ISIS-JNCASR sign a new agreement for UK-Indian scientific collaboration
13 Oct 2026
ISIS Neutron and Muon Source and the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), acting on behalf of the Indian Department for Science and Technology (DST), have signed a new agreement which will see enhanced partnership between UK and Indian researchers for materials development and discovery.
The announcement of the additional Indian DST investment in ISIS was made at the 8th UK-India Science and Innovation Council (SIC) on Monday 12 October 2026 in Delhi.
Starting on 1 November 2027, the five-year, £3 million agreement will see the use of ISIS by researchers from across India for studies across a wide range of science areas, from materials for clean energy and storage to biosciences and healthcare systems.
This agreement builds on the success of the first ISIS-JNCASR partnership, which supported ISIS-India collaboration from 2017-2023. Over that time, the number of Indian users of ISIS increased substantially, with researchers coming from across Indian states. The partnership also supported training and career-development opportunities for Indian researchers, and produced high-quality science outputs.
The new programme will expand these activities, broadening the research areas and participating institutions, and increasing the range of UK-India collaborations. It will also see investment by India in the ISIS Endeavour instrument development programme for the benefit of Indian users as well as the wider ISIS user community.
India is one of the longest-standing international partners for STFC's ISIS Neutron and Muon Source. The renewed partnership will bring excellent science to ISIS from India, will enable Indian scientists to access world-class facilities at the ISIS Neutron and Muon Source, and will provide support for ISIS's ongoing instrument development programme. It will also foster wider collaboration between UK and Indian researchers. We are very much looking forward to continuing our partnership and the excellent science that this will enable.
Sarah Rogers, ISIS Director
The ISIS Neutron and Muon Source is a world-leading centre for research in the physical and life sciences at the STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory near Oxford in the UK. Its suite of 35 neutron and muon instruments gives unique insights into the properties of materials on the atomic scale. The facility supports a national and international community of more than 3000 scientists for research into subjects ranging from clean energy and the environment, pharmaceuticals and health care, through to nanotechnology and materials engineering, catalysis and polymers, and on to fundamental studies of materials.
Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR) is a multidisciplinary research institute situated in Jakkur, a locality north of Bangalore, India. JNCASR’s mandate is to pursue and promote world-class research and training at the frontiers of Science and Engineering covering broad areas ranging from Materials to Genetics. It provides a vibrant academic ambience hosting more than 500 Researchers. The Centre is an autonomous institution under Department of Science and Technology, Govt. of India and deemed to be a university.
