Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference:	EP/R02863X/1
Title:	The Leeds EPSRC Nanoscience and Nanoequipment User Facility
Principal Investigator:	Brown, Dr AP
Other Investigators:	Hondow, Dr N Linfield, Professor EH Wood, Dr CD Brydson, Professor RMD Schroeder, Professor SLM
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:
Department:	Chemical and Process Engineering
Organisation:	University of Leeds
Scheme:	Standard Research
Starts:	01 June 2018	Ends:	31 July 2021	Value (£):	201,946
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:	Materials Characterisation
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:	No relevance to Underpinning Sectors
Related Grants:
Panel History:	Panel Date Panel Name Outcome 05 Dec 2017 EPSRC Strategic Equipment Resource December 2017 Announced
Summary on Grant Application Form
This proposal is to provide significant "free at point of use" pump-priming access for external users to state-of-the-art nanoscience equipment and nanoscience expertise at the University of Leeds. Analysis is to be focused on soft matter materials i.e. access for nanotechnology researchers specialising in both inorganic nanosystems and hybrid inorganic/ organic systems / i.e. bionanotechnology. The operational strategy of this small-scale facility has been refined by our experience of delivering high quality science and training over the past 9 years and we will continue to support a broad range of UK users, advance high quality collaborative science, and provide a high external utilisation factor for existing, well maintained capital equipment. We will align our activities with user-driven research themes that map onto the EPSRC Shaping capabilities initiatives relevant to the Physical Sciences, as well as themes of societal importance. Accessible facilities will include a synergistic ("one stop shop") combination of inter-related techniques for both characterisation and structural and device fabrication: low voltage scanning electron microscopy (SEM); (cryo-) analytical transmission electron microscopy (TEM); near ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS); (cryo-) focused ion beam (FIB) and electron beam lithography (EBL) together with associated cleanroom access. We estimate that this equipment base and its inherent capability would be relevant across up to 50% of the 51 themes associated with the EPSRC Physical Sciences. However, as stated above, it is our intention to provide a specialism in soft matter materials. As a group we have a strong track record in Nanometrology research in the area of hybrid organic/inorganic systems and with the newly acquired instrumentation outlined above, we are able to analyse electron beam sensitive or 'soft' materials with improved dose control, with faster, more sensitive detectors and of particular note, in the frozen, hydrated state, enabling us to explore analytical science on soft matter systems in the near-native state. We expect the new instrumentation to make significant impact in Chemical Engineering, Electronic Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Physics, Chemistry, Food Sciences, Earth & Environment, and Biological Sciences. We believe that this integrated analytical approach will ultimately provide a much more productive service both in terms of overall scientific understanding and also output (in terms of training, results, peer reviewed papers and grant applications), as opposed to the piecemeal provision of many separate specialist activities. We also believe that, as a grouping, we possess the combined experience and facilities to deliver this fully integrated service successfully and efficiently.
Key Findings
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Potential use in non-academic contexts
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Impacts
Description This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk Summary Date Materialised
Sectors submitted by the Researcher
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Project URL:
Further Information:
Organisation Website:	http://www.leeds.ac.uk