High-resolution radio astronomer and geodesist mapping galaxies and Earth together.
Jack blends deep radio imaging, precision calibration, and geodetic network leadership to reveal how black holes, star formation, and our planet's reference frame co-evolve in the SKA era. He chairs the European VLBI Network programme committee and co-chairs the SKAO VLBI Science Working Group.
Complementary astronomy and geodesy research
Astronomy
Jack Radcliffe leads panoramic, milli-arcsecond VLBI surveys that map faint active galactic nuclei, star-forming galaxies, and radio transients. By pairing EVN, e-MERLIN, VLBA, VLA, MeerKAT, and LOFAR data, he uncovers how radio emission traces galaxy growth from the nearby universe to redshift > 5.
Geodesy
He also advances global geodesy by steering the UKRI-funded GGOS-Africa programme, extending the Global Geodetic Observing System across the African continent to deliver precise Earth-monitoring, disaster resilience, and climate-change insights. He leads the Africa-UK Physics Partnership project laying the groundwork for that geodetic infrastructure, and sits on UK government advisory committees on geodesy.
Technology & translation
Jack pioneered multi-source self-calibration (MSSC), develops VLBI/e-MERLIN reduction pipelines, and architects automated workflows such as VPIPE so wide-field VLBI can scale to SKA-era datasets. As Science Community Director for the UK SKA Regional Centre, he translates these advances into tools and training used by astronomers and geodesists alike.
- Leads flagship VLBI surveys including SWEEPS, CLARIS, EVN-COSMOS, and the EMU-VLBI pilot.
- Science Community Director at the UK SKA Regional Centre, coordinating SKA-ready workflows alongside the UKRI-funded GGOS-Africa geodesy programme.
- Authored 26 peer-reviewed papers on faint AGN, cosmic star formation, and radio variability (h-index 13).
- Pioneered MSSC and VPIPE calibration workflows adopted across international VLBI collaborations.
- Aligns astronomical baselines with geodetic infrastructure, advancing GGOS-Africa’s precision Earth monitoring.
Research themes
Parallel astronomy and geodesy programmes connected by shared technology.
Astronomy focus
Deep, wide-field VLBI surveys reveal faint AGN, star formation, and radio transients across cosmic time.
Geodesy focus
GGOS-Africa extends the Global Geodetic Observing System, delivering precise Earth orientation, positioning, and resilience data.
Shared technology
Multi-source self-calibration, distributed correlation, and SKA workflows power both astronomical imaging and geodetic reference frames.
Projects & collaborations
Coordinated survey programmes, SKA pathfinder efforts, and cross-facility teams that deliver the deepest milli-arcsecond views of the radio sky.
Survey leadership
Astronomy flagship: PI on square-degree VLBI experiments charting AGN demographics, radio transients and new VLBI techniques in GOODS-N, COSMOS, SPARCS, and EMU fields.
Geodesy networks
Geodesy flagship: leads GGOS-Africa partnerships installing VLBI, GNSS, and geodetic infrastructure to underpin the global reference frame.
Cross-discipline collaborations
Bridging flagship: core member of MIGHTEE, SPARCS, the SKA Extragalactic Continuum Working Group, e-MERGE, and UK SRC teams aligning astronomy surveys with geodetic priorities.
Teaching & mentorship
With almost a decade of lecturing experience, Jack has designed and delivered undergraduate and postgraduate courses in radio astronomy, observational techniques, and interferometry across the UK and South Africa.
He currently supervises doctoral and masters researchers investigating AGN evolution, calibration methods, and SKA pathfinder data sets.
- Founder & lecturer of Interferometry 101 and the Radio Astronomy Honours course at the University of Pretoria.
- Redesigned the Observational Astronomy undergraduate course (PHY 300), integrating workshops, assignments, and telescope practicums.
- Developed DARA programme materials adopted as the official VLBI CASA data reduction guide for the NRAO.
- Primary or co-supervisor for seven current postgraduate researchers, with 13 completed student projects.
Selected publications
26 peer-reviewed papers spanning VLBI astrophysics, calibration science, and geodetic infrastructure.
Upper limits on radio emission from the K2-18 system
MNRAS (2026)
Placed the tightest constraints yet on radio emission from a widely discussed habitable-zone exoplanet system.
Synoptic Wide-field EVN–e-MERLIN Public Survey (SWEEPS)
MNRAS Letters (2025)
Delivered the first results from a commensal EVN survey, demonstrating how wide-field VLBI can operate alongside SKA pathfinders.
The radio emission from active galactic nuclei
Astronomy & Astrophysics (2021)
Revealed that radio emission in radio-quiet AGN is dominated by star formation, reshaping interpretations of faint radio sources.