Our funding agency in the UK, the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), have recently announced their science programme for the next 5 years. For the JAC telescopes, it includes:

• a commitment to continue operating the JCMT until at least 2012; and
• a "managed withdrawal" from UKIRT on a timescale to be defined.

Although the public announcement does not explicitly state this, continuation of the JCMT beyond 2012 is envisaged and is contingent, inter alia, on the astronomical performance of the SCUBA-2 instrument.

The UKIRT decision is a profound disappointment for everyone associated with the observatory. We are working with STFC to define the timescale and the implementation details, and we are also looking at alternative modes of operation. We emphasise that no decision has yet been taken to close the facility.

James Clerk Maxwell Submillimetre Telescope		United Kingdom Infrared Telescope

• The JAC announces the Hawaiki (Deneb) release of the Starlink Software Collection (20-Jan-2010)
• JCMT Newsletter Autumn 2009 issue (#31) available (27-Nov-2009)
• UKIRT Newsletter Autumn 2009 issue (#25) available (30-Oct-2009)
• UKIRT Astronomers Discover Local Star's Cool Companion (20-Apr-2009)
  
• Glorious Orion: UKIRT Helps Reveal Chaotic and Overcrowded Stellar Nursery (20-Apr-2009)
  
• UKIRT Planet Finder SoI endorsed (5-Apr-2009)
  
• JCMT Call for Proposals, Semester 09B (16-Feb-2009)
  
• UKIRT Call for Proposals, Semester 09B (16-Feb-2009)
  
• UKIRT PATT and Service Programmes in WF Mode (12-Feb-2009)
  
• UKIRT Moving to Wide-Field Mode (22-Dec-2008)
  
• JAC/STFC and CEOU sign Memorandum of Understanding (11-Dec-2008)

The Joint Astronomy Centre provides services and support to enable visiting and staff astronomers to undertake top-quality, front-line international-class research using the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope and the United Kingdom Infrared Telescope; to develop these facilities in order to maintain their position as the most advanced of their kind in the world; to operate them in the most cost effective and efficient manner on behalf of the funding agencies; and to be responsive to the changing needs of the contributing organisations.

The JAC is an establishment of the UK Science and Technology Facilities Council operated in partnership with Canada and The Netherlands.