The Warwick Analytical Science Centre (WASC), EPSRC Grant has launched at the start of 2021. WASC will facilitate enhanced access to Warwick-hosted experimental analytical science equipment to support research and postgraduate training; increasing multi-disciplinary collaboration and end user engagement; and serving as a beacon for analytical science nationally.

The University of Warwick is one of the foremost centres for analytical science in the UK, with an internationally leading analytical equipment infrastructure underpinning an unrivalled spectrum of research areas, from functional materials (catalysts, polymers, composites, battery electrodes, photovoltaics, steels, nanoparticles, diamond and quantum materials) to biomedical research (pharmaceuticals, novel antimicrobials, detection of infectious agents, biologic cryopreservation, drug delivery, metabolism and ageing, and bacterial antibiotic resistance).

WASC is aimed at sustaining and expanding the access to Warwick's analytical equipment infrastructure, with a particular focus towards supporting research and postgraduate training and, concurrently, expanding multi-disciplinary collaboration and end-user engagement. This will be achieved by investing in research technical professionals (RTProfs), who are integral to deriving optimum benefit from the existing substantial infrastructure investment. Their presence will represent an essential asset for the effective and consistent training, at the highest standards, of PhD students in the Midlands and across the UK and will provide them with over 480 days of seed-corn use of the analytical science instrumentation at Warwick.

This investment has an overarching vision to substantially promote analytical sciences to the UK, with Warwick playing a key role nationally as hub of excellence and a beacon for its development and practice. Further details and a list of our external partners working on delivery of this grant can be found at: WASC EPSRC Grant (warwick.ac.uk)