‘Changing the culture from academic-owned equipment to shared ownership is not easy’

When high-end equipment often costs hundreds of thousands of pounds, in a time of growing financial pressure on universities, more than ever we must ensure value for money in research investments. 

Access to these funds, which typically come from internal university resources or external grants, such as the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) ALERT and Medical Research Council equipment fund, is becoming more competitive. And, since these funds are ultimately derived from public sources allocated to research and innovation across the UK, it is our ethical responsibility to make sure that funds are used wisely and effectively. Such equipment must also be not only well maintained and supported by technical expertise but also accessible to a wide range of researchers to maximise its impact and enable pilot research opportunities. Indeed, funders often require spare capacity on equipment to be made broadly available to others and look favourably on equipment hosted in a manner that enables this, such as in a core facility. Proposals often include match funding and in-kind contributions from the university, which showcase commitment to sustaining the equipment.

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The complication is that, historically, high-end equipment has been owned by individual academics, with access to others often dependent on the availability of a project-specific technician or researcher to provide training, rather than equipment capacity. Increased use of the equipment by external researchers leads to greater wear and tear, higher maintenance needs and more frequent troubleshooting. These burdens on staff time and finances mean that sharing equipment in an academic lab has understandably not always been desirable. However, this is not financially or environmentally sustainable and leads to unnecessary asset duplication. 

To counter this, universities can foster a culture of equipment sharing by developing dedicated research technical professionals (RTPs) alongside equipment investments. RTPs not only maintain and repair instruments but also train researchers and students in their proper use. They also play a key role in resource management, ensuring fair access to equipment and overseeing financial recovery for maintenance contracts and repairs. 

RTPs are often experts in their field and their technical expertise is vital to ensuring research integrity. They uphold rigour in both methodology and data interpretation, while promoting transparency through the sharing of methods and data. This expertise is essential for maintaining high standards in research practices, training the next generation of scientists for academia or industry and optimising the use of shared resources.

Changing the culture from academic-owned equipment to shared ownership led by RTPs, however, is not easy. At the University of Warwick, my journey to change that culture started in 2022. At the time, I was working with my department to ensure long-term sustainability of a 2015 UKRI investment in a research technology facility that supported synthetic biology, the Warwick Integrative Synthetic Biology Centre (WISB). Funding had come to an end, and I proposed consolidating high-value departmental technologies under a single umbrella to create a facility that would support all biological sciences. 

Through a Research England-funded research culture initiative, I secured funds to demonstrate the benefit of specialist technical skills to support shared technologies. We opened up a call to the department, welcoming instrument donations into a shared resource laboratory (SRL) environment, offering in return specialist technical support, maintenance and long-term financial sustainability. Once the instruments were established, we also offered pilot project funding.

The project delivered the message that the department would now be encouraging and supporting technically supported shared equipment, embedding a change in culture and allowing me to pilot a new SRL for flow cytometry. At the same time, UKRI’s strategy to fund high-end equipment was enabling RTPs to lead equipment grants and encouraging applications that promote collaboration and enable equipment sharing. As a result of this culture shift, I led a successful BBSRC ALERT 22 for a high-spec imaging flow cytometer to sit within the new flow cytometry SRL. 

With newfound respect and recognition in my department, I established the Bio-Analytical Shared Resource Laboratories – a collective of six core technology facilities, each supported by a technical specialist. Each core has its own steering committee with academic and technical representation, ensuring our technical skills and technologies meet research demands and cutting-edge innovation. It’s important to recognise that I wasn’t pioneering something new. Exceptional core technology facilities are in place across the country, and through knowledge exchange with key technical leaders, I ensured best practice. 

None of this would have been possible without the pioneering initiatives of the Technician Commitment, which have enhanced the visibility, recognition, career development and sustainability of the technical workforce. In the past four years, I have had the opportunity to develop both my technical and soft skills, network with technicians and have a voice within university and UKRI committees. As a leader in technical innovation and research excellence, the University of Warwick has shown the benefit of empowering technicians, enabling mutual respect from academic colleagues and a positive change in research culture.

Sarah Bennett is head of Bio-Analytical Shared Resource Laboratories in the School of Life Sciences at the University of Warwick. She has been shortlisted in the Outstanding Technician of the Year category in the 2024 THE Awards. A full list of nominees can be found here. The awards will be presented at a ceremony in Birmingham on 28 November 2024.

Academics and university leaders from across the UK and Ireland will come together on 27-28 November at THE Campus Live UK&IE to talk about how higher education can build resilience for a sustainable future. Join us for this two-day event in Birmingham.

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