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Simon Berry Programmes Directorate Science and Technology Facilities Council Funding Route to STFC and Astronomy

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Simon Berry Programmes Directorate Science and Technology Facilities Council Funding Route to STFC and Astronomy The Square Kilometre Array (SKA) STFC Knowledge Exchange Workshop UK Strategy for SKA Dr Simon Berry Programmes Directorate Science and Technology Facilities Council Funding route to STFC and astronomy HM Government (and HM Treasury) RCUK Executive Group Astronomy development Space project and exploitation development (ESA) Daresbury Laboratory UK Astronomy Technology Centre Daresbury Science and Innovation Campus Edinburgh, Scotland Warrington, Cheshire Polaris House Rutherford Appleton Laboratory Swindon, Wiltshire Harwell Science and Innovation Campus Didcot, Oxfordshire Chilbolton Observatory Stockbridge, Hampshire Joint Astronomy Centre Hawaii Isaac Newton Group of Telescopes La Palma STFC’s Astronomy Programme • Facility operation and development – European Southern Observatory – ‘Domestic’ facilities – Future projects like SKA • Space hardware programme: - • Research exploitation – Grant awards to all UK astronomy departments • Other elements – Training/industry engagement/public engagement Optical-IR facilities LOFAR-UK Astronomy on an industrial scale…. UK in the SKA • Science leadership of early concept and baseline science case • Technical involvement and funding since 2006: – Technical, R&D funding, array development, signal transport, software & computing – Dedicated budget for SKA from BIS • Policy leadership: – PrepSKA Coordinator – Chairmanship of SKA Board and predecessors – Key policy issues – Business plan etc SKA priority UK SKA strategy • Element ‘0’: Be part of the initial Full Membership of the SKA Organisation on implementation • Element 1: Supporting the SPO – As intended Full Member of SKA Organisation, and host country of SPO, need to make commensurate cash contribution to operating budget – Work with HEIs to leverage additional in-kind effort to SPO (acknowledging UoM contribution of new building) – Develop UK position for future ‘SKA HQ’ • Element 2: Retaining technical leadership – Maintain technical prominence by seeking outright leadership of one pre-construction WP, and a leading position in others – Interests in SAT, SADT, software/computing, receiver technologies, correlator technologies, telescope control – Position the UK, and our industries to challenge for construction contracts when they come Pre-construction Organisation model • Moving to development of a new SKA Organisation: • A UK Company structure – With paying Full Members (minimum €1M 2012-2016) – Associate Members Board of Directors General Director SKA Project Office Cash (Common Fund) Local resourcing Work Work Work PackageContractor PackageContractor PackageContractor (In country) Industry POs Industry as a partner • Overall objective: – Coherent UK technical programme in SKA, with involvement in a range of WPCs, featuring UK Universities, National Laboratories and Industries – End goals: • Demonstrating impact from SKA for UK – KE from investment, co- development • Making case based on those returns for significant future investment in construction • Core programme planning expectations: – Core funding of SKA technical programme (£2M/yr) plus additional resources (£11M) aimed at Big Data areas (business case to BIS being developed) – Should result in UK having ability to be largest technical contributor in pre-construction phase Our next steps – the RfP process • WPC development: construction of project consortia – Consortium discussions involving institutes and prospective ambitions against the project WBS – our focus is on supporting the WPC process – Discussion with interested industry partners and scoping → today’s meeting and other technical specific meetings • UK programme construction – Development and costing of ambitions, alignment with funding streams – Assumption is that industry contact happens through the academic leads in the UK – subcontracting relationship around established leads • Ie route: STFC → HEIs/labs→ Industry partners – Probably some prioritisation of ambitions necessary within STFC process – Approval of ‘funding in principle’ in order to react to SKA Office process by June 10th The end game • A leading role in SKA: – Access for our community to the science they want – Visible leadership for the UK in the project – an ongoing presence and influence – Impact and resulting return for industry directly, and as a driver for innovation and development – Inspirational participation in a global project with huge potential for public engagement – Building on current apparent support from BIS • Opportunities to build on technology links between HEI and other investments and industry: – STFC KE funding routes – TSB opportunities www.stfc.ac.uk A new vision for new times Impact through inspiration and innovation Some speculative thoughts • Phased approach to SKA is a challenge, but a requirement…. • 10+ countries and agendas are being corralled but: • There are some common views – The ideal: ESO/ESA-like structure… essentially all cash contributions goes in; – The likely compromise: mix of cash and in-kind contribution • But: there must be some form of guaranteed return .
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