What is the ukSRC?

The UK SKA Regional Centre (ukSRC) is the UK's part of a global network that will store, process and provide access to the data from the SKA telescopes. Working alongside partner countries, it gives researchers in the UK and beyond the computing power, software and support they need to turn that data into science. It also runs a national programme that supports UK astronomers using the SKA's precursor and pathfinder telescopes, such as MeerKAT, LOFAR and e-MERLIN, helping the community gain experience with SKA-like data today. The ukSRC is a collaboration between the universities of Cambridge, Edinburgh, Durham, Hertfordshire and Manchester, University College London, and STFC Laboratories, funded by UKRI's Science and Technology Facilities Council.

Why it matters

The Square Kilometre Array Observatory (SKAO) is a major international science project, and much of its work has uses beyond astronomy. Through the UK's role in building and running it, the ukSRC contributes to research, skills and technology across the country.

Understanding the Universe

The SKA telescopes will study how the first stars and galaxies formed, test our theories of gravity, and look for the conditions for life around other stars.

An international project

Sixteen countries are building the SKAO together. The UK hosts the SKAO global headquarters at Jodrell Bank and plays a leading role in the regional centre network.

A head start for UK science

Through a national programme, the ukSRC supports UK astronomers using the SKAO precursor and pathfinder telescopes, such as MeerKAT, LOFAR and e-MERLIN, so the community can build skills and do new science now.

Skills and careers

Designing and running the ukSRC develops data scientists, engineers and software developers, with skills that are needed across research and industry.

Open data and software

SKAO data and the tools to work with it are being built to open and FAIR standards, so that researchers and students can make use of them.

Technology with wider uses

Handling the huge volumes of data from the SKAO advances methods in cloud computing, data management and machine learning that can be applied well beyond astronomy.

Public engagement

The ukSRC supports training, outreach and engagement that bring radio astronomy to students, teachers and the wider public.

Read more about the impact of astronomy and the SKAO

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