In this issue:
1. Proposal submission for beam time in Jan-Apr 2009 now available
2. Australian Synchrotron beamline update
3. NZ preferred access allocations for 2009/1 cycle
4. Australian Synchrotron users’ meeting
5. Reporting
1. Proposal submission for beam time in Jan-Apr 2009 now available
Proposals for beam time at the Australian Synchrotron in the 2009-1 cycle (Jan-Apr) are due by 3 November. The online web portal is now open.
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://portal.synchrotron.org.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. If you are successful in obtaining merit access time, please let us know that so that we can advise you regarding travel funding that is available.
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.
Please contact me if you have any questions about applying for beamtime.
2. Australian Synchrotron beamline update
The following beamlines are accepting Merit Access proposals in the 2009/1 cycle:
| IR (microscope and spectrometer) | IR@synchrotron.org.au |
| Protein crystallography (PX1 and PX2) | PXcontact@synchrotron.org.au |
| Powder diffraction | Powder.Diffraction@synchrotron.org.au |
| Soft x-ray spectroscopy | SoftXRay@synchrotron.org.au |
| Small- and wide-angle x-ray scattering | SAXSWAXS@synchrotron.org.au |
| X-ray absorption spectroscopy | XAS@synchrotron.org.au |
| X-ray fluorescence microscopy | XFM@synchrotron.org.au |
More specific information about the different beamlines can be found on our website:
http://www.synchrotron.rsnz.org/facility/beamlines.php
Protein and small molecule crystallography proposals are submitted to the same panel for review, and successful proposals allocated to the most appropriate beamline for the experiment.
Protein crystallography programme proposals can also be submitted (select ‘PX_2009/1_Program’ cycle).
3. NZ preferred access allocations for 2009/1 cycle
The following beamlines are accepting Preferred Access proposals in the 2009/1 cycle.
The time that is allocated to NZSG, to distribute to all preferred access proposals, is:
| Protein crystallography (PX1 only) | 3 days |
| IR microscope | 3 days |
| IR spectrometer | 3 days |
| Powder diffraction | 3 days |
| Soft x-ray spectroscopy | 5 days* |
*to be allocated to a single group.
Since the soft x-ray spectroscopy experiments take considerably longer to set up and run than experiments on other beamlines, the Australian Synchrotron has allocated us a total of 10 days during 2009, to be split 5 days in 2009/1 and 5 days in 2009/3. Please contact us if you are interested in using the soft x-ray beamline in this round or in the future.
4. 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.
5. Reporting
We would like to keep an up-to-date record of beamtime received at the Australian Synchrotron by New Zealand researchers. Please let us know if you are successful in obtaining Merit Access time, as we are not always advised of this by the User Office. This will also enable us to advise you about travel funding that is available.
Regards,
Bridget Ingham
Technical Director, New Zealand Synchrotron Support Programme