Equipment
![](http://sesacuk.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/equipment-header.jpg)
To achieve and sustain internationally leading levels of research in the fields of science and engineering, good access to research equipment and cutting-edge techniques is essential.
Over the past decade, more and more collaboration has been taking place, both within and between universities, to make better use of equipment.
SES members are working together to identify opportunities to provide greater efficiencies in equipment procurement and use, by encouraging greater collaborative activity.
At the same time our members are engaging with industry and other bodies to promote economic growth through sharing research facilities and equipment.
Together, we explore how shared infrastructure and training help strengthen the UK’s international competitiveness in research.
Equipment sharing
The SES member institutions contribute to a national database of research facilities and equipment identifying, those facilities which are available for sharing across the consortium.
The equipment.data search engine, run by Jisc and funded by EPSRC, allows our researchers to locate equipment, which are internally available at one of our institutions.
Find equipment at your institution:
- Kings College London
- Imperial College London
- Queen Mary University of London
- University College London
- University of Cambridge
- University of Oxford
- University of Southampton
You can access the national equipment database via the button below.
Equipment sharing group
Our equipment sharing network meets on a termly basis, to share knowledge and explore common issues. Recent meetings have discussed sharing platforms and how participants are responding to challenges at their universities.
Please email Rosie Niven for further information.
Facilities and infrastructure
In the south east, we also have a number of national research facilities and infrastructure hubs based at our member universities.
- National Crystallography Service – Southampton
- National Centre for Research methods – Southampton
- National Oceanographic Centre – Southampton
- Centre for Longitudinal Studies – UCL
- National Dark Fibre Infrastructure Services – UCL
- National Wind Tunnel Facility – Imperial and Cambridge
- Maxwell Institute – Cambridge
- Royce – Cambridge
Further information
Useful links
The latest on equipment
![(Credit: Advanced Research Computing UCL)](https://www.ses.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/cluster-challenge-660x380.jpg)
Research technology professionals – adding value to research teams
When research technology professionals work with your team it makes for ‘happy researchers’ delegates at a SES event heard last month.
![A network server specialist programmes a computer server in the Data Center at University College London. credit: Alejandro Walter Salinas Lopez](https://www.ses.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/DSC00616-1-e1645704586789-660x380.jpg)
Research technology professionals: the hidden roles behind research success
Research Technology Professionals play a crucial role in achieving high-quality research outputs. Supporting their career progression benefits the whole research community.
![A researcher snaps a photograph of the recently assembled LUX-ZEPLIN xenon detector in the Surface Assembly Lab cleanroom at Sanford Underground Research Facility on July 26, 2019. Photo by Nick Hubbard.](https://www.ses.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Imperial-particles-660x380.jpg)
SES members to receive £24m for particle physics research
Six SES members to receive a share of a £60m investment, which supports the next generation of particle physicists.
![A lab at UCL where LEAF was developed. Alejandro Walter Salinas Lopez ©2019 UCL. ISD Digital Media. University College London. All rights reserved.](https://www.ses.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/W9A7292.jpg)
Making laboratories greener with LEAF
Historically, universities have lacked guidance on how to make labs more sustainable. Now SES members are using the LEAF framework to build sustainability into day-to-day lab usage.
![A woman pictured using the UCL / Ventura developed CPAP breathing aid (credit: James Tye / UCL)](https://www.ses.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/CPAP-e1589815010718-660x380.jpg)
Using the equipment sharing database to tackle COVID-19
University equipment sharing databases were a response to new grant funding requirements, but Chris Wilkinson reports that the University of Cambridge’s database is taking on added significance in the COVID-19 pandemic.
![Photo by Fusion Medical Animation on Unsplash](https://www.ses.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/fusion-medical-animation-EAgGqOiDDMg-unsplash_cropped-660x380.jpg)
SES universities take leading role in coronavirus research
Researchers from across Science and Engineering South (SES) member institutions have joined the international response to the coronavirus in an effort to develop treatments, vaccinations and protect communities.