Annual Review 2024-2025

A N N U A L R E V I E W 2 0 2 4 / 2 5 W E L C O M E the structure and processes in place at Diamond and how we can adapt these to what Diamond is today, over 20 years after the facility was built, and now in the delivery phase of the Diamond-II project. This review will help Diamond better deliver its long-term strategy. Over the same period, significant progress has been made on the Diamond-II project. This ambitious upgrade aims to enhance the capabilities of Diamond, ensuring that we remain at the forefront of scientific research and innovation. A key sign of progress in this project includes the construction of the new 5,000m 2 Diamond Extension Building. The construction of this new space is well underway, with completion expected in July 2025. The new space will be used to build and store many new machine components. Significant progress has also been made in the procurement of major components of the new machine and in building the hutches for the new flagship beamlines. Progress has also been made in completing several of the technical design reports of the beamlines and initiating the procurement of optical components for these beamlines. This progress made on Diamond-II is a testament of the collaborative efforts of the Diamond team, users, and committees. Their dedication and hard work have been instrumental in achieving these milestones. In the past year, Diamond, in partnership with its user community, has delivered many examples of high impact science drawn from across the broad range of areas of fundamental science that Diamond serves, and the societal challenges it helps address. UK strategic priorities include enhancing public health and wellbeing, advancing environmental sustainability, and addressing the evolving challenges of transport and energy systems. A key enabler of these goals is the development of next-generation functional materials—such as those supporting quantum technologies, novel medical therapeutics, high-performance engineering alloys, and advanced manufacturing processes. Research carried out at Diamond supports these innovations which not only drive economic growth but also support national objectives in life sciences, climate resilience, energy security, and technological leadership. In the last financial year, we delivered over 16,000 shifts across 35 beamlines and nine electron microscopes to our user community via peer reviewed access. We welcomed 6,596 onsite user visits from academia across all instruments, with an additional 4,617 remote user visits. The machine continues to perform to the highest standard with 97.2% uptime. Finally, the past year has also seen significant changes in the composition of our Board of Directors and Diamond committees. We welcomed new members to the Board, including a new Chair Prof Sir Leszek Borysiewicz, Prof Roger Eccleston and Victoria Grant. We also welcomed the new Chair of the Diamond Science Advisory Committee (SAC), Dr Kristina Djinovic-Carugo, a new Chair of the Diamond Industrial Science Committee (DISCo), Dr David Brown and a new Chair of the Diamond User Committee (DUC), Prof Silvia Ramos. Their insights and leadership will be invaluable as we continue to navigate the challenges and opportunities ahead. We also bid farewell to some long-serving members whose contributions have been instrumental in shaping Diamond’s success, in particular Prof Tom Hase, former Chair of the SAC, Dr Malcolm Skingle, former Chair of DISCo and Prof Andrea Russell, former Chair of the DUC. We extend our deepest gratitude for their service and dedication. In closing, while we continue to have budgetary challenges affecting our operations, and the recruitment and retention of our staff, I remain committed to seek solutions to these challenges and to ensure that Diamond remains a priority with our funding agencies. I am humbled by the engagement and trust from Team Diamond in these times of change. With our new strategy, the support from our staff and stakeholders, we are preparing Diamond to face the next 10 years with ambition, confidence and excitement. Prof Gianluigi Botton CEO 04