Committee publication · Correspondence · 22 April 2026

Correspondence from Professor Jon Butterworth, Professor Catherine Heymans and Dr Simon Williams, re: Follow-ups from 4 March oral evidence session on Scientific research funding, 9 April 2026

From: Science, Innovation and Technology Committee

Summary

Three leading UK physics and astronomy researchers respond to a Science, Innovation and Technology Committee inquiry about career paths of STFC-funded PhD graduates. They report survey data from 2,354 supervisors tracking outcomes of approximately 1,300 students since 2010, showing 30% remain in academia while 25% move into AI and data science, with the remainder entering diverse sectors including industry, defence, finance, and education.

Key findings

77% of STFC-funded students were UK nationals; 23% from abroad, indicating global talent attraction.
Approximately 1,300 STFC-funded PhD students tracked across particle physics (~1,000), astrophysics (~1,000), and nuclear/accelerator science (~300) disciplines.
For 2024-2026 graduates: 48% move directly to private sector, 46% take postdoctoral positions, under 1% unemployed.
Among 2010-2014 graduates, 24% achieved permanent faculty positions in physics/astronomy after ~10-year transition from fixed-term contracts.
Nearly a third of 2020-2023 graduates now work in AI and data science, demonstrating economic impact beyond academia.

Tone

Factual

Topics

research-fundinghigher-educationstem-careerstalent-pipeline

Key actors

Professor Jon Butterworth, Professor Catherine Heymans, Dr Simon Williams, Dame Chi Onwurah MP, Science, Innovation and Technology Committee, STFC (Science and Technology Facilities Council), Durham University

Notable line

“… the fraction of STFC-funded PhD students in academia decreases to roughly 30% as their career progresses.”

Key Quotes

“77% of our STFC-funded students were UK nationals, with the remaining 23% of studentships attracting global talent from abroad.”
— Professor Jon Butterworth, Professor Catherine Heymans and Dr Simon Williams · describing the international composition of STFC-funded PhD cohorts

“The two most common careers for STFC-funded PhD students are to remain in academia ( ∼ 30%) or to work in AI and data science”
— Professor Jon Butterworth, Professor Catherine Heymans and Dr Simon Williams · summarising primary career outcomes of graduates

“For the most recent graduates (2024-2026), 48% move directly into the private sector, 46% choose short-term (typically 2-3yr) PPAN postdoctoral research positions for their first career, with the other 6% working in other academic roles.”
— Professor Jon Butterworth, Professor Catherine Heymans and Dr Simon Williams · detailing immediate post-PhD employment distribution for recent cohorts

“We believe this demonstrates that these subject areas are already, and have been for many years, a powerful contributor to the growth of the UK economy via the people and skills they enable, especially in rapidly changing and high technology areas.”
— Professor Jon Butterworth, Professor Catherine Heymans and Dr Simon Williams · concluding statement on economic impact of STFC-funded research

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Source · parliament.uk record ↗