Corporate strategy

The corporate strategy provides a guide to STFC’s future investments in world – leading science and technology in the UK.

The Strategy has been developed in consultation with stakeholders and sets out the key role that STFC plays in rebuilding the economy and the UK’s future competitiveness through the research we support in universities, the research carried out using STFC-provided facilities and the collaborative research and innovation on our Campuses..

Highlights: May 2014

In this edition

• A super-nutritious grain that could turn wheat into a superfood
• Ground-breaking research into improving energy efficiency

Impact Report 2013

Our Impact Report 2013 provides quantitative data and case study examples which illustrate the breadth and depth of our economic and societal impact. In particular, we showcase how STFC has played a key role in developing and delivering real impact in two of the Government’s ‘eight great technology’ themes – big data and space.

Gravitational Waves

First detected in 2015, Gravitational Waves was hailed as the discovery of a generation. The discovery has the potential to revolutionise the way we study the universe.

Big Telescopes - brochure

On the ground and in space, a global family of giant telescopes – present and future – is designed to gather visible and invisible light from across the Cosmos.

Big Telescopes - Teaching STEM through Big Telescopes

This document introduces the “Big Telescope collection”, a set of teaching resources held on the National STEM-library that use these giant instruments as an inspirational context for STEM learning.

Cosmic Rays

A colour A5 leaflet that opens out into an A2 double-sided wallchart describing Cosmic Rays and where they come from, what effect they have on us and how they are used in scientific applications. Ages 14 and up

Teachers notes are also available.

The Sun

A full-colour A5 leaflet that opens out into an A2 double-sided wallchart describing our Sun and its impact on Earth. A publication looking at the properties of the Sun and how current space missions and ground-based experiments are providing new understanding of our nearest star. Ages and up. February 20 version

A century of crystallography

One hundred years ago, two scientists in the UK pioneered a method for uncovering how the atoms in a crystal were arranged. The science of crystallography was born.

Support for Teachers

A short brochure summarising all of STFC's resources and services that support UK science education, including our schools' officers details. December 20 version.

Lasers Poster

For teachers and students age 11-18 - everything you need to know about lasers and how they work as a wallchart.

Little Book of Big Lasers

For teachers and students age 11-18 , Everything you need to know about how lasers work and their applications in a simple, easy to read booklet.

A Tunnel to the beginning of Time

A spectacular full-colour A1 poster showing a view through the middle of the ATLAS detector and looking down the centre of the Large Hadron Collider tunnel. The LHC will recreate the conditions existing a billionth of a second after the beginning of the Big Bang. All ages. New 2007 version.

Big Questions, Big Experiment: The Large Hadron Collider

A full-colour A5 leaflet that opens out into an A2 double-sided wallchart describing the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN. It describes the "big questions" about our Universe that scientists are trying to answer - and how the amazing LHC will help them do so. Ages and up. New November 2007 version.

Inside the Atom: Nuclear Activity in the UK

A full-colour A5 leaflet that opens out into an A2 double-sided wall poster describing the activity of the nuclear physics community in the UK and how their inspirational work impacts our lives. Ages and up. New April 20 version.

The Little Book of the Big Bang

A cartoon booklet that introduces particle physics, particle accelerators and the Large Hadron Collider. This clear, concise and entertaining booklet explains what a particle accelerator such as the LHC is and the questions it is trying to answer such as why is there matter and not anti-matter? what is Dark Energy? It also looks at the people and technology behind the project. Ages and above.

What is next for the LHC?

A full-colour leaflet describing what is next for the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN. It describes what the LHC is, what is still to come, what the UK has already gained thanks to the LHC, how it will inspire the next generation of scientists, and the engineering and technology successes.

Teaching STEM through Inside the Atom

This document details a collection of teaching resources available from STFC and partner organisations that use particle and nuclear physics as an inspirational context for STEM learning.

Stargazing guide

An easy, pocket-sized, guide to help you navigate your way around the sky at night. The download A4 version is designed ready for you to print on a standard duplex printer. If you are a school or group and would like a set of between 100 and 1200 pocket starcharts please feel free to order.

Hands on Universe

An educational resource designed for use with pupils studying science at key stage 2 (7 to 11 year olds).

Hands on Universe KS1

An educational resource designed for use with pupils studying science at key stage 1 (5 to 7 year olds).

Hands on Universe - poster

Here are a few facts about the solar system. What else can you find out about them?

Moon rock leaflet

If you can’t go to the Moon, let the Moon come to you! For everyone, from primary schools to postgraduates and the public too - the STFC Moon rock loan scheme is completely FREE!

Space rocks broadsheet

An educational resource designed for use with pupils studying science at key stage 2 (7 to 11 year olds).

Moon broadsheet

An educational resource designed for use with pupils studying science at key stage 2 (7 to 11 year olds).

Little book of space rocks

An educational resource designed for use with pupils studying science at key stage 2 (7 to 11 year olds).

Hands on the Moon

An educational resource designed for use with pupils studying science at key stage 2 (7 to 11 year olds).

CERN

The Earth's upper atmosphere is constantly hit by particles called cosmic rays, producing many secondary particles that collide with nuclei in the atmosphere. LHCf is designed to detect these secondary particles from ultra-high-energy cosmic rays to help confirm the theoretical models that explain what happens when these cosmic rays enter the atmosphere.

CERN

A simple presentation of CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, its research and related technological innovations, with a historical time line of major achievements.

CERN: The ALICE Experiment

ALICE is one of the four big experiments for the LHC, the most powerful particle accelerator in the world, which began in 2008. ALICE will study the quark-gluon plasma, a state of matter that probably existed in the first moments of the universe.

CERN: Antimatter

So what happened to all the antimatter? This is one of the great puzzles of particle physics and one that physicists at CERN are working to try and solve.

CERN: The ATLAS Experiment

ATLAS is the largest detector at the LHC, the most powerful particle accelerator in the world, which began in 2008. ATLAS is a multi-purpose detector, designed to throw light on fundamental questions such as the origin of mass and the nature of the Universe's dark matter.

CERN: The Compact Muon Solenoid Experiment

CMS is the heaviest detector at the LHC, the most powerful particle accelerator in the world, which began in 2008. A multi-purpose detector, CMS is composed of several systems built around a powerful superconducting magnet.

CERN: ISOLDE

The ISOLDE facility uses protons from CERN's accelerator complex to produce exotic nuclei of most of the elements. These radioactive nuclei are used for basic research in many areas of science: nuclear physics, nuclear astrophysics, atomic physics, condensed matter physics, radiobiology, and elementary particle physics.

CERN: The Large Hadron Collider

A presentation of the largest and the most powerful particle accelerator in the world, the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), which began in 2008. Its role, characteristics, technologies, etc. are explained for the general public.

CERN: Large Hadron Collider FAQ

A collection of facts and figures about the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) in the form of questions and answers.

CERN: Large Hadron Collider Beauty Experiment

LHCb is one of the four big experiments for the LHC, the most powerful particle accelerator in the world, which began in 2008. LHCb will study a phenomenon which could partly explain why the Universe is all matter and practically no antimatter.

CERN: The Grid

The Grid is a service for sharing computer power and data storage capacity over the internet. It goes beyond simple communication between computers, and aims ultimately to turn the global network of computers into one vast computational resource.