This is a UCL-wide bid for investment in state-of-the-art underpinning multi-user equipment which will help us to maintain a cutting-edge in internationally leading research. Each piece of equipment included in this proposal contributes to one or more strategic themes, in which UCL, as well as national and international funders, has invested significantly in recent years: materials fabrication and characterisation; healthcare technologies; and imaging, for both medical and heritage science applications. UCL has considerable strengths in these areas, and we have experienced significant growth in terms of staff and student numbers, and breadth and impact of research activity. This additional investment will therefore provide an ideal platform to ensure the sustained growth of the highest quality research, as well as supporting and training early career researchers.

Each piece of equipment underpins a range of research activities, reaching across department and discipline boundaries, which are of strategic importance for UCL and EPSRC. The UCL equipment items were chosen via a competitive internal selection process, led by Deans and Vice-Deans for Research, with evaluation based on scientific excellence, potential for impact, and alignment to UCL and EPSRC strategies. Each piece of equipment has a Lead Investigator(s) who will be responsible for regular reporting to the Vice-Provost for Research on progress against objectives.

The requested UCL equipment items are: (A) a photoelectron spectrometer; (B) surgical X-ray imaging and robotics for a mock interventional suite; (C) a 3D nanoprinting facility; and (D) a 3D hyperspectral imaging facility for science and engineering in heritage.

Potential Impact:
This proposal is for investment in equipment to support research and training in areas where UCL has significant strength and planned growth: materials fabrication and characterisation; healthcare technologies; and imaging, for both medical and heritage science applications. Broadly speaking, therefore, we can divide the impact of this proposal into two types: a "direct" impact (on researchers and students, both at UCL and beyond, and on their research) and an "indirect" impact that will be determined by the research enabled by the equipment.

Impact of the first type will be visible on a shorter time-scale, and can be easily measured in terms of improved research capability and performance. In identifying the items requested in this proposal, priority has been given to items supporting areas of high strategic importance for both EPSRC and UCL, in which there is a high level of internationally leading research activity and where UCL hosts a critical mass of researchers at all stages of their career. One of the most visible and immediate impacts will be on the training and skills upgrade of early career researchers. Training will be provided for all equipment by the UCL units hosting each item, thereby ensuring that all users can benefit fully from their equipment usage. Early career researchers will find this support particularly valuable, and will benefit from the opportunity to develop new skills in the use of novel, state-of-the-art facilities and devices. UCL early career beneficiaries will include around 200 students in three EPSRC CDTs (Molecular Modelling & Materials Science; Science & Engineering in Arts, Heritage & Archaeology; Medical Imaging) with strong alignment to the requested equipment. Other visible benefits to researchers will be development of independent research careers, and enhanced capability for world-leading, transformative research programmes.

The requested equipment will benefit a wide range of UCL's industrial and other partners as well as encouraging new collaborations. Many of the research projects underpinned by the new equipment are collaborations with partners from the UK and abroad, whose R&D activity will thereby benefit from the new techniques and abilities available at UCL. This proposal will therefore enable our research activity to have an impact on UK R&D activity beyond the academic environment.

UCL's research and enterprise strategies both put great emphasis on the importance of ensuring that our research and innovations reach beyond academia and bring benefit to the UK economy and society at large. This type of impact will be longer-term, but given the timeliness and importance of the challenges that will be addressed through usage of the equipment, we are confident that there will be a significant benefit to UK society and economy including (but not limited to) the following:

Research into material characterisation (A) has the potential to impact a wide range of sectors including catalysis and the manufacture of a range of new materials for industry;

Developments in healthcare technology and medical procedures (B) have the potential to improve the health of UK society and benefit the economy (and are in line with the priorities outlined in the EPSRC Healthcare Technologies theme);

3D-nanoprinting (C) is an exciting area of research which will likely have impacts on a diverse range of fields, including, but not limited to, Healthcare, Energy, ICT, Advanced Manufacturing and Physics;

The hyperspectral imaging facility (D) has the potential to benefit cultural heritage institutions in the UK and worldwide, and is expected to lead to impact upon conservation techniques and cultural understanding.