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[TECHNOLOGY] · United Kingdom · 4 sources

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Part of situation: UK funding cut to Jodrell Bank (3 clusters)

UK faces closure of Jodrell Bank Observatory as funding cut threatens telescope

Jodrell Bank Observatory Lovell Telescope UKRI funding cut e-Merlin network artist petition

UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) announced it will withdraw its £2.8 million annual grant to Jodrell Bank Observatory when the current agreement ends in March 2028. The cut puts the Grade‑I listed Lovell Telescope, a UNESCO World Heritage site operating since 1957, at risk of closure and could result in the loss of 28 jobs.

The observatory supports nearly 3,000 researchers and is a key facility for radio astronomy, including the e‑Merlin network. More than 100 artists, writers and scientists have signed a petition that has gathered over 13,000 signatures, urging the UK government, including new prime minister Andy Burnham and business secretary Jonathan Reynolds, to maintain funding. The funding reduction is part of broader cuts by the Science and Technology Facilities Council that could cause about 800 job losses across UK research facilities.

Entities

Andy Burnham · Jodrell Bank Observatory · Jonathan Reynolds · Lovell Telescope · UK Research and Innovation

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.

Sources

Jodrell Bank Observatory faces closure as UK government slashes funding - M SOCIAL MAGAZINE [emmepress.com]
12 days ago
UK artist Conrad Shawcross sounds alarm on Jodrell Bank Observatory funding cuts [octobergallery.com]
12 days ago
Artists, writers and scientists urge UK government to save Jodrell Bank Observatory [ca.news.yahoo.com]
12 days ago
Artists, writers and scientists urge UK government to save Jodrell Bank Observatory [www.theguardian.com]
12 days ago