In this issue:
1. Next proposal due dates for beam time in Jan-Apr 2009
2. Australian Synchrotron users’ meeting
3. Travel funding update
4. Summer school update
5. OPAL Neutron source proposal due date
1. Next proposal due dates for beam time in Jan-Apr 2009
Proposals for beam time at the Australian Synchrotron in the 2009-1 cycle (Jan-Apr) are due by 1 November. The online web portal will be open from 11 October.
Please refer to our website, http://www.synchrotron.rsnz.org/user/accessing.php for detailed information on how to prepare and submit a proposal.
Proposals for both access routes are to be submitted via the web portal at
http://prism.nbi.ansto.gov.au/as/proposal/index.jsp. Note that in this system, preferred access is called ‘Foundation Investor’.
(Please note that New Zealand scientists are not eligible to apply through this portal for ASRP beamtime.)
Merit access proposals are to be submitted through the Australian portal (above). Proposal templates are available at www.synchrotron.rsnz.org/user/accessing.php as Word documents, which you can use to prepare your proposal off-line, and then copy and paste the relevant sections into the Australian Synchrotron web portal. You are most welcome to send drafts of your proposals to me for proofreading and suggestions.
Preferred access proposals are to be submitted online via the Australian portal, and the completed template (available to download from our website) sent to synchrotron@rsnz.org . Preferred access is intended to favour new researchers and preliminary experiments. We recommend that you also submit your proposal for consideration in the merit access group.
Merit access proposals are peer-reviewed through the Australian Synchrotron. Preferred access proposals go through an internal review process by the NZSG Access Committee.
More specific information about the different beamlines can be found on our website:
http://www.synchrotron.rsnz.org/facility/beamlines.php
Please contact me if you have any questions about applying for beamtime.
2. Australian Synchrotron users’ meeting
The Australian Synchrotron users’ meeting will be held from 2-5 December 2008 at the Novotel, St Kilda. Please see the conference website for more information: http://www.a-oweek2008.com/
Poster abstracts are due by 24 October.
Travel funding to attend the meeting is available for presenting authors/groups, please see our website for details and application forms. http://www.synchrotron.rsnz.org/user/training.php
If you have used the synchrotron this year, we would encourage you to present some of your work at this meeting.
3. Travel funding update
We have received some enquiries as to whether funding will continue in 2009; the answer is yes. In the past, funding for the New Zealand Synchrotron Support Programme activities has been made possible through TEC-IDF. This contract has been extended for a further 12 months. In addition, we are now receiving assistance from the Australian Synchrotron for up to three researchers per experiment to travel to Melbourne. These arrangements will continue to be managed by NZSG, so any funding requests should be sent to synchrotron@rsnz.org as per usual.
4. Summer school update
In June we advertised the opportunity for up to three students to attend the Cheiron summer school in Japan at the end of this month. We received five quality applications, and it is unfortunate that we were unable to send all of them.
Congratulations to Greg Betzel (Canterbury), Ben Miller (Otago), and Jan Richter (Massey) who were selected.
5. OPAL Neutron source proposal due date
The following information has been received from the OPAL Neutron source.
“The Bragg Institute calls for proposals for the following neutron-beam instruments:
ECHIDNA (high-resolution powder diffractometer)
WOMBAT (high-intensity powder diffractometer)
KOALA (Laue diffractometer)
KOWARI (strain scanner)
PLATYPUS (reflectometer).
Proposals should be submitted using our on-line system (choose round October 2008) http://rainbow.nbi.ansto.gov.au/Bragg/proposal/index.jsp. Deadline will be 15 October 2008.
15 Oct. 2008 Deadline for proposals.
Oct./Nov. 2008 On-line review of proposals by up to 5 expert reviewers.
10-11 Dec. 2008 Programme Advisory Committee assesses proposals.
Jan. 2009 Scheduling of first beam-time allocations – subject to reactor operation schedule. Initial scheduling will likely be fairly “loose”, with ~50% of the beam time made available for the formal user programme.”
Regards,
Bridget Ingham
Technical Director, New Zealand Synchrotron Support Programme