1-2 December 2011
St George Hotel & Conference Centre
Africa/Johannesburg timezone
The South African Synchrotron Community through SRRIC is organizing a Business Plan meeting on the future of Synchrotron Radiation Science in South Africa on the 1st and 2nd of December 2011
The workshop will bring together representatives of the South African synchrotron user community and international experts to thrash out a coherent strategy for the future use of synchrotron radiation in South Africa. The discussions will be collated to craft a Business Plan to guide government and the user community in mapping the road ahead on synchrotron radiation use in South Africa.
The meeting will host a maximum of 40 delegates, 7 representatives of international synchrotron facilities, 1 facilitator, 2 delegates from the DST/NRF, and ~30 representatives of SRRIC and South African synchrotron users.
Synchrotron users in South Africa are invited to participate and contribute their views. Please discuss before hand experiences on the issues and challenges specific to your discipline with other delegates of your discipline prior to the meeting.
Starts
Ends
Africa/Johannesburg
St George Hotel & Conference Centre
PLOT 58 Goedehoop Ave, M57 DOORNKLOOF
VENUE - St George Hotel
http://www.stgeorgehotel.co.za/saint-george.html


Contributions and Suggestions
Contributions and Suggestions for the Science @ Synchrotrons Business Planning Meeting are invited. Contributions and suggestions will be compiled and given to members for discussion.
Please submit contributions and suggestions using the abstract submission menu. You can submit as many suggestions as you want no size limitations.


DRAFT PROGRAMME

Please donwload the draft programme here
http://www.saip.org.za/images/Synchrotron_Business_Plan_Workshop_-_25_Nov_2011.pdf

The meeting will have the following sessions
1) Welcome, Define goals of the Workshop where the following will be discussed; 
- Necessity to focus on 3-5 synchrotrons
- Ad-hoc access in cases of merit (unique instrument, unique collaborators)
- Some kind of increased level of SA commitment on Synchrotron Science
- Invest in a item of equipment, or in part/all of a beam line
- Long term deployment of all/part of a post doc at a synchrotron
- Any local facilities that support access that are under-represented
- Possibility of a technical person deployment
- Membership status of some kind
- Former Brookhaven machine
- Establish a programme with a director and a structure to oversee Synchrotron Science
2) South African Synchrotron User Community Presentations
- Research review for the past, current and future plans
- Identify synchrotrons used, instruments used, justify choice of facility
- Identify collaborators, describe collaborative activities
- Outputs - students, theses, papers
- Importance of synchrotrons in program
- Preferences regarding the proposal to focus on
- Preferences regarding the proposal to invest in an instrument, beam-line, facility
3) Presentations by Synchrotron Directors or their delegated representativeSystem of -Access, Funding Structure of the Facility, Membership details
-Plan of access to be offered to South Africa for next two years, the two years after that, and the following two years
-Could include ad hoc access with no charge, based on merit, based on co-applications with a member group
-How long could such a situation be sustained, what are its implications?
-What level of financial participation from South Africa would be required in short, medium and longer terms
4) Presentations by DST/NRF
-DST Strategic Thinking on Synchrotron Science for South Africa
5) Structured Panel discussions on the various propositions and issues raised
-Issues of interest raised the previous day
-Agreements on way forward for synchrotrons research in South Africa