Strategic investment in Cardiff University's functional material capabilities

加的夫大学将利用EPSRC的资本奖拨款建立两套新的多用户设备，作为支持其世界级实验室开发和维护的更广泛战略的一部分。这些实验室设施是大学支持高质量研究和确保研究界长期竞争力的战略的关键组成部分。该应用描述了对高速扫描探针显微镜(SPM)和多物理制造套件(MPM)的需求。这两个新设施相辅相成，将使研究人员在与现有大学硬件一起使用时能够利用显著的价值。这些设施将主要由加的夫材料研究网络(CMRN)(&gt；150名研究人员)使用，许多人已经表达了强烈的兴趣。这项工作跨越了EPSRC的四个主题，这意味着这项投资将创造大量进行世界级研究的机会。对MPM套件的适度投资现在将使新材料的中观(0.1+mm)和宏观(1+mm)制造成为可能，将复杂的结构几何与嵌入式功能结合在一起。结合我们现有的计算专业知识和聚合物表征设施，这将释放与EPSRC的制造未来和医疗保健技术主题相一致的新机会。同样，SPM将允许在不同条件下对3D打印材料/复合材料进行详细表征，使纳米级测量与大规模宏观特性相关联，这一重大进步只有通过我们的专业知识和这一新套件的结合才能实现。SPM还将使物理学家和材料研究人员能够测量该大学和GW4研究小组生产的材料的电、磁和热纳米级属性。这将为更广泛的行业参与创造新的机会，将学术概念转化为现实世界的解决方案。这项申请还建立在EPSRC对先进制造、加的夫催化研究所的投资和磁性材料/钻石材料的响应模式赠款(EP/R009147/1、EP/P006973/1、EP/S024441/1、EP/P00945X/1)的基础上。对各学科的工作人员进行培训和发展是这项提议的一个关键组成部分，对设备的长期可持续性至关重要。拉达克是一名经验丰富的SPM用户，他将全面负责与专业技术人员合作协调培训。该大学已经有许多EPSRC资助的研究人员，包括几个ECR，他们将接受使用现代高速扫描电子显微镜测量各种材料性质的培训。工程学院的添加剂制造实验室也有一名经验丰富的AM技术员，他将负责培训员工并支持新的多学科提案的开发。大学将通过其完善的持续研究监测程序评估这项投资的成功，重点放在具体的交付成果上，即1)投资是否显著改善了跨学科研究环境，包括与EPSRC一致的新研究项目和研究用户？2)投资是否产生了显著的研究产出，如具有可衡量的社会影响的高质量出版物？3)投资是否导致获得支持此类跨学科研究的重大额外外部资金？用户将通过已建立的和新的通信渠道进行记录，并每季度收集数据，使CI能够证明这一投资利用了显著的科学效益。

Cardiff University will use the EPSRC's Capital Award allocation to establish two new suites of multi-user equipment, as part of a broader strategy to support the development and maintenance of its world class laboratories. Such laboratory facilities are a key component of the University strategy to support high quality research and ensure the long-term competitiveness of its research community. This application describes the need for a high-speed scanning probe microscope (SPM) and a multi-physical manufacturing suite (MPM). The two new facilities complement one another and will enable researchers to leverage significant value when used alongside existing university hardware. These facilities will be utilised predominantly by the Cardiff Materials Research Network (CMRN) (>150 researchers), with many already expressing strong interest. This work spans the four EPSRC themes, meaning this investment will create a multitude of opportunities to conduct world-class research. Modest investment in the MPM suite will now enable meso- (0.1+ mm) and macro- (1+ mm) scale fabrication of novel materials, twinning complex structural geometries with embedded functionality. Combined with our existing computational expertise and polymer characterisation facilities, this will unlock new opportunities aligned to EPSRC's Manufacturing the Future and Healthcare Technologies themes. Similarly, the SPM will allow detailed characterisation of 3D printed materials/composites under different conditions, allowing nanoscale measurements to be correlated with large-scale macroscopic properties, a significant advancement only achievable by the combination of our expertise and this new suite. The SPM will also enable physicists and materials researchers to measure the electrical, magnetic and thermal nanoscale properties of materials produced in research groups spanning the university and GW4. This will create new opportunities for wider industrial engagement, translating academic concepts to real-world solutions. This application also builds on EPSRC investment in Advanced Manufacturing, Cardiff Catalysis Institute and responsive mode grants in magnetic materials / diamond materials (EP/R009147/1, EP/P006973/1, EP/S024441/1, EP/P00945X/1). Training and development of staff from a broad cross-section of academic disciplines is a key component of this proposal and essential to the long-term sustainability of the equipment. Ladak is a highly experienced SPM user who will have overall responsibility for coordinating training in partnership with a specialist technician. The University already has numerous EPSRC funded researchers, including several ECRs, that will be trained in the use of a modern, high-speed SPM for measuring a wide range of material properties. The School of Engineering's Additive Manufacturing Laboratories also has a highly experienced AM technician who will be responsible for training staff and supporting the development of new multi-disciplinary proposals. The University will assess the success of this investment by way of its well-established continual research monitoring processes, focussing on specific deliverables i.e. 1) Has the investment significantly enhanced the cross-disciplinary research environment, including new EPSRC-aligned research projects and research users? 2) Has the investment generated significant research output, such as high-quality publications with measurable societal impact? 3) Has the investment resulted in the capture of significant additional external funding to support such cross-disciplinary research? Users will be logged and data collected on a quarterly basis via established and new communications channels, enabling CoIs to demonstrate this investment has leveraged significant scientific benefit.