Astronomy Grants Panel

Key facts

The panel's role is to:

• Assess and make recommendations to the STFC Executive on all research grant applications in astronomy, including space science and solar terrestrial physics covering theory, exploitation and basic technology research.
   
• Take account as appropriate of the conclusions of specialist peer review panels. These may be convened by the Executive to advise on strategic priorities for science and technology research, and research requests which are judged (on the basis of cost or propriety) to warrant such separate, in depth assessment, such as those with a common theme.
   
• Make recommendations to the Science Board and to the Science Programme Advisory Committee (SPAC) of the UK Space Agency on research awards. With Science Board and SPAC endorsement, make final recommendations on awards to the STFC Executive.
   
• Take account as appropriate of the conclusions of specialist peer review panels. These may be convened by the Executive to advise on strategic priorities for science and technology research, and research requests which are judged (on the basis of cost or propriety) to warrant such separate, in depth assessment, such as those with a common theme.
   
• Carry out such other tasks associated with peer review as the Executive might require.

Organisational Structure

Membership as of 01/01/2019 to 31/12/2019 – Please note the 2020 Panel Membership is in the process of being finalised and will be published in early January.

Membership from 01/01/2020 – 31/12/2020

• Prof M Sullivan (Chair) – University of Southampton
• Dr D Brown (Deputy Chair) – University of Central Lancashire

AGP: Astronomy Observation

• Prof M Swinbank (Chair) – Durham University
• Dr M Collins – University of Surrey
• Dr B Davies – Liverpool John Moores University
• Dr M Gray – University of Nottingham
• Prof M Wyatt – University of Cambridge
• Prof S Zane – MSSL-UCL

AGP: Technology Expertise

• Prof M Mathioudakis – Queen’s University Belfast
• Dr K O’Brien – Durham University
• Dr N Bannister – University of Leicester

AGP: Astronomy Theory

• Prof R Crittenden (Chair) – University of Portsmouth
• Prof C Dobbs – University of Exeter
• Dr T Rogers – Newcastle University
• Dr A Slyz – University of Oxford

AGP: Solar Studies & Solar Terrestrial Physics

• Prof S Matthews (Chair) – MSSL-UCL
• Dr P Bushby – Newcastle University
• Dr C Watt – University of Reading
• Dr A Yeates – Durham University

AGP: Planetary Studies

• Dr M Galand (Chair) – Imperial College London
• Dr R Jones – University of Manchester
• Dr M Patel – The Open University
• Dr N Teanby – University of Bristol