EPSRC Capital Award for Core Equipment

The funding available through this grant will be used exclusively for the procurement of equipment as required by the call. Seven items of equipment have been identified as key strategic priorities for the University, through a competitive review process, identifying where this capital investment will add most value in terms of research excellence. The investment opportunities outlined in this proposal are in addition to planned investments in capital equipment at the institutional level. However, to demonstrate its support for the strategic areas for investment outlined in this proposal, the University will provide a contribution towards the full cost of the equipment for those items which exceed the maximum limit offered by the EPSRC as part of this call. The primary beneficiaries from the additional resources requested in this proposal will be the researchers within the University of Cambridge, unlocking new research avenues and enhancing overall equipment portfolio available for sharing.

The new equipment acquired through the EPSRC Capital Award for Core Equipment will strategically strengthen the productivity of core equipment available to researchers working within the remit of the EPSRC's portfolio, as well as their collaborators, also in industry. This investment will complement the commitments that the University has already made towards supporting core equipment and will enable the University to build upon our provision of world class status for laboratory equipment. Existing equipment sharing project outreach activities will provide additional awareness of the equipment across the University and beyond. Although primarily supporting EPSRC-remit research, in line with other activities in Cambridge this investment will lead to wider impacts on economy and society in due course. Capitalising on the progress that has already been made towards enabling broad shared access to equipment will also further this proposal's role in enabling development of new technologies. New knowledge that will be generated, and translation of research outcomes from the proposed portfolio of this new core equipment set will undoubtedly lead to economic and social impacts - creating jobs, driving economy and UK's international competitiveness through spinout formation, and providing society with better products and solutions in the longer term. Due to a broad scope of this capital investment it is not straightforward to detail all potential beneficiaries and impacts, but though placing of the equipment in optimal environment for impact acceleration these will be enabled and fostered across the entire project portfolio. Likely frontline beneficiaries beyond Cambridge academic community range from the British Antarctic Survey (improving studies of environmental samples and underpinning understanding behind the climate emergency), industry in materials, energy, biotech, nano, optical and electronic sectors, to tech SMEs and spinouts working on materials science and device innovations. Likely industrial partners identified so far include: Aixtron, BP, HexagonFab, Hitachi Cambridge Laboratory, Paragraf, Prognomics. Sorex Sensors, Silson, Talga Technologies and more. The commercial direct and indirect impacts are expected to begin within the first year of the grant, continuing do develop, as well as new engagements to start also well beyond the duration of this award. Considering the integration of new equipment into departments, cross disciplinary research initiative and broader innovation ecosystem in Cambridge, the award is very likely to enable impact through new research projects and collaborations that it will make possible in near future. Training of a wide range of equipment users will produce a pipeline of skilled employees for both the HEIs as well as local technical consultancies, spin-outs and companies within the Cambridge cluster and beyond. Opening of the access to World Leading experimental capabilities to external users will also enhance the cutting-edge skillset capability building in the UK. Finally, the proposal will contribute to maintaining world leading position of Cambridge as the most vibrant university-innovation ecosystem in Europe, providing yet stronger reasons for new investment and companies to join the cluster, indirectly contributing to regional development around Cambridge and Peterborough.