Core Facilities and Technology Platforms are increasingly important components of the science research landscape. However, data on facility operations and staff careers are lacking to inform their development. Here we have surveyed 114 people working in 46 light microscopy (LM) facilities within the United Kingdom. Our survey explores issues around career progression, facility operations and funding. The data show that facilities are substantial repositories of equipment and knowledge which adapt to meet the needs of their local environments. Our report highlights the challenges faced by facility managers, institutions and funders in evaluating facility performance and devising strategies to maximise the return on research funding investment.
Keywords: BioImaging UK; Euro-BioImaging; German BioImaging; career development; core facilities; light microscopy; research funding.
© 2021 The Authors. Journal of Microscopy published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Royal Microscopical Society.