ACTIVITIES AND DEMOGRAPHIC-TRENDS IN UK ASTRONOMY BASED ON THE 1993 RAS SERC SURVEY/

This report covers changes in the UK astronomy community between 1988 and 1993. The main conclusions are as follows: (1) The human resources situation has not deteriorated as badly as was predicted in 1988. The total population has risen by about 7 per cent, owing to the intake o f more students from overseas, and the academic population has remaine d roughly constant. (2) The introduction of early retirement programme s, replacement of jobs falling vacant and the creation of posts in the new universities have enabled the age distribution of the population to adjust by allowing a higher appointment rate in 1988-1993 than was possible in the previous five years. (3) Nevertheless, three additiona l new positions per year are still required, across the whole of astro nomy and space science, to bring the total to the 15 new appointments per year required to achieve a stable sustainable population with a lo wer peak in the age distribution. (4) The newly graduating PhD student s, post-doctoral researchers and fellows who leave the astronomical co mmunity require more help with reorientation, career restructuring and networking with industry, so that they can be retained within the eco nomic base of this country.