Our History

In 2006, the U.K. Government announced that a £26.4m investment into the creation of Research Complex at Harwell. This investment came from the Government’s Large Facilities Capital Fund, and was part of the Government's commitment to making the UK the most attractive location in the world for research. Maintaining access to cutting-edge, large-scale facilities is a key element in ensuring that UK scientists remain at the forefront of research. The stated objective of this project was to meet science and user requirements through the construction of a new Research Complex adjacent to Diamond, as well as providing laboratories and shared facilities for both life and physical research groups and major laboratory equipment for shared use.

Research Complex a UKRI multidisciplinary Research Institute, supported by a number of Research Councils and Diamond Light Source. The stakeholders are the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), Diamond Light Source, Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), Medical Research Council (MRC), Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), with research spanning both the physical and life sciences.