Imperial is buying eight new pieces of core research equipment to keep its labs among the best in the world. The problem is straightforward: cutting-edge science needs cutting-edge tools. Without regular investment in shared, high-end equipment, researchers lose the ability to run experiments that require precision, speed, or scale. This grant addresses that gap by funding instruments that multiple departments can use, reducing duplication and wasted resources. It also targets sustainability—newer equipment typically uses less energy and fewer consumables than older machines. If this succeeds, the equipment will support fundamental science across engineering, medicine, and the physical sciences. There is no single immediate product or cure here. Instead, the impact is structural: more efficient use of lab resources, lower environmental costs, and better training for early-career researchers who need hands-on experience with state-of-the-art instruments. Imperial’s strategy explicitly links this infrastructure to tackling major societal challenges, but the grant itself is about enabling that work, not delivering it directly. The payoff comes when the next generation of scientists uses these tools to make discoveries that are not yet predictable.
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Imperial is an internationally leading centre for research, education and translation and the only UK higher education institution to focus exclusively on science, engineering, medicine and business. Imperial is renowned both for world-class fundamental research and for the translation of this research for the benefit of society and the economy. In the latest REF exercise, Imperial obtained a greater proportion of 4* “world-leading” research than any other UK university and ranked first in the UK for research outputs, first in the UK for research environment, and first for research impact among Russell Group universities, recognising Imperial’s approach to ensuring a positive and inclusive culture in which all our staff and students can thrive. This grant will enable the acquisition of eight different items of equipment which will enable the following objectives to be met: Increased capacity and accessibility to core equipment meaning greater efficiency of use Greater sustainability through reduced resource and energy costs Greater engagement with ECRs Providing access to multi-Departmental users and enabling cross-Departmental collaborations Imperial’s new strategy, Science for Humanity aims to achieve enduring excellence in research and to promote the development of world-class core disciplines and multidisciplinary research addressing major societal challenges. The proposed investments align strongly with both Imperial’s and EPSRC’s strategic ambitions and will be significant additions to Imperials provision of world-class facilities. Providing cutting-edge research infrastructure and enabling equipment, with highly skilled technical support that facilitates "hands-on" training for the next generation of world-class talent, is core to the Imperial's mission and embodied in our strategy. This approach is consistent with EPSRC’s view of a World Class Lab supporting the next generation of researchers as a combination of excellent people undertaking cutting-edge research using state-of-the-art, fit-for-purpose equipment underpinned with qualified, well-resourced technical support.
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