This letter was published by the Times on 12 February (paywall). This copy was sent by the writers.

Sir,

Patrick Vallance's UKRI has announced a 30% funding cut to particle physics, astrophysics, and nuclear physics. This is not merely a blow to "blue-skies" research; it is a direct assault on the UK's economic growth. We are a group of over 140 holders of the UK's most prestigious research fellowships, including the UKRI Future Leaders and STFC Ernest Rutherford schemes, and we find it inexplicable that the government would dismantle fields with a return on investment of up to £10 for every £1 spent.

One clear example of this is that our laboratories are the engine rooms of the UK's data-science and AI sectors. We manage the world's largest datasets and develop AI capable of microsecond decision-making skills that are directly transferable to the private sector, where the vast majority of our PhD trainees eventually build their careers.

If the UK renders our research undeliverable, it will lose more than just data; it will lose the generation of scientists it spent millions to recruit and train as we are forced to consider opportunities overseas.

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