- National Research Facilities brochure (PDF 972KB)
This brochure contains information about our twelve current facilities and the capabilities they offer to potential users as well as links to find out more information on each of them.
National Research Facilities
EPSRC continues to fund world class facilities for the engineering and physical sciences research communities to use. Previously known as mid-range facilities, these facilities provide leading edge capabilities and technique development at a national level and/or access to European research facilities.
To reflect their importance to the research community, they will now be called EPSRC National Research Facilities, and EPSRC is encouraging more academics and industrial researchers to benefit from their capabilities. The EPSRC National Research Facilities will continue to complement the Science and Technology Facilities Council large facilities.
Information on the capabilities and services of the 12 EPSRC National Research Facilities, how to access them and the EPSRC research areas they support is available from the links on this page.
National Research Facility for X-ray Computed Tomography (NXCT)
NXCT brings together capability in lab-based X-ray Computed Tomography (XCT) from the universities of Manchester, Southampton, Warwick, University College London and Diamond Light Source to provide new and existing users with access to world-leading 3D imaging and data analysis facilities.
Physical Sciences Data-Science Service (PSDS)
Provides all UK-based academics with access to a suite of commercial databases, including the Cambridge Structural Database, SPRESIWEB, the Inorganic Crystal Structure Database, ACD I-Lab, Available Chemicals Directory and DETHERM.
EPSRC National Dark Fibre Infrastructure Service (NDFIS)
A 650 km single mode dark fibre network interconnecting access points at four universities: Bristol, Cambridge, Southampton and UCL.
European Magnetic Field Laboratory (EMFL)
The European Magnetic Field Laboratory (EMFL) is dedicated to generating the highest possible magnetic fields that can be used for scientific research and make them available to the scientific community.
EPSRC National Epitaxy Facility
The National Epitaxy Facility plays a central role in enabling world-class research in semiconductor science and technology in the UK.
HarwellXPS
The service offers two state of the art photoelectron spectrometers providing XPS, UPS, LEIS and ion etching using single or cluster argon ions.
FELIX
The international free electron laser facility FELIX provides very bright, short pulsed, coherent light output, all the way from the mid-infrared to the microwave region of the spectrum.
EPSRC National Electron Paramagnetic Spectroscopy Facility and Service
The EPSRC EPR National Service provides EPR measurement and analysis services to colleges and universities within the United Kingdom.
EPSRC UK National Mass Spectrometry Facility (NMSF)
The EPSRC UK National Mass Spectrometry Facility (NMSF) provides comprehensive analytical mass spectrometry services.
EPSRC UK National Crystallography Service (NCS)
The NCS offers both data collection only and full structure analysis services for single crystal x-ray diffraction.
SuperSTEM
SuperSTEM is an internationally-renowned electron microscopy user facility, which acts as a focal point for driving forward developments in scanning transmission electron microscopy in the Physical Sciences, both in the UK and internationally.
The UK 850 MHz Solid-State NMR Facility
The Facility is based around a 20 Tesla wide-bore (89 mm) NMR magnet (corresponding to a 1H Larmor frequency of 850 MHz) equipped with a HFXY rf console and wide-range of probes
XMaS: X-ray Materials Science Facility at the ESRF
X-ray Materials Science Facility at the ESRF