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The Armagh Observatory, founded in 1790 by Archbishop Richard Robinson, is a modern astronomical research institute with a rich heritage. The Observatory is set in 14 acres of landscaped gardens and parkland close to the centre of the City of Armagh, and is the oldest astronomical observatory in the UK still functioning as an independent research establishment on its original site.
The Observatory is about the size of a small university department, but with the greater responsibilities and the higher public profile of an independent institution. Following the establishment of devolved structures within Northern Ireland during 1999, responsibility for the Observatory was transferred from the Department of Education Northern Ireland (DENI) to the new Department of Culture, Arts & Leisure (DCAL). In recent years the Observatory has received an annual budget from the DENI in the range £400k-£500k together with external income, mostly originating from the UK Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council (PPARC), amounting to roughly 50% of this, i.e. £200k-£300k per year.
There are currently (end December 1999) 25 research staff, including 8 senior astronomers and research associates, 5 postdoctoral research assistants, and 12 research students. The majority of the students are registered for postgraduate degrees (MPhil or PhD) at the Queen's University of Belfast (QUB). Discussions with QUB during 1999 have led to recognition of the Observatory as an approved institution for supervision and examination at postgraduate level. The research, academic and public outreach activities of the Observatory are supported by 7 staff, 4 of whom have responsibilities for core activities such as library, computers, meteorology readings, buildings and grounds, while 3 others provide administrative, secretarial, financial and general personnel support. The Administrator occupies a joint position with the Armagh Planetarium. The current staff position of the Armagh Observatory is given in Appendix A.