Royal Society of Chemistry welcomes 15 million for core chemistry equipment

Universities across the UK are today celebrating the award of £15 million of funding for an open distributed network of infrastructure to underpin chemistry research.

The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) Core Capability for Chemistry Research grants will increase the strength and productivity of the research base reliant on chemistry by investing in four experimental techniques:

• mass spectrometry
• nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)
• x-ray diffraction
• atomic level microscopy   

The Royal Society of Chemistry, together with Heads of Chemistry UK (HCUK), helped shape the funding call for the grants. Dr Richard Walker, Physical Sciences Programme Manager at the Royal Society of Chemistry, welcomed the funding. 

He said: "This investment in new equipment for chemistry research is fantastic news. Chemistry in the UK is in dire need of this sort of funding, which is essential for ensuring that universities are able to maintain their triple helix of capability: performing world-leading research, providing world-class education and training and maintaining strong links to business and their local economies."

Chemistry departments in the following universities across the UK were awarded grants to expand, refresh or upgrade equipment:

• University of Edinburgh
• University of St Andrews
• University College London
• University of Bristol
• University of Leeds
• University of Oxford
• University of Birmingham
• University of Manchester
• University of Liverpool
• Imperial College London
• Durham University
• University of Nottingham
• University of Cambridge
• University of York
• University of Southampton
• University of Bath
• University of Warwick
• University of Sheffield
• Cardiff University