Harwell Campus

The UK’s leading science and innovation campus, the home for global organisation and the brightest minds in science.

Below you can find a selection of links around the campus, as well as a brief look into several of the main contributors to the Harwell Open Week. There are many more departments, groups and organisations who call Harwell Campus home, we hope you will continue learning about us and the amazing science performed by our incredible staff.

Central Laser Facility (CLF)

See: Engineering the Incredible, Seeing the Invisible

The Central Laser Facility is one of the world’s leading laser facilities, providing scientists with an unparalleled range of state-of-the-art laser technology. Our wide-ranging applications include experiments in physics, chemistry and biology, accelerating subatomic particles to high energies, probing chemical reactions on the shortest timescales and studying biochemical and biophysical process critical to life itself.

Diamond Light Source

See: Engineering the Incredible, Seeing the Invisible, Improving our Health

Diamond Light Source is the UK’s national synchrotron. It works like a giant microscope, harnessing the power of electrons to produce bright light that scientists can use to study anything from fossils to jet engines to viruses and vaccines. The machine accelerates electrons to near light speeds so that they give off light 10 billion times brighter than the sun. These bright beams are used to study a vast range of subject matter, from new medicines and treatments for disease to innovative engineering and cutting-edge technology.

ISIS Neutron and Muon Source

See: Seeing the Invisible, Engineering the Incredible

The ISIS Neutron and Muon Source is a world-leading centre for research in the physical and life sciences. It produces beams of neutrons and muons that allow scientists to study materials at the atomic level using a suite of instruments, often described as ‘super-microscopes’. We support a national and international community of more than 2000 scientists who use neutrons and muons for research in physics, chemistry, materials science, geology, engineering, and biology.

National Quantum Computing Centre (NQCC)

See: Computing our Future, Seeing the Invisible

The National Quantum Computing Centre is the UK’s national lab for quantum computing. We work with businesses, government and the research community to deliver quantum computing capabilities for the UK. We are addressing the key engineering challenges involved with scaling quantum computers, and we are engaging with industry, government and the research community to support the growth of the UK’s quantum computing ecosystem.

Particle Physics Department (PPD)

See: Seeing the Invisible, Engineering the Incredible

The Particle Physics Department at RAL designs, builds and operates particle physics detectors worldwide, trying to understand more about the fundamental building blocks of our universe. We also analyse the vast amounts of data produced by some of the biggest experiments in the world, run the Boulby Underground Laboratory and support the UK particle physics community.

RAL Space

See: Exploring the Universe, Computing our Future, Protecting our Planet

RAL Space is the UK’s national space laboratory. Our activities and our facilities enable scientific research in disciplines such as climate science, space weather and astronomy. With over 60 years of experience in space programmes, we have had significant involvement in more than 200 instruments on missions to date.

Research Complex at Harwell (RCaH)

See: Seeing the Invisible, Engineering the Incredible

Research Complex at Harwell is a multidisciplinary laboratory offering state-of-the-art equipment in physical and life sciences. Building on synergies with large scale facilities at Harwell, we host researchers working in three key areas: functional materials, imaging & spectroscopy, and cellular & molecular biology. Our mission is to accelerate research collaboration and generate internationally leading science.

Rosalind Franklin Institute (RFI)

See: Engineering the Incredible, Seeing the Invisible, Improving our Health

The Rosalind Franklin Institute is a national research institute funded through the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, a part of UKRI. We are dedicated to developing new technologies to tackle important health research challenges. We achieve unique insights by developing new instruments, creating new ways of working and integrating previously disparate approaches. The insights made at Franklin will speed up the discovery of new medicines, help find new diagnostics, push forward microbial and plant science and contribute to a deeper understanding of human health and disease.

Scientific Computing Department (SCD)

See: Computing our Future, Protecting our Planet

STFCs Scientific Computing is one of the UK’s leading centres of expertise in data-intensive science, and home to sophisticated high-performance hardware that is fundamental to modern research. This broad and rapidly-advancing field involves exploiting advanced computing capabilities to understand and solve complex problems in science, and dealing with the huge amounts of data generated by scientific research require the advanced computing infrastructure, products and services that STFC provides.

Technology Department

See: Engineering the Incredible, Seeing the Invisible

The STFC Technology Department provides state-of-the-art technology and instrumentation to STFC’s programmes and facilities, deriving maximum impact from its innovations through collaboration with industrial and academic partners. We utilise our multi-disciplinary skills and wide range of expertise to develop solutions where no suitable technologies exist. This skillset includes cryogenics and magnetics, detector development, accelerator engineering, microelectronics design tools training, and more.