NanoPrime: Maximising Equipment and Expertise Sharing in Nanoscience

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The number of applications for advanced materials, such as structured nanomaterials and biomaterials, is steadily increasing across the UK and internationally. Nanomaterials are used extensively across a broad range of sectors such as aerospace, construction, electronics, energy and the biomedical industry. Biomaterials are essential components in targeting infectious diseases and cancers, realising the potential of regenerative medicine and the medical devices of the future. These materials are intelligently designed and require extensive characterisation as part of the product development process. In this proposal, we seek to establish a scheme (NanoPrime) that provides researchers with i) capability based training opportunities and ii) access to state-of-the-art instrumentation within the Nanoscale and Microscale Research Centre (nmRC) at the University of Nottingham.The vision of NanoPrime is to catalyse development of nanomaterials research through equipment and expertise sharing. The scheme will target proof of concept and pump priming projects that are often inhibited by a substantial initiation cost barrier, but have the potential for high impact and high value in the longer term. NanoPrime will initiate over 30 new research areas within the Engineering and Physical Sciences.The nmRC is a key facility at the University of Nottingham, opened in 2016, with extensive infrastructure and instrumentation including electron microscopy, mass spectrometry, electron beam lithography, Raman and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy. The combination of instruments offered at the nmRC, along with its specialised cryogenic sample preparation capabilities, makes the nmRC globally unique and ideally positioned to promote an integrated approach to materials characterisation across the Engineering and Physical Sciences. Training events based on these technical capabilities will be hosted through NanoPrime, upskilling the UK materials science research base.