Jodrell Bank radio observatory faces shutdown after UKRI funding withdrawal
Observations at Jodrell Bank could end after March 2028 unless replacement funding is found, following UKRI’s decision to stop supporting the e-MERLIN radio telescope network.
Jodrell Bank Observatory faces the loss of its observing programme after UK Research and Innovation said on July 27, 2026, that it would withdraw support for the e-MERLIN radio telescope network when the current funding agreement expires in March 2028.
Unless another source of funding is secured, observations at the Cheshire site are expected to end. The decision threatens 28 jobs and could affect nearly 3,000 researchers who use the facility, according to scientists and observatory officials.
Jodrell Bank operates the United Kingdom’s national radio astronomy facility and is home to the Grade I-listed Lovell Telescope. Researchers use the network to study galaxies, black holes, star formation, planets beyond the solar system and radiation left from the early universe.
The Science and Technology Facilities Council, which is funded by UKRI, said the withdrawal followed an evidence-based prioritisation process intended to concentrate money on facilities offering the greatest long-term scientific capability and value. Scientists criticised the decision as a major setback for British astronomy, while the observatory still has time to seek alternative support before the 2028 deadline.
