Collaboration and delivery...rooted in reality.

21 Jul 2026

From Manchester, so far – Professors Stuart Holmes and Caroline Jay explain how One Research Facility will support our research excellence and our research community.

The One Research Facility (ORF) project is creating a more connected and sustainable approach to managing research facilities, equipment and specialist expertise across our University. 

Focusing on collaboration, practical improvements and user experience it fully embraces our Manchester 2035 strategy including Organised for success: one University (one of our Foundations) and Accelerating research excellence to impact (one of our Leaps).  

"Collaboration is at the heart of how we are working,” says Professor Caroline Jay. “It’s about making sure the right people are involved and ensuring practical delivery that is rooted in reality.” 

Caroline leads our Research Infrastructure Strategy Group (RISG) and is working on this project with its Director, Professor Stuart Holmes, the Research Enablement team and colleagues across the University. 

ORF will bring together information about the University’s research facilities, equipment and specialist expertise in one clearer, more accessible view. This will help researchers find and access what they need more easily, reduce administrative barriers and support stronger collaboration across the University and with external partners. 

For Professional Services and Technical Operations colleagues, the project will provide better information to support planning, asset management and cost recovery, and for research leadership it will help inform investment decisions. It will also help raise the visibility of technical expertise and support the more effective and sustainable management of research facilities. 

“Value isn’t just financial,” Stuart explains. “It’s research impact, good research and as a consequence of that, we’ve got to know what we’ve got, where it is and how to access the equipment and with that information people can carry out excellent research.” 

For more information on ORF and other Research Enablement projects here at Manchester, visit: Research Enablement 

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