The N8 Research Partnership’s expertise and experience of collaborative working, partnership and trust is being applied to develop new ways of working to maximise the use of new and existing research assets.

We are working to promote efficiency in the Higher Education sector through several different approaches:

  • N8 Equipment Database: a fully searchable online database which can be used to locate and request access to research equipment and facilities across the N8 universities.
  • Shared Major Facilities: Showcasing our major research facilities
  • N8 Equipment Sharing Toolkit: guidelines, templates and prompts to assist each Higher Education Institution (HEI) to support equipment sharing
  • Policy: Developing policy and guidance for efficiency in the HE sector, focussed on equipment sharing and the opportunities and barriers that exist.
    • Sharing for Excellence and Growth – our policy report and recommendations looking at the opportunities, barriers and current best practice for sharing equipment between research groups
    • Making the Best Better – written in conjunction with Department for Business, Innovation and Skills highlighting how universities across the UK are working across a range of areas to improve cost efficiencies and the effectiveness of teaching and research
    • Raising the Return – examining equipment sharing in the higher education sector
    • Implementation of Cost-Sharing Exemption in Universities – examining the continued barriers to tax-efficient sharing of facilities