The Centre was formally established in 1988, funded by the Science and Engineering Research Council for an initial six year period, to carry out research into superconducting materials and their electronics applications. Staff from the following departments were involved in its research work: Engineering, Chemistry, Materials Science and Metallurgy, Physics, Earth Sciences. Managerially, the Centre was independent of any department, but part of the School of the Physical Sciences. The Centre was housed on the Cavendish Laboratory site in west Cambridge; until August 1991, in part of the Bragg Building and thereafter in a new build. A further three year grant was awarded in 1995 following a six year review. With the ending of SERC funding in 1998, the Centre ceased to exist as an independent institution within the University. Thereafter, the superconductivity building and its research projects were administered by the Department of Physics, though with continued interdisciplinary input and under the guidance of an Interdisciplinary Committee.