Lancaster University Experimental Equipment

兰开斯特大学一直位列英国前10名(唯一一所这样的西北大学)，并在全球大学中排名前1%。兰开斯特在N8北方大学合作伙伴关系和年度高等教育商业和社区互动调查中发挥了关键作用，兰开斯特在英国中小企业合作伙伴数量和价值排名前10名。为了确保最高质量的研究，自2004年以来，兰开斯特进行了超过4.5亿GB的有针对性的投资，并计划在未来三年再投资1.35亿GB。有针对性和战略性的投资被用来在新的领域扩张，并改善我们目前学科优势的表现。兰开斯特的优势领域包括：先进功能材料研究；超隔离环境；核材料研究；以及大规模复杂网络物理环境的开发和安全，这四个领域构成了这一应用中实验捆绑的主题。在2008年RAE取得了非常强劲的表现后，我们预计2014年的活动将取得强劲的结果，以巩固我们在英国最好的研究型大学中的地位。这里重点介绍的实验设备将支持、更新和更新这些领域的设施。这些领域的现有学者在国际上享有盛誉，我们还在招聘50名后起之秀来庆祝我们的50周年校庆，他们的任命将进行战略调整，以支持和发展我们最好的研究。兰开斯特通过战略性的国际大学和产业合作伙伴关系在国际上拥有强大的影响力。我们在具有国际影响的关键研究问题上进行全球合作。在全国范围内，兰开斯特是一所领先的研究密集型大学。作为N8财团的关键合作伙伴，兰开斯特为N8资产数据库做出贡献，并遵循N8设备共享工具包(N8 EST)中规定的指导方针，以促进成员之间的设备共享。在这些关键领域新的最先进的设施将带来新的研究合作和机会-无论是在国家和国际层面，并有助于引进有才华的合作者不仅到英国，而且到北部地区。外部代表兰开斯特进行的需求评估研究表明，行业对使用这些设施进行自己的研发活动以及与大学的研究和创新项目的需求很大。兰开斯特大学在与中小企业接触方面有着良好的记录，自1998年以来，它已经提供了50多个项目，部分由欧洲区域发展基金资助，总额超过7200万GB，使该大学迄今能够与5000多家公司合作。我们可持续发展模式的一个基本要素是促进工业利用我们的设施和资源。该大学已经为关键设施(InfoLab21、兰开斯特环境中心和工程)的行业制定了准入安排，目前有100多名公司员工共同驻扎在我们系的设施中。兰开斯特的新的协作技术获取方案(CTAP)将开发一种商业模式，为业界提供对校园内越来越广泛的技术的管理获取，包括本提案中强调的设施。我们正在开发一条通往我们设施的单一通道，由一个面向企业的技术人员团队提供支持，并相信我们将成为第一所提供这项服务的大学。

Lancaster University is consistently ranked in the UK Top 10 (the only such NW university), and in the top 1% of universities worldwide. Lancaster plays a key role in the N8 Northern university partnership and the annual Higher Education Business and Community Interaction Survey places Lancaster in the UK top 10 for the number and value of its SME partnerships.To ensure the highest quality research Lancaster has made targeted investments of over £450m since 2004, with a further £135m planned for the next three years. Targeted and strategic investment is employed to expand in new areas and to improve performance in our current subject strengths. Areas of strength at Lancaster include: research in advanced functional materials; ultra-isolated environments; nuclear materials research; and development and the security of large-scale complex cyber-physical environments, and these four areas make up the themes of the experiment bundles in this application. Following a very strong performance in RAE 2008, we anticipate a strong outcome in the 2014 exercise to reinforce our position among the UK's very best research-led universities. The experimental equipment highlighted herein will support, refresh and update facilities in these areas. Existing academics in these fields have solid international reputations, and we are also recruiting 50 rising stars in celebration of our 50th anniversary, whose appointment will be strategically aligned to support and develop our very best research.Lancaster has a strong international presence through strategic international university and industrial partnerships. We collaborate globally on key research issues with international impact. Nationally, Lancaster is a leading research-intensive university. As a key partner in the N8 consortium, Lancaster contributes to the N8 database of assets and follows guidelines set out in the N8 Equipment Sharing Toolkit (N8 EST) to facilitate sharing of equipment between members. New state-of-the-art facilities in these key areas will lead to new research collaborations and opportunities - both at a national and international level and help to bring in talented collaborators not only to the UK but to the Northern region.Demand assessment studies conducted externally on behalf of Lancaster show significant industrial demand for the use of these facilities for their own research and development activities as well as research and innovation projects with the university. Lancaster University has an excellent track record of engaging with SMEs, and since 1998 it has delivered over 50 projects, part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund, totaling over £72m, enabling the university to work with over 5000 companies to date.An essential element of our sustainability model is the promotion of industrial access to our facilities and resources. The university already has in place access arrangements for industry in key facilities (InfoLab21, Lancaster Environment Centre and Engineering), with over 100 company staff currently co-located in facilities in our departments. The new Collaborative Technology Access Programme (cTAP) at Lancaster will develop a business model to provide managed industry access to an increasingly wide range of technologies on the campus, including the facilities highlighted within this proposal. We are developing a single entry route to our facilities, supported by a business-facing group of technical staff and believe we will be the first university to offer this service.