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SEPnet 1: A Boost for Physics

The South East Physics Network A model for STEM sustainability? Professor Sir William Wakeham – Chair Dr James West – Executive Director. SEPnet 1: A Boost for Physics. Consortium of six University Physics departments in the South East £12 million grant over 5 years from HEFCE

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SEPnet 1: A Boost for Physics

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  1. The South East Physics NetworkA model for STEM sustainability?Professor Sir William Wakeham – ChairDr James West – Executive Director

  2. SEPnet 1: A Boost for Physics Consortium of six University Physics departments in the South East £12 million grant over 5 years from HEFCE To create a subject collaboration in teaching, research and outreach. Working together to promote and sustain Physics in the South East

  3. Why? Decline in Physics UG numbers Nigel Brown Associates report on finances of Physics departments separate report for the SEPnet partners Wakeham Report into Physics Closure of Physics departments Especially Reading Concern others in the SE were at risk Concern about the research mix of some institutions Wanted to strengthen departments and grow UG numbers Cf SUPA (Research focus) and MPA (PGT) Impetus to form SEPnet

  4. Vision of SEPnet The six partner universities – Kent, Queen Mary, Royal Holloway, Southampton, Surrey and Sussex – propose to create a consortium to advance and protect Physics as a strategically important subject for the UK economy and its science base, collaboratively securing its disciplinary and financial sustainability in the South East Region.

  5. SEPnet Initiatives Outreach programmes to schools Team approach across the region - GCSE Programme of curriculum collaboration Euro Masters degree to attract EU and international students Employer Engagement Staff/PhD Student appointments; build research

  6. Outreach programme • Region wide programme • highlight strengths of individual partners e.g. Astro at Sussex • embedding strong regional presence of Physics • practice sharing and activity review as a consortium • flagship GCSE Project across all sites • Multiple level engagement • priority for GCSE and A-Level school students • BUT not exclusively • Parents • Teachers • Primary school + • Public • Communities • Facilitated by physics specialist Outreach Officers at each site • Driven and (sometimes) delivered by academics, researchers and students • A tool to engage other universities, e.g. Oxford

  7. Employer Engagement Aims Increase awareness of the links between Universities and businesses Survey and assess current trends and requirements of employers, especially SMEs Summer internship programme, placing undergraduates with regional employers Establish network of employers, via internship programme and employer advisory panel

  8. SEPnet Research Collaborations Background: Extremely broad research portfolio across the network Collaborate on promoting research excellence: Identify 4 themes for investment Criteria: International quality; strategic relevance; potential impact Regional dimension Partnership with Harwell Science and Innovation Campus Astrophysics Atomic and Condensed Matter Physics Particle Physics Radiation Detectors and Instrumentation

  9. SEPnet in the UK Research Landscape After Research Fortnight RAE 2008 Research power = FTE x quality index Normalise by max power.

  10. Achievements so far Governance Chair and Exec Director Science and Employer Advisory Panels Outreach Activity with around 300,000 school students and public in first 3 years Direct contact with over 1/3 all SE and London schools so far Employer Engagement Summer studentships, employers engaged Videoconference suites commissioned Graduate School RDI Masters EuroMasters NExT 21 Fellowships appointed 34 PhD studentships funded and filled

  11. Undergraduate trends

  12. Achievements so far… Additional Institutions Portsmouth joined SEPnet (and a new university offering Physics) Research Themes RDI in progress NeXT well established and expanding Astro: LOFAR-UK Commisioned and operational ACM: Hubbard Centre established Evolving use of Web Social Media Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, LinkedIn SEPnet Undergraduate Numbers Cohort size up 70% 2011 versus 2007 Applications up 40% Mar 2011 v Total 2010 (15% nationally) Indirect benefits throughout each department UG growth sustains the departments SEPnet appointments spread the teaching loads and increases research capability

  13. Employer Engagement Positive feedback from employers“I work in materials and wouldn’t have considered hiring a Physics Graduate – but I will now” Hiring manager, BMW “My SEPnet students were excellent, and will both get papers out of it – very unusual for an undergraduate, and something which will vastly increase their academic careers.” Alan Drew, Queen Mary, University of London

  14. Employer Engagement Other areas of engagement Employer Advisory Panel meets three times per year Working with sector skills councils and businesses to identify ways to address skills gaps in STEM A SEPnet presence at relevant conferences

  15. Graduate School Director: Dr A. Belyaev (Southampton), assisted by a graduate-school committee (1 rep per node.) Academic year 2009/10 has been the first full year, with 14 students, and is open to all graduate students at the nodes. Rich programme of “core” (QFT, Standard Model, Phenomenology, Group Theory) and “non-core” courses (Computational tools, Event generators, statistics, Neutrinos and Cosmology, BSM, Flavour, Strings, Lattice,...). QMUL (not yet NExT..) already contributes to the courses. NExT students MUST take both theory and experiment modules. Delivery by video-conferencing (Access Grid). Crucial role here of SEPnet cash (£40k/node), and unstinting efforts of IT experts at the various nodes to overcome teething problems.. Plan to record lectures next academic year (2010/11). 21

  16. Graduate School (2) SEPnet: SAP 17 Sep 2010 22

  17. Euromasters

  18. Particle Physics: NExT • NExT was created in 2006 with a joint RAL-Southampton appointment • To further the goals of Particle Physics through the fostering and promotion of interactions between theory and experiment in an inter-disciplinary and multi-sited environment • SEPnet has provided a major enhancement to the NExT Institute and made us what we are today. • A collaboration between four Particle Physics Departments • Royal Holloway, University of London • Rutherford Appleton Laboratory • University of Southampton • University of Sussex

  19. Regional strengths in A&CM research London Low Temperature Laboratory RHUL high TC superconductor probed by muon spin resonance (ISIS) Hubbard Theory Institute RHUL • Highly correlated systems • Quantum coherence • Nanoscience Doctoral Training Centre: Neutrons and X-rays RHUL Quantum circuits AMO Group Sussex Strong light-matter coupling in nanostructures Southampton Nanomaterials Kent QMUL Surrey Southampton Centre for Nanotechnology London Universities STFC diamond Advanced Technology Institute Surrey Southampton Mountbatten Nanofabrication Centre

  20. SEPnet-Astro Synergies QMUL Oxford Kent Solar System Stars & Planets Radio Cosmology Galaxies Southampton Sussex Portsmouth

  21. LOFAR: Chilbolton chosen as first site STFC-owned site First LOFAR-UK station LBA installed 11th June Also has high-quality 25m dish which could be added to e-MERLIN

  22. Main Objectives of the SEPnet RDI Research Theme 30 • Develop Radiation Detector Physics research at SEPnet universities • in collaboration with external associated nodes and partners • for Particle Physics, Nuclear Physics and Astronomy, as well as Applied Radiation Physics • Link directly with STFC to build a critical mass of Radiation Detector research • to support regional activity in line with national science priorities and agendas • as they are developed by STFC and by other research councils • Form a hub of extended networks of partnerships • between SEPnet and regional industrial partners as well as research institutions • at the Harwell Campus and elsewhere • Create a new joint Surrey-Sussex MSc in Radiation Detection and Instrumentation • to contribute to the SEPnet Graduate School

  23. Sustainability In response to the second annual report on SEPnet, HEFCE asked “we look to SEPnet to develop its thinking on how to secure a sustainable future for its goals beyond the period of HEFCE funding. We realise that the funding landscape contains many uncertainties at the moment but ask that you engage in a dialogue with partner higher education institutions to chart a way forward. Please include in SEPnet’s next annual monitoring report plans for its future sustainability.”

  24. THE FUTURE

  25. New Issues A Market; many possibilities: Demand side STEM becomes more popular because of better career earnings so expansion Students prefer to study in mainland Europe at lower cost Supply side Arts/Humanities are more profitable and have good A-levels so expand Use ‘profit’ to subsidise some science and engineering but not all Intake in many institutions not AAB at A-level so constrained volume and not in low-cost subjects

  26. New Issues (cont.) Demand side Overseas student market threatened by Europe/Australia at UG and PGT Supply Side Research Council funding more targeted by concentration Algorithmic funding of PhD students hits just those institutions with difficulty expanding UG numbers in STEM Dangers to institutions educating significant numbers in physics, chemistry, engineering

  27. A Possible SEPnet Future Considerable interest in continuing SEPnet Low expectation of (much) continued HEFCE funding Funding likely to be via institutions Increased student numbers Increased grant income Increased QR funding Use of appropriate Access Agreement funds Matched by (eg) DTCs and other sources Programmes to continue Outreach, employer programmes PhD studentships Research coordination and planning Collaborative Postgraduate Teaching Seek to establish critical mass in key areas

  28. PhD Students Roughly 30%-40% of SEPnet graduates go on to MSc or PhD placements (many in their UG institution) How will they be funded in the future? What PG opportunities will there be regionally and nationally? Across SEPnet EPSRC and STFC PhD funding is in decline Concentration of funding Overall RC funding real term decline Loss of EPSRC Project studentships Numbers overall have increased: Assisted by SEPnet Industry, EU and self funded foreign governments Diversification key to maintain PhD placements to support research Reduction of opportunity has long term risks to teaching, research strength and the broader economy

  29. Emerging Risks Undergraduate fees Demonstrating the value of Physics Disincentive for: 4 year Integrated Masters Any fee paying PGT course Reduce the pipeline of qualified PhD students Widening participation issues Student Number controls “AAB+” Contestable places at the low fee end Likely to produce a “squeezed” middle Research Council funding Fewer PhD places Concentration of the remaining PhD places via DTC, DTA Equipment-facility sharing Impact: Largest on middle of sector On the medium/long term research and teaching pipelines Fewer PhDs and Masters level students entering industry

  30. SEPnet 2 A Future model for more disciplines Cultural Challenges Most money flows with UG students Only bursary, WP earmarked at Institutional level Cross-subsidies Collaborating/Sharing Overheads reduced Not every institution able to research?

  31. SEPnet 2 Research Future PhD student feed Engineering –industry Science, fund internally or....? Facilities Effective models for sharing? Shaping Capability Opportunity or threat?

  32. Summary The partners want SEPnet to continue The priorities are generally agreed Outreach, Employability, Research The funding environment remains uncertain Proposed outline plan in 2011 annual report Work out the detailed plan in 2012 as the environment becomes clearer The devil will be in the detail Is the SEPnet model useful for the future?

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