Research Councils UK (RCUK) has today released its Large Facilities Roadmap. The document outlines a "snapshot" of the UK science community’s anticipated need for large facilities and will help RCUK and the Office of Science and Technology to plan and prioritise the funding of the large-scale projects needed to maintain access for UK researchers to cutting-edge facilities, both in the UK and overseas. It will also be used to inform the allocation of the Office of Science and Technology’s Large Facilities Capital Fund.
The roadmap includes details of the anticipated need over the next 10-15 years as well as some well known large facilities already under construction. It includes projects across a wide range of scientific disciplines, encompassing areas across a wide range of the physical, environmental, social and life sciences.
Professor John Wood, Chief Executive of the Council for the Central Laboratory of the Research Councils (CCLRC), speaking on behalf of RCUK, said, "The Large Facilities Roadmap is a key part of RCUK’s commitment to make the UK the most attractive place in the world for research and innovation. To achieve this aim the UK needs to ensure the continued provision of first-class research and development infrastructure. The roadmap gives us the basis to plan and prioritise the need for underpinning facilities to maintain the UK research community’s access to world leading research facilities."
Professor Wood continued, "Research is a global endeavour and it is vital that the UK's funding of large facilities is seen in an international context. With researchers working to answer global questions it is important that the UK research community has access to world-class facilities either at home or abroad."
The Roadmap identifies the large facilities the Research Councils see as important in enabling it to meet its commitment to deliver world-class research and development capabilities for the UK. RCUK’s commitments to this, as outlined in the Government's 10 year framework for science and innovation, are available in the RCUK Delivery Plan. RCUK will be renewing the roadmap in 2007 to take into account changing priorities and new discoveries.
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Contact
Matt Goode, RCUK Media Officer
Research Councils UK
Tel: 01793 413299
Notes for editors
The Large Facilities Roadmap is available here 
The document has been developed in the context of the Government's "Science and Innovation Investment Framework 2004-2014".
The Large Facilities Roadmap was drawn up by the Research Councils in partnership as Research Councils UK. RCUK and OST will now be using the document to inform the prioritisation process for the facilities that may have a call on the OST Large Facilities Capital Fund. The Large Facilities Capital Fund is a centrally held DTI fund, managed by OST, to which Research Councils can bid to support UK participation in large facilities projects.
The results of the prioritisation process are expected to be announced by OST in March 2006.
About Research Councils UK
Research Councils UK (RCUK) is the partnership between the UK's eight Research Councils. Through RCUK, the Research Councils work together to champion the research, training and innovation they support. The Research Councils are independent non-departmental public bodies, funded by the Science Budget through the Office of Science and Technology.
RCUK was created to increase the collective visibility, leadership and policy influence of the Research Councils; to stimulate multi-disciplinary research that encourages collaboration; to provide a single focus for collective dialogue with stakeholders and to encourage greater harmonisation of internal operations.
The partnership is led by the RCUK Executive Group, which meets monthly and comprises the chief executives of the eight Research Councils. The Group is currently chaired by Professor Ian Diamond, Chief Executive of the Economic and Social Research Council.
The eight UK Research Councils are:
- Arts & Humanities Research Council (AHRC);
- Biotechnology & Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC);
- Council for the Central Laboratory of the Research Councils (CCLRC);
- Economic & Social Research Council (ESRC);
- Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC);
- Medical Research Council (MRC);
- Natural Environment Research Council (NERC);
- Particle Physics & Astronomy Research Council (PPARC).