Multi-User X-ray Diffraction (XRD) Core Equipment
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Ulster
Department Name: School of Engineering
Abstract
A process for the strategic allocation of the Ulster University EPSRC Capital Award for Core Equipment, led by the Pro-Vice Chancellor for Research & Impact, Professor Cathy Gormley-Heenan, has identified the Faculty of Computing, Engineering & the Built Environment as the being the main originators of the historical performance in securing capital funding from EPRSC's World Class Labs budget over the last five years that has then led to the submission of this proposal.
As a member of the University Research & Impact Leadership Team, the Associate Dean for Research & Impact, Professor Brian Meenan is the staff member with responsibility for the equipment strategy in the Faculty. He has therefore been tasked with leading the process to identify the equipment purchase that best aligns Ulster's capital infrastructure strategic requirements, within the scope of objectives of the call, and to act as Principle Investigator for the submission. The equipment allocation was considered by the Faculty Leadership Team which is led by the Executive Dean Professor Liam Maguire and comprises heads of the four Schools in the Faculty (Belfast School of Architecture & the Built Environment, School of Computing, School of Computing, Engineering & Intelligent Systems and School of Engineering) and the Head of Faculty Operations. As such, this leadership group has complete oversight of research capital support needs within the Faculty and has direct access to the infrastructure registers held by the respective Schools.
Assessment of current needs across all of the relevant criteria by the Faculty Leadership Team has identified the purchase of a core level multi-user X-ray Diffractometer (XRD) instrument, to be based within the School of Engineering, as being the most appropriate fit to this call. It is recognised that the £100k award that is available to Ulster is insufficient to enable this purchase and therefore the additional funds required will be provided by the University from institutional funds to a total value of ca. £216k (inclusive of VAT).
The XRD instrument to be purchased here will add significant on-going benefits to academic research at Ulster that directly align with the EPSRC strategic priorities in Healthcare Technologies, Energy, Engineering, Manufacturing the Future and Physical Sciences. It will also greatly benefit our R&D support for indigenous industry and help with attracting foreign direct investment by making available resources that major companies expect to be available in the region. Hence, its availability will make a contribution to the drivers economic growth in NI, as promoted by DfE, Invest NI and The NI MATRIX Panel. In doing so it will increase the international profile of the NI Higher Education sector in NI that is central to the delivery of the Ulster University 5&50 Strategic Plan.
As a member of the University Research & Impact Leadership Team, the Associate Dean for Research & Impact, Professor Brian Meenan is the staff member with responsibility for the equipment strategy in the Faculty. He has therefore been tasked with leading the process to identify the equipment purchase that best aligns Ulster's capital infrastructure strategic requirements, within the scope of objectives of the call, and to act as Principle Investigator for the submission. The equipment allocation was considered by the Faculty Leadership Team which is led by the Executive Dean Professor Liam Maguire and comprises heads of the four Schools in the Faculty (Belfast School of Architecture & the Built Environment, School of Computing, School of Computing, Engineering & Intelligent Systems and School of Engineering) and the Head of Faculty Operations. As such, this leadership group has complete oversight of research capital support needs within the Faculty and has direct access to the infrastructure registers held by the respective Schools.
Assessment of current needs across all of the relevant criteria by the Faculty Leadership Team has identified the purchase of a core level multi-user X-ray Diffractometer (XRD) instrument, to be based within the School of Engineering, as being the most appropriate fit to this call. It is recognised that the £100k award that is available to Ulster is insufficient to enable this purchase and therefore the additional funds required will be provided by the University from institutional funds to a total value of ca. £216k (inclusive of VAT).
The XRD instrument to be purchased here will add significant on-going benefits to academic research at Ulster that directly align with the EPSRC strategic priorities in Healthcare Technologies, Energy, Engineering, Manufacturing the Future and Physical Sciences. It will also greatly benefit our R&D support for indigenous industry and help with attracting foreign direct investment by making available resources that major companies expect to be available in the region. Hence, its availability will make a contribution to the drivers economic growth in NI, as promoted by DfE, Invest NI and The NI MATRIX Panel. In doing so it will increase the international profile of the NI Higher Education sector in NI that is central to the delivery of the Ulster University 5&50 Strategic Plan.
Planned Impact
The instrument will replace and enhance a key element of the multi-user characterisation facilities within the School of Engineering that are used for the study of materials at the nanoscale, including functional biomaterials, carbon and titania nanotubes, perovskite oxides, graphene, barium titanate electroactive ceramics gold nanoparticles and polymer composite systems. It will underpin an array of sophisticated modern equipment that is of World Class Lab standard including Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) and Time-of-Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry. The main academic user community for the XRD instrument is well established at Ulster and the technique is already seen as a core facility for the generation of research with impact.
The availability of a modern XRD instrument will therefore directly impact the quality of research outputs by provision of data that breaks new ground regarding how material properties effect their function and subsequent application. In this regard, XRD is seen as an essential core research facility within a well-founded laboratory in order to be competitive in securing highly competitive Quality-related Research (QR) funding.
The need for such an instrument is not limited to academic activities and this capital purchase will enhance our R&D support for indigenous industry and help to attract foreign direct investment to Northern Ireland (NI) by making available resources that major companies locating here expect to be available within the University sector. The NI (draft) Programme for Government 2016-21 has, as one of its central goals, the need to "improve wellbeing for all by tackling disadvantage, and driving economic growth". In this regard, it is recognised that the region will prosper through a strong, competitive, balanced economy. It is also widely recognised that the University Sector in Northern Ireland contributes substantively to economic growth via the provision of a skilled workforce and the contribution made to Research & Development. The latter activities support both indigenous industry and those overseas companies locating here. University research is a major part of our inward investment offering, as indicated by Invest NI.
The availability of a modern XRD instrument will therefore directly impact the quality of research outputs by provision of data that breaks new ground regarding how material properties effect their function and subsequent application. In this regard, XRD is seen as an essential core research facility within a well-founded laboratory in order to be competitive in securing highly competitive Quality-related Research (QR) funding.
The need for such an instrument is not limited to academic activities and this capital purchase will enhance our R&D support for indigenous industry and help to attract foreign direct investment to Northern Ireland (NI) by making available resources that major companies locating here expect to be available within the University sector. The NI (draft) Programme for Government 2016-21 has, as one of its central goals, the need to "improve wellbeing for all by tackling disadvantage, and driving economic growth". In this regard, it is recognised that the region will prosper through a strong, competitive, balanced economy. It is also widely recognised that the University Sector in Northern Ireland contributes substantively to economic growth via the provision of a skilled workforce and the contribution made to Research & Development. The latter activities support both indigenous industry and those overseas companies locating here. University research is a major part of our inward investment offering, as indicated by Invest NI.