Who paid for the construction of Diamond?
The construction of Diamond has been funded by its two shareholders, the UK Government through the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), which has contributed 86% of the investment, and the charity The Wellcome Trust, which has a 14% stake in the facility.
Diamond’s construction is being undertaken in Phases. Phase I cost £263 million and included the synchrotron machine itself, the surrounding buildings and the first seven experimental stations or beamlines. This phase was completed on time, on budget and to specifications in January 2007. Phase II funding of £120 million for a further 15 beamlines and a detector development programme was confirmed in October 2004. There is an ongoing construction programme for the Phase II beamlines, which will all be operational by 2011.
Who operates the Diamond facility?
The facility is operated by Diamond Light Source Ltd, which is a joint venture between the UK Government through the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) and The Wellcome Trust, the largest charity in the UK.How much does it cost each year to run the facility?
In the first year of operations (2007/8) Diamond’s operational costs were £23 million. As we enhance the facility by adding new beamlines the operational costs will increase.Is Diamond a profit-making organisation?
No. Diamond is largely funded by the UK Government and exists to provide research facilities to the UK’s academic community. Once academic users have had their beamtime proposal accepted by an external body of scientific advisors, they can access the facility without having to pay. A small percentage (10%) of Diamond’s beamtime is available for industry to make use of, and industrial users pay a fee for using the facility.
You can read more about the Joint Venture Agreement between STFC and the Wellcome Trust here.