This week, the Cockcroft Institute for Accelerator Science and Technology has celebrated its partnership, new funding and new laboratories and office space as it relocated to its new building in the heart of STFC’s Daresbury Laboratory.
With the accession of the University of Strathclyde to full membership of the CI, the institute has grown very significantly and it has gained a number of additional and complementary skills which allow the institute to tackle an even broader range of accelerator R&D challenges.
The commencement of the Institute’s new STFC core funding provides important support for the institute to pursue its research goals. Across its four stakeholder universities, the institute is currently supported by STFC with more than £2M of funding per year.
Finally, moving on to the main Daresbury Laboratory site brings members of the Cockcroft Institute and its PhD students conveniently closer to the world leading particle accelerator research facilities, most notably ‘VELA’, which is making world leading accelerator technology available to UK industry, and ‘CLARA’, which is meeting the technological challenges that are paving the way for the UK’s next generation of accelerator technology.
Professor Peter Ratoff, Director of the Cockcroft Institute, said: “Today marks a celebration for the Cockcroft Institute, as we formally recognize the accession of University of Strathclyde to full member status and our relocation into newly optimized labs and offices that bring us closer to particle accelerators on site.”
Professor Susan Smith, Head of STFC’s Daresbury Laboratory, said: “We are passionate about making a bright future for society. From advancing chemistry and biology to developing new diagnostics for cancers, our accelerator technologies are playing a vital role in solving 21st century global challenges. It’s fantastically exciting to combine three huge opportunities which grow, funding, facilities and expertise together. Our current and future programs will see significant benefits such as accelerating R&D towards future light sources.”
The event was very well attended by delegates from all CI stakeholders, external collaboration partners, representatives of STFC – and three generations of the Cockcroft family. It saw presentation by key scientists, outreach demonstrations, and tours of the on-campus accelerator facilities.