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SYNCHROTRON UPDATE
May 2003
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An electronic newsletter on the progress of the Australian Synchrotron Project.

Instructions for subscribing to receive future bulletins are at the end of this newsletter.

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SUMMARY OF THIS SYNCHROTRON UPDATE

1. Potential Users workshop success
2. Community and industry speakers available
3. ASRP Fellowships now open
4. XO5 Conference
5. New staff
6. Australian Synchrotron out and about
7. Key dates
8. Australian Synchrotron in the news
9. How to get more information about the Australian Synchrotron

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1. WORKSHOP FOR POTENTIAL SYNCHROTRON USERS, JANUARY 2003
More than 350 people attended the workshop for potential users of the Australian Synchrotron held at Melbourne University in January. The workshop coincided with the announcement of the bigger, brighter, better final design of the synchrotron machine by the Minister for Innovation, the Honourable John Brumby, MP and the announcement by Melbourne University of a commitment of funding for synchrotron beamlines.

Selected presentations from the workshops, along with reports from breakout sessions on proposed beamlines, are available from www.synchrotron.vic.gov.au/whats_new/user_workshops.asp. A selection of photographs from the workshop are also available from this link.


2. AUSTRALIAN SYNCHROTRON PROJECT-SPEAKERS AVAILABLE Are you involved in, or know of, a business, community or school group that would like to know more about the Australian Synchrotron? The Australian Synchrotron Project has speakers available who can talk to groups about the project and how it will benefit them. Presenters can tailor to people with no scientific knowledge through to how individual industries or researchers can use a synchrotron in their work.

Please contact the Australian Synchrotron Project via phone on 03 9655 3315 or email contact.us@synchrotron.vic.gov.au to discuss the right speaker for your group, or to suggest a group worth contacting.


3. AUSTRALIAN SYNCHROTRON RESEARCH PROGRAM (ASRP) RESEARCH FELLOWSHIPS NOW OPEN
ASRP Fellowships are open to scientists who have recently completed, or are about to complete, a doctorate in any relevant discipline to undertake research requiring the use of synchrotron radiation. Opportunities exist in a wide range of disciplines including chemistry, physics, molecular biology, biochemistry, medicine, materials science, environmental science and chemical engineering. Synchrotron facilities currently accessed through the ASRP are the Advanced Photon Source in Chicago, USA, the National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center in Hsinchu, Taiwan, and the Photon Factory in Tsukuba, Japan.
Detailed information about the ASRP including application forms, a statement of the fellowship conditions and selection criteria can be found at www.ansto.gov.au/natfac/asrp_fellows.html. Applications close 19 May 2003 and should be directed to the ASRP.



4. X05 CONFERENCE
The 20th International Conference on X-ray and Inner Shell Processes - also known as X05 - will be held in Melbourne in July 2005, with the Victorian Government as a major sponsor. X05 will provide a forum for discussion of fundamental processes associated with X-ray and inner shell phenomena, and their applications. There will be a major focus on new directions in using synchrotron X-ray sources, and an opportunity to visit the Australian Synchrotron at an interesting stage in its construction. More information on XO5 is available at the just-launched website http://www.chemistry.unimelb.edu.au/news/X05/X05.html.asp .


5. NEW STAFF
Richard Farnsworth joins the delivery team as Lead Control Systems Engineer. He will be responsible for the systems design, specification, procurement, testing and integration of the computer instrumentation, control and diagnostics for the project. Richard is from Melbourne and comes from an IT and engineering background, having worked on systems for a variety of utilities, including water supply, sewerage, railways and power authorities. These have been predominantly related to real-time process control. So, if the water comes out of your taps, the trains run, the toilet flushes away, or the lights turn on, chances are some of the systems he has worked on helped to make that happen.


6. AUSTRALIAN SYNCHROTRON OUT AND ABOUT
Since January, the team has contributed or presented to the following:
- 27th Annual Condensed Matter and Materials Meeting, Wagga Wagga
- Bioactive Discovery in the New Millennium, Lorne
- Australian Microbeam Analysis Society Symposium
- Physics teachers of Victoria conference (joint AIP/STAV), Monash Uni
- Public lecture, Royal Society of Victoria
- Science teachers - St Johns College Dandenong
- Commercialisation forum and fair of ideas, Sydney
- Biotech applications seminar at Monash
- Public lecture, Rotary Club of Brighton
- Central Grampians Local Learning and Employment Network, Ararat: industry
briefing and two school briefings
- Public lecture, Mineralogical Society of Australia


7. KEY DATES
Key milestones in May for the Australian Synchrotron Project:
5 May Meeting of the Australian Synchrotron National Scientific Advisory Committee (NSAC)
7 May Closing date for registration of interest for the design, supply, installation, commissioning and performance demonstration of the synchrotron injection system
14 May Closing date for tenders to design and construct the Australian
Synchrotron
19 - 20 May Meeting of the Australian Synchrotron International Machine
Advisory Committee (IMAC), Berkeley USA

Other dates and activities
5 May Commencement date for Stephen Lewis, Commercial Manager,
Australian Synchrotron Project
14 May Presentation by Alan Jackson, Technical Manager to the International Particle Accelerator Conference (PAC), Portland USA

Events of interest
The following synchrotron-related events are coming up. For more information, please visit /whats_new/

MAY
- Infrared Microscopy Workshop with Environmental Applications, University
of Wisconsin Synchrotron Radiation Center (USA)
JUNE
- International Workshop on Noncrystallographic Phase Retrieval, Cairns (Australia)
JULY
- International Seminar on X-ray Imaging, University of Melbourne
(Australia)
- Synchrotron Radiation Beamlines: An Optical Engineering Perspective, University of Melbourne (Australia)
- International Workshop on Infrared Microscopy and Spectroscopy with Accelerator Based Sources, California (USA)
AUGUST
- AsCA'03/Crystal-23, the combined conference of the Asian Crystallographic Association and the Society for Crystallographers in Australia and New Zealand (SCANZ), Broome (Australia)
- Workshop on Biological Structure, Broome (Australia)
- Sagamore XIV Meeting run by the IUCr Commission on Charge, Spin and Momentum Densities, Broome (Australia)
- International Workshop on X-ray Science with Coherent Radiation, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (USA)
- The Eighth International Conference on Synchrotron Radiation
Instrumentation (SRI 2003), San Francisco, (USA)
NOVEMBER
- 13th AINSE Conference on Nuclear Techniques of Analysis & 8th Vacuum Society of Australia Congress, The Australian Institute of Nuclear Science and Engineering, Lucas Heights (Australia)


8. IN THE NEWS
Did you see the Australian Synchrotron in the following media items?

- "Power of Synchrotron to double" Age 29 Jan 2003
- "Vic Govt boosts microscope funding" ABC News online 29 Jan 2003
- Interview with Steve Bracks, ABC 774 3LO 31 Jan 2003
- "The synchrotron deserves support" Age 31 Jan 2003
- "Synchrotron now even faster, say planners" Australian Biotechnology News 30 Jan 2003
- "Four vie for $206m light source" Australian Financial Review 1 Feb 2003
- "Synchrotron now twice as strong" Monash Journal 4 Feb 2003
- "Monash Synchrotron funding up by $57m" Campus Review 5 Feb 2003
- "Machines to lead where man will follow" Herald Sun Supplement 15 Feb 2003
- "Synchrotron becoming drug design essential, say researchers" Australian Biotechnology News 12 Feb 2003
- "Synchrotron interest pulls in would-be users" Australian Biotechnology
News 12 Feb 2003
- "Seeing the light at last - for $157 million" Sun Herald (Sydney) 23 Feb
2003
- "Accelerating Australian research" (cover story) Engineers Australia magazine March 2003
- "Backer for synchrotron" Australian Financial Review 11 March 2003
- "Work to start on $206m synchrotron" Age 10 April 2003
- Australian Synchrotron feature item. Stateline Victoria ABC-TV broadcast 11 April 2003
- "Synchrotron reaches new stage" Monash Journal 15 April 2003


9. HOW TO GET MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE AUSTRALIAN SYNCHROTRON
Electronically: Check out our website at www.synchrotron.vic.gov.au, then
send any questions to contact.us@synchrotron.vic.gov.au.

In print: Contact us if you'd like to receive a copy of our brochure about the Australian Synchrotron.

In person: Contact us if you're interested in having a speaker present to your organisation, school, or community group. Also watch out for us at scientific, industry and community events listed on our website.

The Australian Synchrotron Project is being administered by the Victorian Department of Innovation, Industry and Regional Development and delivery is being managed by Major Projects Victoria, Department of Infrastructure.

The current address and contact details are:
Australian Synchrotron Project
Department of Innovation, Industry and Regional Development
Level 18, 80 Collins Street, Melbourne VIC 3000
Tel: (03) 9655 3315 (International: +61 3 9655 3315)
Fax: (03) 9655 8666 (International: +61 3 9655 8666)
E-mail: contact.us@synchrotron.vic.gov.au
Website: www.synchrotron.vic.gov.au

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