International subscriptions

UKRI manages the funding and community and stakeholder engagement for several international research facilities.

Through these international collaborations, the UK research community benefits from:

access to world-leading research and international leadership opportunities, enabling UK research achievements, excellence and leadership
access to the unique instruments, facilities and infrastructure that could not be developed by one country alone
international presence and reputation in research and innovation which attracts research funding and world-class talent to the UK

UK subscriptions to international collaborations are calculated annually and support the construction and operation of the facilities.

UKRI-managed international collaborations

CERN

Located on the French-Swiss border, the European Laboratory for Particle Physics, CERN, is the world’s pre-eminent particle physics research facility.

It houses purpose-built particle accelerators, detectors, and computing infrastructure of unprecedented scale that enable researchers to study the basic constituents of matter and advance our understanding of the universe.

The UK was one of the 12 founding members of CERN in 1954, and plays a prominent role in many aspects at CERN.

This includes leadership roles in some of the most prestigious international science projects as well as two Directors General over the course of our membership.

Find out more about CERN.

European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL)

EMBL is one of the world’s leading research institutions, and Europe’s flagship laboratory for the life sciences.

Established in 1974, EMBL is a non-profit organisation that focuses on the fundamental understanding of basic biological processes in model organisms.

Find out more about European Molecular Biology Laboratory.

European Southern Observatory (ESO)

ESO builds and operates a suite of the world’s most advanced ground-based astronomical telescopes. ESO has an annual budget of 135 million Euros and is constructing the billion Euro ELT (Extremely Large Telescope) project.

ESO has its headquarters in Garching, Germany, and operates three major sites in Chile. Major facilities include the Very Large Telescope (VLT) and the Atacama Large Millimetre Array (ALMA).

The UK has been a member of ESO for 20 years.

Find out more about the European Southern Observatory.

European Spallation Source (ESS)

ESS is currently under construction in Lund, Sweden, and will be the world’s most powerful neutron source.

It will provide new opportunities for researchers in a broad range of scientific areas, including materials, life sciences, energy, environmental technology, cultural heritage and fundamental physics. The facility is expected to open in late 2027.

Find out more about the European Spallation Source.

European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF)

ESRF is Europe’s most intense X-ray source and a centre of excellence for fundamental and innovation-driven research in condensed and living matter science. It is located in Grenoble, France. The UK is one of 21 partner countries.

Find out more about the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility.

European XFEL (Eu-XFEL)

Eu-XFEL is a research facility in Hamburg, Germany, which generates intense X-ray flashes. These X-ray flashes allow scientists to map atomic details of viruses, film chemical reactions and study the processes in the interior of planets, among many other applications.

Find out more about European XFEL.

Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research (FAIR)

FAIR is under construction at the GSI laboratory near Darmstadt, Germany. FAIR will provide a unique range of high-energy and high-intensity radioactive ion beams, high intensity anti-protons and high-energy heavy-ions.

These beams will support a broad range of science, including nuclear structure, hadronic, relativistic heavy ion, plasma and atomic physics.

Find out more about Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research.

Institut Laue-Langevin (ILL)

The ILL is one of the world’s premier neutron scattering facilities, with the UK one of the ILL’s three founding councils.

Based in Grenoble, France, the ILL is a reactor-based facility where a broad range of research is carried out, including in condensed matter physics, chemistry, biology, materials and earth sciences, engineering, and nuclear and particle physics.

Find out more about Institut Laue-Langevin.

Square Kilometre Array Observatory (SKAO)

Square Kilometre Array (SKA) will be the world’s largest radio telescope. When fully operational in 2030, it aims to revolutionise our understanding of the universe and the laws of fundamental physics.

It is an international project, located in Australia and South Africa, with its global headquarters in the UK. Through STFC, the UK government is committing £277 million to the construction of SKA and its headquarters, as a core member of the project.

Find out more about the Square Kilometre Array Observatory.

National facilities

UKRI also funds national resources and facilities through our councils:

Ask a question about infrastructure

Email: infrastructure@ukri.org

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Last updated: 18 July 2024