£236.5 million pound investment earmarked for STFC science

The Science and Technology Facilities Council [STFC] has had £236.5M earmarked for investment to develop large-scale research facilities and projects in its science portfolio. The investment was announced yesterday [Monday 14th July 2008] by the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills [DBIS] and is being made available through the Government’s Large Facilities Capital Fund.

The projects approved in STFC’s area include:

• £50M for the Hartree Centre, an advanced computational science centre at STFC’s Daresbury Science and Innovation Campus based at Daresbury, Cheshire in the North West.
• £24M for a new Imaging Solutions Centre based at STFC’s Harwell Science and Innovation Campus.
• £30M for a new Detector Systems Centre based jointly at STFC’s Daresbury and Harwell Science and Innovation Campuses.
• £25M for ISIS Target Station 2, STFC’s world-leading pulsed neutron and muon source facility at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory.
• £92.5M for the Diamond Light Source, in which STFC has an 86% shareholding, for the design and construction of an additional ten beam lines.
• £15M for the Square Kilometre Array to develop the first prototype phase of this next generation global radio telescope.

Commenting on the announcement STFC’s Chief Executive, Professor Keith Mason said:

"Today’s announcement of £236.5M is a major addition to STFC’s three–year investment programme of £1.906bn and will further ensure the UK remains at the forefront of international scientific research. I am particularly pleased that the government has earmarked £65M capital contribution for two cutting edge science centres at the Daresbury Science and Innovation Campus. This confirms the commitment of STFC and the government to develop Daresbury as a major centre of science and innovation in the North West.

"Equally we have seen significant funds earmarked to develop facilities and projects at the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus. The Imaging Solutions Centre will combine the expertise and facilities of ISIS and Diamond to develop new imaging technologies for both academic and commercial users. Individually, both ISIS and Diamond have been approved to develop the next phase of their research facilities in terms of new instruments and additional beam lines.

"Beyond our campus-based programme we have also been given approval for development of the Square Kilometre Array which is led by The University of Manchester from the Jodrell Bank Observatory, working with Oxford and Cambridge universities. SKA is a global project to design and build the next generation radio telescope and this timely investment in the SKA project will retain the UK’s leading position in this international venture.

"Overall this is excellent news for STFC, its staff and scientific communities, and the UK. Of the nine projects announced in the Large Facilities Capital Fund, six are STFC based, a clear indication of the importance of our research."

In collaboration with key stakeholders, STFC will now develop a detailed science and business case for each approved project for endorsement by Research Councils UK [RCUK] and submission to DBIS prior to funds being formally committed.

---

Contact

Peter Barratt

Tel: 01793 442025

Mobile : 07879 602899

Email: peter.barratt@stcf.ac.uk

 

---

Notes for Editors

DIUS Press Release

The Large Facilities Capital Fund provides additional capital to large scale research project. The funding is allocated by DIUS based on the recommendations of individual Research Councils. For a project to qualify for support, it must; cost more than £25 million in capital, represent over 10 per cent of the individual Research Council's annual budget, or serve more than one Research Council. The next prioritisation process will begin in 2009.

The Hartree Centre - A new world-leading computational sciences centre for the UK. It is intended model complex systems and processes such as climate variability and human biological systems. The centre will build on existing scientific expertise at Daresbury.

Imaging Solutions Centre - This centre will use the ISIS neutron and Diamond Light Source facilities to develop new imaging technologies. The Centre will also provide accessible, useful imaging information to both academic and commercial users.

Detector Systems Centre - this centre will support the research, design and fabrication of sensors and promote collaboration between STFC and universities. The Detector Systems Centre would bring academic and industrial collaborators together to develop and commercialise sensors and detectors for use in biomedical imaging and security systems, among others. The Centre will be based at Daresbury and Harwell Science and Innovation campuses.

ISIS Target Station 2 Phase III - ISIS is considered to be the world's leading pulsed neutron and muon source and is being developed in three phases. ISIS Target Station 2 will provide beams of cold neutrons for research the in a wide range of energy, health and bioscience areas. This funding will complete the instrument suite of 18 instruments over the period 2012 -2016.

Diamond Phase III - The design and construction of a further ten beam lines to enhance the Diamond Light Source facility. These additional beam lines will underpin new research programmes including high resolution imaging and identification of the electronic structures of materials.

Square Kilometre Array [SKA] - The first prototype phase of the next generation global radio telescope. The Square Kilometre Array (SKA) is a global project to design and build the next generation radio telescope. The SKA will be able to investigate Dark Energy and map magnetic fields across the Universe, allowing for the first time the study of the nature of cosmic magnetism and be able to map the formation and evolution of galaxies.

Also today, Research Councils UK (RCUK) is publishing their 2008 Roadmap. The Roadmap provides a comprehensive picture of the major research infrastructures planned and under construction by the UK Research Councils. This includes facilities that Research Councils, and their research communities, have identified as potential emerging opportunities for the future. The Roadmap includes facilities that already receive or could qualify for funding from the Large Facilities Capital Fund administered by DIUS.

RCUK Roadmap

---

Science and Technology Facilities Council

The Science and Technology Facilities Council ensures the UK retains its leading place on the world stage by delivering world-class science; accessing and hosting international facilities; developing innovative technologies; and increasing the socio-economic impact of its research through effective knowledge exchange partnerships.

The Council has a broad science portfolio including Astronomy, Particle Physics, Particle Astrophysics, Nuclear Physics, Space Science, Synchrotron Radiation, Neutron Sources and High Power Lasers. In addition the Council manages and operates three internationally renowned laboratories:

• The Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Oxfordshire
• The Daresbury Laboratory, Cheshire
• The UK Astronomy Technology Centre, Edinburgh

The Council gives researchers access to world-class facilities and funds the UK membership of international bodies such as the European Laboratory for Particle Physics (CERN), the Institute Laue Langevin (ILL), European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF), the European organisation for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere (ESO) and the European Space Agency (ESA). It also contributes money for the UK telescopes overseas on La Palma, Hawaii, Australia and in Chile, and the MERLIN/VLBI National Facility, which includes the Lovell Telescope at Jodrell Bank Observatory.
The Council distributes public money from the Government to support scientific research.  Between 2007 and 2008 we will invest approximately £678 million.