UK Budget Cuts for Science

    There is a report that the UK has a budget problem similar to that of the US. The government is considerably overspent, with respect to its income and they are trying to find ways to decrease spending.
    The UK agency responsible for science funding is the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). It recently decided to give higher priority to research in areas with foreseeable applications rather than open- and science and will also decrease funding for PhD students. Anthony Barrett, of the Imperial College of London says that this strategy is misguided and in the death of British science. for Barrett is also the leader the leader of a protest movement where about 100 researchers took to the streets of London last week.
    The protest is a natural reaction. If you take away a child's lollipop, he cries. However, the EPSRC says it is, "Committed to ensuring that the UK continues to have an enviable international research reputation, punching above its weight in quality, and maximizing the societal and economic benefits of what we invest in". Well said!. However, they give no numbers, and I suspect that similar to the US, there is more talk about cutting funding rather than actual cuts.