UK announces major funding for SKA Regional Centre strategy

BY DR HILARY KAY (THE UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER – UK SKA)

Recent progress towards developing the SKA Regional Centre Network was exemplified in the UK by the development of a strategy to design, deliver and support an SRC as part of the global network.

The UK Government, via the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), has created an Open Call, worth £7.2 million, to initiate delivery of the strategy over the next three years. This will enable the UK science community to be fully prepared for the early phases of SKA operations, as well as benefiting existing science exploitation with SKA pathfinders and support the growth of the UK radio astronomy community.

“This allows the UK SKA community to create, in concert with its SKAO partners, both a cutting-edge research infrastructure and a vibrant research and innovation community, all driven and shaped by the radio astrophysics programme,” says Jeremy Yates, the national PI of the UK SKA Regional Centre.

A key component of the strategy is to engage and consult with scientists across the UK to ensure that the future UK SRC meets the needs of the community, building on and utilising existing expertise and leadership. As a result, a series of workshops have been run to determine UK science priorities and interests, identify the resources, tools and training that will be required to deliver a UK SRC, and develop plans for public engagement activities to inspire the future generations of scientists and engineers.