Sustainable Procurement and Environmental Policy

The Responsible Procurement Group launched in May 2023 with its purpose to identify, share and promote best practice on Responsible Procurement throughout the sector and to stimulate the development of resources, principles and guidance to support members in responsible procurement. Dedicated information is available on sustainable and responsible procurement here: Environmental Association for Universities and Colleges (EAUC) website.

Cambridge recognises the need to manage its operations on a sustainable basis and the Environmental Policy applies to all aspects of the estate and operations, including employees, students, visitors, and equipment suppliers. The University's Environmental Policy is here: https://www.environment.admin.cam.ac.uk/files/environmental_policy_2023_2024_logo.pdf

 

Funding

The equipment database, as a platform, is a piece of infrastructure that forms a pivotal part of strategic equipment funding bids and is referenced in numerous equipment funding applications to UKRI and other funding bodies. This ensures the University is compliant with UKRI and other funders’ requirements regarding making equipment available to share, increasing existing use, and return on investment from a funder perspective. 

Referencing this infrastructure in grant applications adds a crucial aspect that funders consider and increases potential income generation to individual PI’s, Departments, and the institution as a whole. Historically, we’ve been involved in successful applications to the EPSRC’s Core Equipment fund totalling over £1,680,200 and provided input into multi-partner £3M funding applications for the AHRC’s Capability for Collections Infrastructure Award. 

An analysis of items on the equipment database indicated that the average item was first in service (purchased, installed, and made operational) in 2013. This means that equipment is being used well beyond its 4-year depreciation point and is maximising its return on investment and is further evidence that we are committed to prioritising reuse in the long term.

Whilst not exhaustive, we have developed narrative prose covering the areas of technician and equipment sustainability, professional development and equipment lifecycle that applicants are welcome to include in their applications. 

File

 

Funding Opportunities

The ITSS Equipment Sharing Fund allows researchers, PhD students and Research Technical Professionals (RTPs) to access cutting-edge research equipment, not available in their home institution. https://itss.org.uk/what-we-do-/equipment-sharing-and-technology-expertise/equipment-sharing-fund 

The Carbon Reduction Fund operates across distinct areas. Scope 1 and 2 relate to projects that help to reduce the University’s energy use and/or develop renewable energy sources. Scope 3 relates to investment in measures that support pro-environmental behavioural changes; partnership working; and efficiency measures. Staff can find out more information on the Carbon Reduction Fund and how to apply on the Environmental Sustainability Hub.

The Sustainable Laboratories Fund searches for solutions that can make a significant impact in sustainable scientific research and methods in the laboratory. Sustainable Labs Competition

Follow @cam_equip on X for daily updates on news and national funding opportunities.

 

Funder Requirements 

All EC Funded equipment must display a funder ID when set up and made operational https://ec.europa.eu/info/resources-partners/european-commission-visual-identity_en#logo

Whilst there is currently no standardised UKRI policy for stipulating that funders are acknowledged on equipment purchased with UKRI funding, where specific requirements are identified for specific Research Council funding opportunities, this will be made explicit on the individual grant offer letter. Support for branding or acknowledgement will be available from the specific funder and details will be included within the grant offer letter as appropriate under the conditions of award. Please be aware that you may need to give visibility of the source of funding for this equipment by adding the funder's logo and acknowledgement on the equipment. 

 

Application Guidance

 

Remember to get in touch if you’re writing an equipment grant proposal

Funders increasingly expect to see that processes are in place to maximise the use of funded equipment and the database provides the necessary infrastructure to accomplish this. Contact us for details of the processes in place and information on existing equipment to include in your proposal: equipment_sharing@admin.cam.ac.uk

Need inspiration?

Follow @cam_equip on Twitter for news and funding opportunities.

Read "A funding adviser’s guide to writing a great grant application".

 

General Advice

In UKRI (formally RCUK) applications, applicants have to demonstrate:

  1. “How access to the requested equipment will be managed to maximise its usage and where appropriate shared, and who will be responsible. How the equipment will be supported, maintained and updated during and beyond the duration of this funding. A clear view as to the medium term sustainability of the equipment should be provided.”
  2. “How the requested equipment will be managed to engage users and beneficiaries and increase the likelihood of impacts.”

The initiative as a whole:

  • Helps researchers find equipment and facilities available for sharing
  • Encourages internal, national, and international collaboration
  • Supports the efficient use of equipment and facilities through sharing
  • Increases exposure of facilities used to recover equipment costs
  • Helps toward waste reduction, reduced consumption, recycling, and carbon off-setting

Individual responses should draw attention to the University’s, Department’s and PI’s, commitment to sharing by their engagement with the Equipment Sharing Project and provide the Project Site’s URL: http://www.equipment.admin.cam.ac.uk/

Reference can be made to the number of items currently shared by the University as a whole (4600 individual items of Equipment and 120 Facilities), the Department, and the Primary Investigator.

As the Equipment Database requires Raven Authentication, the University’s involvement and commitment to the National Equipment Sharing Portal should also be emphasised. This is the public interface of Equipment Sharing with 70% of Cambridge items directly exported to the National Portal: http://equipment.data.ac.uk

A publicly accessible webpage that directs users toward both the sites above, and provides an external overview of the project can also be referenced in the interests of open access. The Twitter/X account that details equipment funding opportunities, the availability of Small Research Facilities and individual items of equipment can also be found on this site: https://www.equipment-sharing.cam.ac.uk/home  

Furthermore, it is worth highlighting that the University of Cambridge is located at the top of the National Sharing Portal’s list of contributors with the highest quality and quantity of records shared between the 58 Universities currently involved, and by some margin.

 

University Contribution towards the cost of Research Council Funded Equipment (£10,000 - £138,000)

If a Research Council is prepared to support the asset purchase, then it is likely to require a contribution from the University (of about ~50%). The ‘Equipment Funding Processes’ document outlines the processes departments should go through when applying for funds from the School/University to meet the required contribution. Individual Schools will differ in the precise details of how departments should apply for a contribution to equipment costing between £10k and the OJEU threshold and department administrators should receive details of School-specific procedures from their Finance Managers.

http://www.equipment.admin.cam.ac.uk/downloads/equipment_funding_processes.pdf

 

University Contribution towards the cost of Research Council funded equipment (£138,000 and above)

For individual items costing more than the OJEU threshold, if a contribution towards the cost of the equipment is required from the University Capital Fund then the Principal Investigator will need to complete the ‘Capital Fund Guarantee Template’ and send it to the School office 3 weeks before the grant application deadline.

www.equipment.admin.cam.ac.uk/downloads/guarantee_template.zip

The latest, up-to-date information on all these aspects is readily available to funding applicants, but in terms of overall costing, the following link may also be helpful: http://www.equipment.admin.cam.ac.uk/costing

 

Tailored Grant Application Support

Cross-University research proposals can be of high strategic value but are also often cumbersome to organise and develop, due to their complex administrative load. The Research Strategy Office provides tailored grant application support and manages two institutional funds to enable this:

  • Grant application support, tailored to the needs of the application. Support includes but is not limited to project management of bid preparation, organising internal peer review and practice interview panels, providing non-academic perspective and review, providing support for non-academic parts of the grant application, etc. For more information, please contact researchstrategy@admin.cam.ac.uk
  • Large Grant Contributions Fund provides financial contributions for large collaborative grants, for applications led by Cambridge as well as the partner grants where Cambridge is a major partner. For more information, please visit the Fund website or contact  rpc@admin.cam.ac.uk
  • The University’s Bid Preparation Fund provides awards of up to around £10k for development of large collaborative research grant applications. For advice about a prospective application to the Fund, please contact researchstrategy@admin.cam.ac.uk