The Research Councils UK (RCUK) today unveils its 2008 Large Facilities Roadmap, featuring a wide array of major research infrastructures such as light sources, research ships, state of the art laboratories and social data sets.
To remain at the forefront of research, UK researchers need access to the best facilities. The Roadmap helps to ensure that the UK offers world-class research facilities in the most effective way, and allows the UK to take full advantage of emerging opportunities in the world of research and innovation.
Professor Ian Diamond, Chair of the RCUK Executive Group, said “The 2008 Roadmap reveals a vibrant research base supported by a broad array of facilities serving a wide range of researchers, from engineering to environmental research, astronomy to medicine, enabling them to address societal challenges such as environmental change and the ageing population. It plays a vital role in realising the Government's vision of the UK as the most attractive location in the world for science and innovation."
The Roadmap provides a comprehensive picture of the facilities planned and under construction by the Research Councils, and the facilities that they and their research communities have identified as emerging opportunities for the future. For the first time, RCUK published the Roadmap in draft for consultation, to ensure that the whole research community was engaged in its development.
The roadmap lists the facilities that require access to funding from the Large Facilities Capital Fund (LFCF), administered by the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS). RCUK has drawn from the Roadmap in advising Ministers in which projects should be considered for funding during the current Comprehensive Spending Review Period. RCUK is delighted that today’s announcement by DIUS on those projects that have received ear-marked funding is consistent with those recommendations.
The 2008 Large Facilities Roadmap 2008 can be downloaded from here
The DIUS announcement concerning the Large Facilities Capital Fund is available here
Contact
Toni-Jo Henderson
RCUK Media Officer, Tel 01793 444023
About Research Councils UK
The seven Research Councils are independent non-departmental public bodies, funded by the Science Budget through the Department of Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS). They are incorporated by Royal Charter and together manage a research budget of over £2.8 billion a year.
Research Councils UK (RCUK) is the partnership between the UK's seven Research Councils. Through RCUK, the Research Councils work together to champion the research, training and innovation they support.
The seven UK Research Councils are:
- Arts & Humanities Research Council (AHRC);
- Biotechnology & Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC);
- Economic & Social Research Council (ESRC);
- Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC);
- Medical Research Council (MRC);
- Natural Environment Research Council (NERC);
- Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC).