31/07/2026
The announced funding cuts by the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) affecting UK radio astronomy are deeply concerning, and their consequences extend far beyond the institutions directly affected. Jodrell Bank was a founding member of the European VLBI Network (EVN) and pioneered the VLBI technique in Europe, while the Lovell Telescope remains the second-largest telescope in the network. STFC funding for e-MERLIN explicitly supports the Lovell Telescope's participation in EVN observations, with no alternative source of support currently available.
Interferometry is inherently collaborative: no single institution or country can provide these scientific capabilities alone. "In VLBI, sharing means multiplying", says our Director, Agnieszka Słowikowska. By combining telescopes and expertise, we achieve far more than any individual facility could deliver.
This collaborative nature of interferometry has fostered decades of expertise and knowledge that are essential for the future. Jodrell Bank and The University of Manchester preserve this expertise, train future generations of radio astronomers and engineers, and contribute to European technological development and resilience.
On behalf of the entire JIVE team, our Director expresses our strong support for e-MERLIN, the Lovell Telescope, and our colleagues at Jodrell Bank Observatory. We stand ready to help explore alternatives that could mitigate the consequences of these decisions, protect these capabilities, and maintain the UK's important role in European and global VLBI.
📷 Mark II and Lovell Telescopes. Credit: Anthony Holloway, University of Manchester
