Two of the UK’s research councils merged over the weekend. The Particle Physics & Astronomy Research Council (PPARC) and the Council for the Central Laboratory of the Research Councils (CCLRC) were brought together on April 1 by royal charter to form the Science and Technology Facilities Council. The move came amid little fanfare in the press. (A search for STFC on Google News suggests Swindon Town Football Club are more newsworthy than the merger of two of the UK’s major funding bodies.)

The new council, part of the Government’s Next Steps framework, will operate facilities for astronomy, computer science, energy research, nuclear and particle physics, space science and technology.

Under Chief Executive Officer, Keith Mason, STFC will “bring greater strategic leadership and an integrated approach to UK investments in large national and international research facilities and infrastructure”.

One interesting point was blogged by the Association of British Science Writers (or ABSW if you can handle yet another abbreviation). They question what will happen to all the stuff on the old websites. One commenter noted that “Historians of science may well want to know what PPARC and CCLRC got up to.”