Small items of research equipment at UCL

This is a UCL-wide bid to invest in a portfolio of small (<£10k) equipment items which will enhance our capability in four strategic, cross-disciplinary themes: Health technologies, Materials science, Novel Information Technologies and Future Media. UCL has considerable strength in these challenge areas, and we are experiencing a significant growth in the numbers of early career researchers contributing to them. This additional investment will would therefore provide an ideal platform to ensure the growth of the highest quality research as well as support the career development of staff.

Within each thematic area we have identified a subset of research challenges that will benefit from additional investment in the form of small items of equipment. This has been done in close collaboration with individuals and groups working in the area, to ensure that the items requested are aligned with their current needs and have the greatest potential to have maximum impact on their research activities.

The areas defined in the proposal are:
- Theme A: Health Technologies (Diagnostics and therapeutics, Medical imaging, Vascular modelling, and Medical physics)
- Theme B: Materials Science (Materials characterisation, New energy materials, Chemical engineering)
- Theme C: Novel Information Technologies (Investigation and characterisation of quantum effects, Development of new qubit systems, New wireless networks)
- Theme D: Future Media (Telepresence and remote sensing)

This proposal aims at acquiring a suite of small equipment items to upgrade and complement those already present in different labs at UCL. Broadly speaking, therefore, we can divide the impact of this proposal into two types: a "direct" impact (on researchers and students, both at UCL and beyond, and on their research) and an "indirect" impact that will be determined by the research enabled by the equipment.

Impact of the first type will be visible on a shorter time-scale, and can be easily measured in terms of improved research capability and performance. In identifying the items requested in this proposal, priority has been given to support the research of staff at the earlier stage of their career. The benefits will be visible both in terms of training and skills upgrade (PhD students/junior postdocs) and in terms of supporting the development of independent research careers (senior postdocs/lecturers).

Impact of the second type will be harder to measure, since it will be both longer term and mediated by the research process itself. Given the timeliness and importance of the challenges we address in the proposal, though, we are confident that there will be a significant benefit to the UK society and economy including (but not limited to) the following.
Developments in health technology have the potential to benefit the UK society and economy (and are in line with the priorities outlined in the EPSRC Healthcare Technologies theme, as well as with the RCUK Lifelong Health and Wellbeing Programme).
Research in materials science has the potential to impact on the UK manufacturing industry, as well as support the movement towards a green economy by investigating novel energy solutions.
Investigation of novel information technologies is crucial to support modern-day society, which relies more and more on high-speed communication and information processing.
Study of future media platforms, and research in the application of remote sensing and telepresence in everyday life situations will impact both the way we currently see remote communication and also aid society tackle broader challenges such as, e.g., reducing emission or supporting people with limited mobility, by developing alternatives to travel and face-to-face communications.