We are excited to share that Dr Rubén Sánchez-Janssen is stepping up as the new Director of our Isaac Newton Group of Telescopes (ING) on La Palma. Having served with STFC at our UK Astronomy Technology Centre for almost a decade, we are pleased to recognise his achievements as he embarks on the next phase of his journey with us. Over his time with STFC, Dr Sánchez-Janssen has served as an integral part of our UK ATC team. Making contributions to everything from the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope (VLT) to ESO's Extremely Large Telescope (ELT), he has lead the development of its multi-object spectrograph (MOSAIC), served on the Steering Committee for CUBES for ESO's VLT and coordinated the Sky Subtraction ELT Working Group alongside many more notable works. We look forward to seeing what he will bring in his new position as Director commencing in May. Congratulations Dr Sánchez-Janssen! Learn more about the new ING Director >>> https://lnkd.in/g6YF22rN
About us
The Science and Technology Facilities Council is keeping the UK at the forefront of international science and tackling some of the most significant challenges facing society such as meeting our future energy needs, monitoring and understanding climate change, and global security. The Council has a broad science portfolio and works with the academic and industrial communities to share its expertise in materials science, space and ground-based astronomy technologies, laser science, microelectronics, wafer scale manufacturing, particle and nuclear physics, alternative energy production, radio communications and radar. STFC has 5 main UK sites: Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (RAL), Daresbury Laboratory (DL), UK Astronomy Technology Centre (UKATC), Chilbolton Observatory and Boulby Underground Laboratory. STFC operates or hosts world class experimental facilities including: • In the UK; ISIS Neutron and Muon Source, the Central Laser Facility and RAL Space. STFC is also the majority shareholder in Diamond Light Source Ltd. • Overseas; telescopes on La Palma and Hawaii STFC enables UK researchers to access leading international science facilities by funding membership of international bodies including European Laboratory for Particle Physics (CERN), the Institut Laue Langevin (ILL), European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) and the European Southern Observatory (ESO). STFC is one of seven publicly-funded research councils and is part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). It is an independent, non-departmental public body of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).
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https://stfc.ukri.org/
External link for STFC
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- 1,001-5,000 employees
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- Swindon, Wiltshire
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- Government Agency
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- Innovation, Science, Inspiration, Particle physics, Astronomy, Nuclear physics, Particle accelerators, Neutrons, Lasers, Life sciences, Technology, Engineering, High performance computing, Software engineering, Facilities management, Space, Training, and Physical sciences
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Updates
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We are pleased to celebrate Dr John Coxon's recent success as he received the Royal Astronomical Society's Fowler Award for his contributions to solar and space research. As one of our STFC Ernest Rutherford Fellows, he has executed incredible research into how the Sun influences the Earth's space environment alongside his colleagues at Northumbria University. Learn more about the achivement from Northumbria University here ▶ https://lnkd.in/eimKQHZt 📸 Credit: Northumbria University
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Meet Milly, one of our talented apprentices at STFC! Milly is currently working as a Vacuum Processing Apprentice, gaining hands-on experience and developing her skills in one of the most critical areas of scientific research and technology development. Read more about Milly's experience and if you're interested in opportunities to join STFC as an apprentice, check out our current opportunities. Milly Allen's Blog ▶ https://lnkd.in/gY58xhmp STFC Apprenticeships ▶ https://lnkd.in/dwVXicNT #DiscoverWhatsPossible #STFC #Apprentice #ApprenticeJobs
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🚨 Time is running out to apply to be the next Chief Operating Officer for STFC. 🚨 Based at our Rutherford Appleton Laboratory site in Didcot, Oxfordshire, this role requires a leader who will bring operational excellence and strategic delivery to a range of corporate functions across the organisation. Interested? Find out more and apply here before 20 January >>> https://lnkd.in/eCEG-h6W
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STFC is proud to welcome 28 new start-ups into the Business Incubation Centre (BIC) network, channelling £2 million into small businesses and providing access to state-of-the-art research facilities, expertise and resources. From better drugs to treat Alzheimer's disease to reducing the carbon footprint in coffee production, these companies are all developing new products that will improve our lives and the world we live in. Our BICs offer small businesses the opportunity to work closely with industry leaders from a range of sectors: 📌 Space (ESA BIC UK) with the European Space Agency, the UK Space Agency and the University of Leicester 📌 Biotechnology (Bio BIC), with the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council 📌 Digital and AI (Digital BIC), with STFC’s Hartree Centre 📌 Quantum computing (QuBIC), with the National Quantum Computing Centre (NQCC) 📌 Health BIC: With the Liverpool City Combined Authority, alongside UKRI’s Medical Research Council (MRC), the Medicines Discovery Catapult. Small businesses gain access through these BICs to an array of resources, enabling these new pioneering projects to pave the way for developments that could enhance daily life, while keeping environmental sustainability at the heart. Learn more about the projects here ▶️ https://lnkd.in/ei7_wVmg 📸 Credit: STFC
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STFC reposted this
In honour of National Pothole Day, can you guess what the UK's increase in pothole-related incidents, a group of sixth-form students from Croydon, and STFC have in common? 🚗🛣️ The answer is the 'Autonomous Road Quality Surveyor' challenge; an Engineering Experience Programme project to investigate road surface detection technology. The Engineering Experience Programme pairs six form students with skilled mentors from across STFC to solve real-world engineering challenges. Last year, six students from Trinity School were matched with mentors from Technology to tackle this project. Their mission was to: 🚘 Write a script enabling an autonomous vehicle to move along a set path and avoid obstacles. 🚘 Demonstrate an effective edge-detection software using Python script. 🚘 Design a vehicle to hold the components required for obstacle avoidance and edge detection. Not only did the team meet these goals, but they also produced a detailed 15-page report and poster showcasing their results. But, why are projects like this important? As the students highlighted, the UK is experiencing a growing pothole problem, posing a health risk to cyclists and contributing to expensive breakdowns for drivers. Trinity School's project is a fantastic example of how initiatives like the #EEP can inspire future engineers and scientists to solve real-world problems. 📄You can read the Trinity School team's final poster below. #UKRI #STFC #Technology #TD #Engineering #Mentor #Potholes | STFC
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This time from our 🔎#STFCinContext campaign, we're shining a spotlight on how art and science can work together to inspire and educate. Take a peak below to learn how our talented science writer and graphic journalist uses digital art to explain complex science concepts. From using Lego to simplify particle physics to creating detailed infographics, Ben shows how art can break down barriers and make science more accessible. Keep an eye out for more 🔎#STFCinContext posts! We're excited to share the amazing ways we can explore and understand science together.
‘People automatically assume they’re not interested in science.’ As part of our new🔎#STFCinContext campaign, we recently spoke with STFC science writer and graphic journalist Ben Gilliland about how he uses digital art to connect people with science. Ben has produced many infographics for STFC, including this one explaining core concepts of particle physics with Lego. Ben describes his brain as a 50:50 split between logic and creativity, which is perfect for science communication. Here are some takeaways from our discussion: 🎨Why do art and science mix so well? Ben never engaged with science at school because he never connected with the way it was presented. Later in his career, he developed a passion for science and found that illustration ‘gets past the fear that people have of complicated science’. 🎨His process When Ben creates his infographics, he does not begin any of the design until he fully understands the subject. Why? ‘When you’re explaining something visually, unlike when you’re writing, there’s nowhere to hide. If any one of those constituent parts is incorrect, the whole thing breaks apart’ Properly understanding the science becomes one of the most important parts of the whole process. ‘Once I understand it, I can automatically see in my head what it’s going to look like - it just appears.’ 🎨And finally, a word of advice… ‘If you have an artistic ability and you understand science, that’s worth nurturing because it is a niche. There are not many science literate illustrators out there.’ To check out other🔎#STFCinContext posts, where we are exploring connections between science and the humanities across our facilities, see here: linktr.ee/stfcincontext
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We asked our apprentices about their experience at STFC, and here's a snippet of what we learned 🔽 ✅ Incredible Projects: They're involved in exciting, cutting-edge work that makes a real impact. ✅ Skill Development: Our apprentices are gaining valuable, hands-on skills that will shape their future careers. ✅ Culture & Community: They've shared how much they appreciate the supportive and inclusive environment at STFC. ✅ Work-Life Balance: Flexibility is key, helping them balance their roles and personal growth effectively. We're proud to offer a programme that truly supports our apprentices and sets them up for success. Join and discover what's possible ▶ https://lnkd.in/gAP5jRNk #DiscoverWhatsPossble #STFC #Apprentice #ApprenticeJobs
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We're looking for a Chief Operating Officer based at our Rutherford Appleton Laboratory site in Didcot, Oxfordshire. This executive leadership role is pivotal in delivering STFC's mission, overseeing a range of corporate functions across STFC including: 📌 Business Continuity & Risk Management 📌 Digital Infrastructure 📌 Environmental Sustainability 📌 Estates 📌 Health and Safety 📌 Continuous Improvement We want someone who is an inspiring leader, committed to operational excellence and strategic delivery. Up to the challenge? Applications close 20 January. Find out more >>> https://lnkd.in/eCEG-h6W
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