The grant from the Wolfson Foundation will go towards the acquisition of a new aberration-corrected Scanning Transmission Electron Microscope (ac-STEM), a transformative investment that will create one of the world's leading platforms for electron microscopy and materials characterisation.
The funding represents a significant milestone in Warwick's ambitious plans to establish MIDAS² (Midlands Infrastructure for Dose-controlled, Advanced 4D-STEM and Spectroscopy), a pioneering research facility that will enable scientists to study materials at the atomic scale and tackle some of the most pressing global challenges in energy, sustainability and advanced manufacturing.
The ac-STEM will be housed within the Phase One building of STEM Connect, Warwick's landmark capital development programme. STEM Connect represents the University's most ambitious campus transformation project since its founding and will provide a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reimagine its research and teaching environment while strengthening its world-leading capabilities across science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
Once installed, the microscope will provide the UK with a world-leading platform for electron microscopy, enabling groundbreaking research into the study and characterisation of materials used in batteries, fuel cells and energy storage systems – technologies that are central to the global transition towards sustainable energy.
It will also enhance the innovations of steel and alloys, reducing the environmental impact of their production for sustainable manufacturing, and drive the discovery of materials that transcend Moore's Law, paving the way for reduced energy consumption in advanced electronics and computational technologies. By addressing these global priorities in energy efficiency, sustainability, and manufacturing, the ac-STEM will play a pivotal role in shaping a more sustainable future.
Professor Stuart Croft, Vice-Chancellor and President, University of Warwick said: "The Wolfson Foundation has been a long-standing champion of research and innovation, and we are deeply grateful for this generous support. This investment in MIDAS² will help create new opportunities for discovery, collaboration and impact, enabling Warwick researchers to tackle complex global challenges and deliver benefits for communities here in the UK and around the world."
The award builds on a long-standing partnership between the University of Warwick and the Wolfson Foundation that dates back to 1965, when the Foundation first supported the University's early development. Since then, the Foundation has contributed more than £13 million to Warwick through support for major capital projects, advanced research equipment and postgraduate scholarship programmes across science, medicine, humanities and education.
Paul Ramsbottom, Chief Executive, the Wolfson Foundation said,"Combatting climate change relies on major – and urgent – changes to the transportation, energy and manufacturing sectors. This will need lightweight, robust, renewable or recyclable materials to be researched and developed. Warwick Manufacturing Group, and the wider Faculty of Science, Engineering and Medicine, are home to some of the UK's most talented researchers grappling with these challenges, and we are delighted to be helping them to create the new MIDAS2 platform for advanced electron microscopy, which will be vital to characterise and prototype the next generation of materials such as steels and alloys."
The ac-STEM will significantly expand Warwick's research capabilities across Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG) and the Faculty of Science, Engineering and Medicine, enabling researchers to examine and characterise materials with unprecedented precision. The facility will support innovations in steel and alloy development, helping to reduce the environmental impact of industrial production.
By addressing global priorities in energy efficiency, sustainable manufacturing and clean technologies, MIDAS² will play a pivotal role in supporting the development of a more sustainable future.
Designed as a national research asset, the instrument will offer extended operating hours and real-time remote access, enabling researchers from across the UK and around the world to access the facility efficiently. This accessibility will foster interdisciplinary collaboration and enhance Warwick's role as a hub for international scientific partnership.
