Embedding Science in Popular Culture

Over the past decade, in addition to forging an international research reputation in my field of theoretical nuclear physics, I have devoted a significant fraction of my time to science communication and popularisation activities. The University of Surrey acknowledged my efforts in 2005 by promoting me to a joint personal chair in physics and in the Public Engagement in Science. In 2007, I was awarded the Royal Society's Michael Faraday medal and prize for science communication and earlier this year received an OBE for services to physics.I feel passionately about communicating my research and engaging with the public on wider scientific issues in general. My existing EPSRC Senior Media Fellowship has enabled me to pursue projects and initiatives I would otherwise have been unable to do because of my academic commitments. Over the past two years I have established myself as a television presenter with two three-part series ( Atom and Science and Islam ) and a one hour Horizon documentary on the Big Bang, all for BBC4. Next year (my final year of the SMF) I will be making a further three more programmes: a one hour documentary on chaos theory for BBC4, a three-part series on chemistry called Elements , also for BBC4 and a five part series, co-presenting with Stephen Hawking and Richard Dawkins on the history of British Science for Channel 4. For this level of activity to continue I request an extension to my SMF that can continue to buy out half my time from the academic duties within the department of Physics at the University of Surrey, without which I would not be able to justify taking so much time away from my desk. My current SMF has allowed me to forge many contacts within broadcasting and to get my name established as a science presenter on television and radio. I am now in the lucky and flattering position of being 'in demand'. Without an extension to my fellowship I would not be able to continue the balance of academic research and scholarship and public engagement in broadcasting. I would be forced to choose - something I hope I do not have to do.This summer, I was part of my nuclear physics research group's successful five-year rolling grant bid to STFC, worth over two million pounds. Under Full Economic Costing, the fraction of my time on grant to devote to research over the coming few years was 38% - the highest of any academic in the group. We are in the process now of recruiting a new postdoctoral fellow to work in a new area I will be involved with in understanding nuclear fusion reaction dynamics.