Cambridge University Reporter


Report of the General Board on the establishment of two Readerships in the Department of Physics

The GENERAL BOARD beg leave to report to the University as follows:

1. The Department of Physics is one of the largest and most highly regarded centres for research and teaching in Physics in the world. The Department's research supports and guides a successful teaching programme that maintains teaching of the fundamentals at the core of the discipline, while encouraging interdisciplinary study in Part III of the Natural Sciences Tripos. The study of Physics is in a period of rapid progress, both in revealing fundamental notions from the structure of matter to the structure of the universe and in terms of developing close relationships with applied and life sciences. The Department has recently undertaken a strategic review, and is preparing to make major investments in new areas of science.

2. The Department has a traditional strength in soft condensed matter physics, and a recent and growing investment in related areas of biological physics. The Department wishes to reinforce these activities, in tandem with the appointment of a new Herchel Smith Professor of Physics (Reporter, 2003-04, p. 895), as well as with future developments on the West Cambridge Site that will aim to bring together activities in the physical and life sciences. The Department also wishes to maintain its strengths in fundamental science over all scales, from the sub-atomic to the astrophysical, and to develop new research areas in quantum phenomena that are not currently strongly represented in the Department, but are complementary to other research undertaken there.

3. In advance of the Research Assessment Exercise in 2007, the Department expects to be making a number of appointments at the level of University Lecturer, but in order to attract a strong field of candidates with international standing, wishes to establish two Readerships, with a preference for research in experimental physics.

4. The proposed establishment of these Readerships will be funded by suppressing the Assistant Directorships of Research vacated by the resignation of Dr J. R. A. Cleaver and the retirement of Mr P. J. Warner. The additional costs will be met within the existing level of recurrent allocation to the Council of the School of the Physical Sciences, who have approved the case made by the Department.

5. The General Board have accepted the proposal of the Council of the School of the Physical Sciences for the establishment of two Readerships. The criteria for appointment to a Readership through open competition will be identical to those for appointment through the Senior Academic Promotions Procedure. The Appointments Committee will be constituted as specified in the regulations for Readers and Readerships (Statutes and Ordinances, p. 692).

6. The General Board accordingly recommend:

That two Readerships in Physics be established in the Department of Physics from 1 October 2006.

30 November 2005ALISON RICHARD, Vice-ChancellorM. J. DAUNTONROGER PARKER
 JOHN BELLRICHARD FRIENDPATRICK SISSONS
 TOM BLUNDELLD. W. B. MACDONALDLAURA WALSH
 WILLIAM BROWNMELVEENA MCKENDRICKI. H. WHITE
 H. A. CHASE