Experimental Equipment Call

A new equipment suite will give UK researchers the tools to build and test materials atom-by-atom, from printable electronics to next-generation nuclear reactor components. The proposal addresses a growing gap: advanced materials research increasingly requires specialised instruments that individual labs cannot afford or maintain. Without centralised access, the UK risks falling behind in fields where materials innovation drives progress—from lighter aircraft to more efficient solar cells. The equipment will serve seven research areas, including high-speed additive manufacturing, functional molecular films, and polymer science. If successful, the facility will accelerate discovery across multiple sectors. Better polymer and colloid science could improve everything from drug delivery to water treatment. Advanced nanomaterials and devices underpin faster electronics and more sensitive medical sensors. Nuclear materials research supports safer, longer-lived power stations. The equipment also enables fundamental science—characterising new molecular films or probing soft matter behaviour—that may lead to unanticipated breakthroughs, much as past investments in synchrotrons and electron microscopes opened entirely new fields. The impact is structural: faster characterisation, fewer bottlenecks, and a stronger foundation for UK materials research.