Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC)
Through EPSRC funding, you can apply to use a number of facilities provided by or supported by STFC. You need to apply directly to these facilities. They include:
- Diamond Light Source – the UK’s national synchrotron facility based at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory
- Central Laser Facility – large-scale laser systems at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory
- ISIS Neutron and Muon Source – pulsed neutron and muon source at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory
- European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) – international institute in Grenoble, France, which operates Europe’s most powerful synchrotron light source
- Institut Laue-Langevin (ILL) – international research centre based in Grenoble, France, which operates the most intense neutron source in the world.
National Research Facility for X-ray Computed Tomography (NXCT)
You can apply through NXCT to use world-leading 3D imaging and data analysis facilities located at the universities of Manchester, Southampton, and Warwick, at University College London and at Diamond Light Source.
Physical Sciences Data-Science Service (PSDS)
You can access tools and resources for research in the physical sciences through PSDS. These include commercial databases such as:
- Cambridge Structural Database
- SPRESIWEB
- Inorganic Crystal Structure Database
- ACD I-Lab
- Available Chemicals Directory
- DETHERM.
EPSRC National Dark Fibre Infrastructure Service (NDFIS)
You can experiment with novel communication techniques through NDFIS. It provides a 650km single-mode dark fibre network interconnecting access points at four universities – Bristol, Cambridge, Southampton and University College London. It has other resources for researchers developing future wireless and optical communications.
European Magnetic Field Laboratory (EMFL)
You can apply for magnet time at EMFL. The laboratory generates the highest possible magnetic fields that can be used for scientific research. The applications are open twice a year.
EPSRC National Epitaxy Facility
You can use:
- epitaxial materials
- semiconductor characterisation and advanced fabrication facilities for semiconductor photonics
- electronics research.
Find out more about the EPSRC National Epitaxy Facility.
HarwellXPS
You can use two photoelectron spectrometers providing XPS, UPS, LEIS and ion etching using single or cluster argon ions at HarwellXPS, the EPSRC national facility for X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The facility is a collaboration between Cardiff University, University College London and the University of Manchester, where you can use other XPS facilities.
Find out more about HarwellXPS.
FELIX Laboratory (free electron lasers for infrared experiments)
You can apply to use infrared beam lines at FELIX Laboratory based in the Netherlands. The international free electron laser facility provides very bright, short pulsed, coherent light output, all the way from the mid-infrared to the microwave region of the spectrum.
Find out more about FELIX Laboratory.
EPSRC National Electron Paramagnetic Spectroscopy Facility and Service
You can use electron paramagnetic spectroscopy measurement and analysis services through the EPSRC National Electron Paramagnetic Spectroscopy Facility and Service based at the University of Manchester.
Find out more about the National Electron Paramagnetic Spectroscopy Facility and Service.
EPSRC National Crystallography Service (NCS)
You can use data collection services and full structure analysis services for single crystal X-ray diffraction through NCS, based at the University of Southampton and Diamond Light Source.
SuperSTEM
You can access cutting-edge instrumentation,data analysis, and expertise and training in advanced electron microscopy at SuperSTEM, the EPSRC national research facility for advanced electron microscopy. Its main location is at a purpose-built low-vibration laboratory on the SciTech Daresbury Science and Innovation Campus.
Find out more about SuperSTEM.
X-ray Materials Science Facility (XMaS)
You can apply for beam time at XMaS at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) in Grenoble, France. A wide range of X-ray techniques are available making use of white beam and monochromatic energies. It is funded by EPSRC.
Find out more about the X-ray Materials Science Facility.
UK National Ion Beam Centre
You can carry out a wide range of research using ion implantation, ion irradiation and ion beam analysis at the Ion Beam Centre at the University of Surrey.
Find out more about the UK National Ion Beam Centre.
Through the UK National Ion Beam Centre, you can also use the medium energy ion scattering facility at the University of Huddersfield to investigate the surface structure and properties of crystalline materials and carry out high-resolution depth profiling of non-crystalline nanometer thin layers.
Find out more about the Medium Energy Ion Scattering facility.
UK High-field Solid-state Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Facility
You can access high-field solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) at the UK High-field Solid-state NMR Facility at the University of Warwick.
Find out more about the UK High-field Solid-state NMR Facility.
National Wind Tunnel Facility
You can apply for testing time at one of 23 wind tunnels spread across 12 universities that make up the National Wind Tunnel Facility.
Find out more about the National Wind Tunnel Facility.
Research Complex at Harwell
The research complex at Harwell has a mix of research hubs, individual groups and facilities in the physical, life and laser sciences. It is open to UK research teams and Diamond and Rutherford Appleton Laboratory staff. It’s a joint facility of EPSRC, STFC, Diamond Light Source, the Medical Research Council (MRC), Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and Natural Environment Research Council (NERC).
Find out more about the Research Complex at Harwell.
Equipment sharing
You can search for research equipment available to share at universities across the UK through the equipment.data website.
Find out more about equipment.data.
ARCHER2 supercomputing
You can access high-performance computing through ARCHER2, the national supercomputing service.
Tier 2 high performance computing services
You can use a range of supercomputing facilities at:
- Cirrus – led by University of Edinburgh
- Cambridge Service for Data-Driven Discovery (CSD3) – at the University of Cambridge
- GW4 Isambard Tier-2 – led by University of Bristol
- Joint Academic Data Science Endeavour (JADE) – led by University of Oxford
- Materials and Molecular Modelling (MMM) Hub – led by University College London
- Kelvin 2 at the Northern Ireland High-performance Computing Centre (NI-HPC) – at Queen’s University Belfast
- Bede (NICE) – led by University of Durham
- Baskerville – led by University of Birmingham
- Sulis – led by University of Warwick.
National Physical Laboratory (NPL) terahertz (THz) facility
NPL has been designated as an EPSRC THz facility, serving the UK academic community. The resources and services include:
- time-domain spectroscopy
- frequency-domain spectroscopy
- device characterisation
- THz communications
- on-wafer measurements
NPL supports the academic and industrial applications of terahertz technologies by providing measurement services, characterisation services and consultancy for a range of different applications, as well as active participation in collaborative research projects.
Find out more about the NPL THz facility.
UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) InfraPortal
You can search for other EPSRC facilities through the UKRI InfraPortal, the UK’s research and innovation infrastructure portal.