Our EPS workshop hosts in excess £2million of equipment and many experienced engineers to enable ground-breaking research; but this comes at a cost. Our facility is operated on a non-profit basis, but costs need to be recovered to cover estates charges, equipment maintenance and renewal, as well as staff salaries.
Whenever starting an application for funding please contact and consult with the EPS Workshop team to effectively cost out your requirements to ensure sufficient funds are in place. If this is a Fully Economically Costed (fEC) funding application this must go in as a Direct Allocation (DA) for this facility. Should the funding be successful, this will be ring fenced and paid directly to the facility for ease of use and tracking. All fEC grants submitted from March 2023 will be charged fEC rates in the facility regardless of DA status.
Charges are levied at various levels depending on funding source and purpose.
Non-fEC funding
Any undergraduate and taught MSc projects will be charged a maximum of £50 per job.
Any post-graduate research will be charged at £50/day (a reduced staff charge will be levied for part days and quick “jobs”).
In addition to this would be material costs and any tooling needed, this can be purchased/supplied by the customer or by the Facility Co-ordinator and recharged.
fEC Project funding
With the help of Facility staff your requirements should be costed in advance of application submission. These costs will include staff costs at appropriate levels, consumables and tooling.
Staff charges - priced per hour
Facility code 535
This is the lowest charge. This is aimed at small jobs that can be handled a Band 400 or 500 technician. This work would generally take place on manual lathes and millers.
Facility code 536
This is the middle ground charge for jobs that required a higher level of skill and experience. This level is aimed at our Band AR6 staff members and may require manufacture on 3 axis CNC units.
Facility code 537
This level is for the very top end of bespoke research manufacture that may require design help, CAD drawing and manufacture on 5 axis CNC units from our most experienced AR7 staff.
Example project costing
For example, five hours at the top level for consultation and design (537) but then lower cost levels for the actual manufacture. Discussion with the Facility Engineers will establish the most cost-effective plan.
Consumables and tooling would need to be purchased via the Project’s consumables budget. This can be handled by the customer themselves or the via Facility Co-ordinator.
Once Directly Allocated Facility funds are set up post award, money can be vired between them if necessary, ensuring full use of all the funds available.
General enquiries
Lorraine Wallace
EPS Workshop Co-Ordinator
College of Engineering and Physical Sciences
University of Birmingham
Edgbaston
Birmingham B15 2TT
Email: L.L.Wallace@bham.ac.uk
Telephone: 0121 414 4545