Comments on: STFC review : bloodbath starts now …

By: Tom

Tom — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 07:33:36 +0000

Necrocommenting here, but since the subject of proposals for UKIRT time came up, please see the latest update (number 4) linked from the UKIRT home page:

http://www.jach.hawaii.edu/UKIRT/

Direct link to the update is:

http://www.jach.hawaii.edu/UKIRT/news/STFC_08A_08B_UPDATE4.html

For 2008, cassegrain and PATT-awarded WFCAM time should be safe.

By: Black Dog

Black Dog — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 10:11:58 +0000

Hi Andy,

You don’t know me but we have met – apologies to all but I am not a scientist, I do work for STFC though.

Just wanted to mention the i saw Silence of the Lambs for the nth time and couldn’t get over the fact that Lecter’s voice bears an uncanny resemblance to……. leave you to muse on that one .

‘It’s the smiles that make life worth living’

By: Kav

Kav — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 14:08:18 +0000

nope, not my rag of choice. Why, too many typos in my posts?

By: KOMbat17

KOMbat17 — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 13:53:13 +0000

That goes without saying, Kav, though it’s always useful to receive a lecture from someone “Living in the real world”. You wouldn’t read the Guardian, by any chance?

By: andyxl

andyxl — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 11:33:10 +0000

Trust me, there will be vigorous responses re AstroGrid, WFAU and UKIRT (read UKIDSS). Its just that I am not sure I see the point of complaining about STFC on Radio Four.

By: KOMbat17

KOMbat17 — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 09:31:24 +0000

I’ve seen better bloodbaths!

The result of a deep and widespread cynicism, presumably. This process is nothing but a whitewash, with a few pointless whippings thrown in (e.g. eMERLIN) to get the horses galloping again. Andy – one presumes you’re keeping a low profile so’s not to put WFAU and Astrogrid in view of PPAN snipers?

By: D.Squat

D.Squat — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 13:44:23 +0000

Re “I’m told that the reason LT scores so well is that criteria such as outreach and industrial interest have to be given high weight.”

According to STFC’s own documents they scored projects using some kind of average of scoring against 3 primary criteria: current science output, future impact and match to strategy. Of course 2 of these 3 are largely subjective. In fact only where projects score equally against these 3 criteria were other criteria such as outreach, industrial ties etc supposed to have been factored in. There seem to have been contradictory statements at the town meeting about whether financial implications have yet been factored in to the ranking or not.

By: Alan Heavens

Alan Heavens — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 19:18:30 +0000

Is Richard right that strategy is a top-down process? I don’t believe it is, entirely. STFC strategy, as enunciated eloquently by John Womersley at a talk in Edinburgh recently, is to favour projects which are world-leading, UK-led and with potentially great impact (oh, I hate that word…). This is very laudable as a general strategy, but the ideas which make areas topical and important come not from the ‘top’, but from the scientists ‘below’ with the vision and skills. It is vital to have very capable scientists at the top, but even the best will need to draw heavily on the expertise of the wider community, and I am sure STFC acknowledges this.

It will be interesting to assess the current rankings in the programmatic review according to these criteria. I already see a number of anomalies in both directions.

By: Kav

Kav — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 09:11:07 +0000

I’m not sure ‘astonishing’ is the right word, ‘depressingly expected and familiar’ might be a better description.

By: Tom

Tom — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 04:35:53 +0000

I would like to confirm the impression that Dave posted. The footnote about UKIRT moving to 100% survey mode was added at the 11th hour by STFC without any consultation with UKIRT, and was certainly news to UKIRT staff when it was announced. There is a link on the UKIRT home page to a short news article which states that PIs who have already been awarded cassegrain time in 08A should assume their observations will still be carried out, so as I’m sure you can infer, STFC’s decision is being fought.

It is astonishing that after the Gemini “lack of consultation” debacle, STFC appear to have done a remarkably similar thing.