle Physics Department management.

The Terms of Reference for the review are provided below. Members of the community are invited to comment on the issues raised in the Terms of Reference and on any unique contribution the particle physics activity at RAL makes to support their research activities in particular and the UK national research programme in general.

To do so, please email ppd.review@stfc.ac.uk by Friday 15th July 2011. It should be noted that responses may be made public.

For further information, please contact:

• Victoria Wright
  Tel: +44 (0)1793 442 082

Review of PPD

Purpose of the review

To recommend how future Particle Physics activity at RAL should be undertaken.

Terms of Reference

The review should:

1. Consider
   
   • the current capabilities and expertise in the Particle Physics Department at RAL;
   • the appropriate future role, looking to 5 years and beyond, for the Particle Physics activity at RAL given that we wish it to concentrate on a technical support mission for the UK national programme.
   
   
2. Recommend the appropriate size, areas of expertise and structure for future Particle Physics activity at RAL. The review will not select individuals or match individuals against posts. The population of the agreed structure will be an issue for STFC, and will be led by PPD management.
   
   
3. Identify any areas of current activity which could more appropriately be delivered by other organisations, such as Universities, and recommend appropriate timescales for transfer.
   
   
4. Recommend how the oversight of future particle physics activity at RAL should be provided in order to ensure alignment with UK national programme objectives, given the intention to move away from PPGP support to a top-sliced funding mechanism.

Context

STFC's position, as stated at the Particle Physics and Nuclear physics town meeting on April 8th 2011, is:

• This new and more distinctive role will be coupled with the provision of a new funding mechanism outside the Particle Physics grants system, in recognition of the national support role that it is intended to provide.
  
  
• The more focused mission will require that some downsizing takes place, but any savings will be retained within the UK Particle Physics programme.
  
  
• Though its mission is driven by the need to assure technical capabilities, we realise there is also a strong need to connect with, and be part of, the particle physics research enterprise, and so we will continue to support a number of staff with scientific research leadership roles within the new structure.
  
  
• Staff will normally be members of collaborations and sign physics papers, just as now.

It is expected that the support for general computing activities and the GridPP funded programme computing expertise will be transferred to the STFC e-science department and this activity will therefore be excluded from this review.