You can engage our research expertise in a range of areas. For short-term projects (up to three months), you can pay a daily rate to work with an academic in our Centre and use their knowledge. This can also include short-term laboratory work, analytical assessments and equipment use.

Typical types of consultancy include:

• literature reviews
• short-term lab studies, such as impartially demonstrating the effectiveness of a process or technology
• accessing an impartial expert opinion on a report or process
  
• design and testing of new materials or components within a larger system

Our direct contract research allows companies to work with our academic team over a longer period of time. We usually expect projects to last anywhere from three months to five years. These projects are fully funded by the industrial partner. This covers a percentage of the academics' time to work solely on the project, consumables, equipment and often a full-time postdoctoral research associate to deliver the work.

Our research projects are ideal to help your company investigate a specific problem you're facing. You'll have access to our expertise and equipment to help you find the best solution. The intellectual property belongs to the company and the research can be conducted under a strict non-disclosure act.

Examples of previous projects include:

• investigating the impact of biodiesel on on-board diesel degradation between the Departments of Chemical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering, and BP
  
• assessing a pilot scale thermochemical biofuel production process between the Department of Chemical Engineering and the Wonderful Company

If your company is looking to scale up a process or needs spare capacity in the short term, then we can help you. We can offer our expertise to meet your needs or simply work with your operators on our system.

Your company will own the full intellectual property. And we can work under a strict non-disclosure act where we only request information needed to complete the project. We can also include full analytical capabilities.

Funding a PhD is a way for your company to investigate and build knowledge in a certain area. And they are an opportunity to train a graduate to become a top researcher. It's less expensive than working with us on direct contract research but they shouldn't be used to address specific problems with a process or technology. We also expect students to publish their research findings related to the project.

You could include our Centre in a consortia, or join us to build an effective team around our expertise and contacts. Be it UKRI, European or Innovate UK funding calls, we want to hear from you. We are open to building new networks where we can work together to develop the next generation of bioprocessing technology.