The capacity to characterise matter – to see its detailed structure and functioning at an atomic and microscopic level – has helped researchers to make breakthroughs in a wide range of fields.
The Australian Government is committing $50 million to characterisation through the National Collaborative Research Infrastructur
e Strategy (NCRIS) to support four complementary national facilities: the Australian Microscopy and Microanalysis Research Facility, the National Deuteration Facility, the National Imaging Facility and the Australian Synchrotron.
The Australian Microscopy and Microanalysis Research Facility will be a national network with access sites across the country. The NCRIS investment will provide new equipment and make facilities more accessible at a low cost to researchers on a merit basis.
The National Imaging Facility will use magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET) to monitor the behaviour and function of cells within animals, which will aid medical research and the development of pharmaceuticals.
The National Deuteration Facility will be established near Sydney. Deuteration improves the capacity to characterise samples, particularly using the neutron radiation produced by the OPAL reactor. This technique has many applications including discovering the properties of high-tech polymers.
Synchrotrons generate intense X-ray beams to characterise matter, which is important in a range of biological, health, physical science and engineering disciplines. NCRIS is helping to complete the first of nine beamlines at the Australian Synchrotron and to facilitate access by Australian researchers to overseas synchrotron facilities through the Australian Synchrotron Research Program (ASRP).
Being involved in the NCRIS method of funding has promoted collaboration by encouraging us to think more broadly about issues in our research community and to develop synergies across Australia. We have identified where expertise lies, where our strengths are and how the existing, internationally respected groups can best support each other. I believe these synergies will lead to better research outcomes through shared knowledge, better utilisation of existing and future infrastructure resources and the interaction of technologies in a complementary, rather than competitive, manner.
Professor Graham Galloway, Centre for Magnetic Resonance, University of Queensland & Director of Operations at the National Imaging Facility.
The Australian Microscopy and Microanalysis Research Facility (AMMRF) will provide a national network of advanced microscopy and microanalysis instrumentation with nodes at the University of Sydney, University of NSW, University of Queensland and the University of Western Australia. The South Australian node will be operated jointly by Flinders University, the University of Adelaide and the University of South Australia. This investment will provide new equipment and make facilities more accessible at a low cost to researchers, building on previous investments through the Major National Research Facilities (MNRF) Programme.
The
National Imaging Facility (NIF) will provide a national network of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET) facilities at the University of Queensland, University of NSW, University of Sydney, University of Western Sydney, University of Melbourne, Monash University and University of Adelaide. The NIF will provide users with access to five new ‘flagship’ instruments, improved bio-informatics capability and existing instruments and capabilities.
The National Deuteration Facility will provide a national facility for both bio-deuteration and chemical deuteration and be established at the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) for easy access to the new OPAL reactor.
NCRIS investment will contribute to the completion of the initial suite of nine beamlines at the Australian Synchrotron. Funding will also support the continuation of the international synchrotron access program operated by the Australian Synchrotron Research Program (ASRP) until December 2008.
A key principle of NCRIS is that the facilities funded by the programme should be accessible to researchers on the basis of merit at reasonable prices, wherever they are located in Australia.
For enquiries about the Australian Microscopy and Microanalysis Research Facility, please contact:
Professor Simon Ringer
Chief Executive Officer
AMMRF
Australian Key Centre for Microscopy and Microanalysis
University of Sydney
SYDNEY NSW 2006
Australia
Tel: +61 2 9351 2351
Email: simon.ringer@emu.usyd.edu.au
For enquiries about the National Imaging Facility, please contact:
Professor Graham Galloway
Director of Operations, NIF
Centre for Magnetic Resonance
Level 2, Gehrmann Laboratories
Research Road
University of Queensland
BRISBANE QLD 4072
Australia
Tel: +61 7 3365 4239
Email: gg@cmr.uq.edu.au
For enquiries about the National Deuteration Facility, please contact:
Professor Peter Holden
Director
National Deuteration Facility
ANSTO
PMB 1
MENAI NSW 2006
Australia
Tel: +61 2 9717 3991
Email: peter.holden@ansto.gov.au
For enquiries about the Australian Synchrotron, please contact:
Dr Steve Gower
External Relations Manager
Australian Synchrotron
800 Blackburn Road
CLAYTON VIC 3168
Australia
Tel: +61 3 8540 4109
Mobile: +61 425 275 159
Email: Steve.Gower@synchrotron.org.au
For enquiries about the Australian Synchrotron Research Program, please contact:
Dr Richard Garrett
Facility Director
Australian Synchrotron Research Program
ANSTO Physics Division
Building 16
Private Mail Bag 1
MENAI NSW 2234
Australia
Tel: +61 2 9717 3657
Email: garrett@ansto.gov.au
For matters related to management of the NCRIS programme, please contact the NCRIS Team by email at ncris@dest.gov.au or by telephone on 02 6229 4223.
For further information about the Australian Microscopy and Microanalysis Research Facility, please see the AMMRF homepage at http://www.ammrf.org.au/
For further information about the Australian Synchrotron, please see the Australian Synchrotron homepage at http://www.synchrotron.vic.gov.au/
Homepages for the National Imaging Facility and the National Deuteration Facility are not yet live as at 20 December 2007.