London

More than half of the university laboratories in the United Kingdom are using outdated equipment, according to a report from Manchester University's Policy Research in Engineering, Science and Technology Institute. It says that at least £600 million (US$885 million) is needed to bring essential research facilities up to date.

The study looked at four research-intensive universities and analysed applications for recent bids to a special £750 million research infrastructure fund. It found that that two-thirds of departments had critical experiments they were unable to perform because of a lack of equipment.

Several department heads said their research strategies were driven by existing or prospective non-availability of equipment. The study also found that the fund, intended to remedy a two-decade hole in underfunding of research infrastructure, was hugely oversubscribed, falling far short of what is needed and leaving many applications rated ‘excellent’ unfunded.

The work was commissioned by the Committee of Vice Chancellors and Principals (CVCP), which represents the heads of UK universities. It was intended to focus minds at the Treasury, which is reviewing all areas of government spending before allocating funding for the next three years. Diana Warwick, the CVCP chief executive, describes the findings as “important”, and emphasizes the “urgent need to address basic funding priorities for UK universities”.