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International Review of UK Physics and Astronomy

Institute of Physics

11 May 2005

A panel of eminent international scientists which will review the quality of physics and astronomy research in the UK was announced today (see below for panel members).

The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), the Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council (PPARC), the Institute of Physics and the Royal Astronomical Society are jointly sponsoring a second international review of physics and astronomy in the UK.

The Review, which follows on from an initial review of physics and astronomy research undertaken in April 2000, will report on the quality, distribution of effort and future potential of research in physics and astronomy in the UK. The Review will aim to indicate areas of strength, weakness, improvement, decline and growth with respect to the preceding review.

The Review will be undertaken by an International Panel of eminent scientists who will visit the UK during the week beginning 31 October 2005. The Panel will be chaired by Professor Jürgen Mlynek*, President of the Humboldt University, Germany. The Panel members will visit several university physics and astronomy departments and the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in Oxfordshire. The Panel will also have the opportunity to take evidence from relevant individuals involved in research, higher education and science policy.

The Panel is expected to report by the end of 2005.

The Review is being organised by a Steering Committee comprising Professor Sir John Enderby (Chair; President, Institute of Physics), Professor John O’Reilly (Chief Executive, EPSRC), Professor Richard Wade (Chief Executive, PPARC) and Professor Kathy Whaler (President, Royal Astronomical Society).


Membership of the International Panel

Professor Jürgen Mlynek, Humboldt University, Germany [Chair]
Professor David Gross, Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics, USA
Professor Stephen Forrest, Princeton University, USA
Professor Rick Casten, Yale University, USA
Professor Roger Blandford, Stanford University, USA
Professor Govind Swarup, National Centre for Radio Astronomy (NCRA), India
Professor Mildred Dresselhaus, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), USA
Professor Tuija Pulkkinen, Finnish Meteorological Institute, Finland
Professor Massimo Inguscio, University of Florence, Italy
Professor Sir Anthony Leggett, University of Illinois, USA
Professor Albrecht Wagner, German Synchrotron Research Centre (DESY), Germany
Professor Anton Zeilinger, University of Vienna, Austria
Professor Daan Frenkel, University of Amsterdam, Netherlands
Professor Hermann Gaub, Munich University, Germany

* Professor Jürgen Mlynek will become the President of the Helmholtz Society, Germany's largest research organisation, in the autumn of 2005.

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