Users' Advisory Committee

CLS Users’ Advisory Committee 2009

Minutes of Meeting #102: December 9, 2009
(1:00 pm Saskatoon Time) at the Canadian Light Source
Room 2046

Attendees:
At CLS:           Dennis Tokaryk, Graham George, Lucia Zuin (observer), Lavina Carter, Jillayne Neufeld (minutes), Tom Ellis
By Phone:      Stewart McIntyre (chairperson), Farideh Jalilehvand, Michael Murphy, Ron Cavell, Jim Hendry
Regrets:         Josef Hormes, Brian Bewer, Derek Peak, Pierre Kennepohl, Helen Nichol (past chair), Serge Desgreniers

1.0 Approval of the Agenda and Last Meeting Minutes from F2F November 6, 2009

Minutes were approved and accepted by all in attendance of the F2F. A copy will be provided for the User Office file.

2.0 Lavina Carter

CMCF user results – 13 proposals (last round 10)

  • 12 awarded beamtime; one non-synchrotron experiment (discretionary time)
  • 60 shifts requested; but 90 available
  • Applications include (1 AB, 1 BC, 1 MB, 4 ON, 1 QC, 4 SK)
  • Notifications of results will be going out this week

Seminary notes

  • Josef approved some funding to improve rooms
  • We are investigating costs/options of amenities (internet, new mattresses, blankets, pictures, etc.)

3.0 Stewart McIntyre – AUM Workshop Topics

3 topics have been chosen:

  1. Diffraction Measurements on Micro and Nano scales using Synchrotrons (organizer – Renfei Feng, CLS)
  2. New Applications for Macro and Micro Tomographic Measurements using Synchrotrons (organizer - David Cooper)
  3. Split Session:
    1. New Developments in Imaging Software for Synchrotrons (organizers – Ron Cavell, U of Alberta and Helen Nichol, U of Saskatchewan)
    2. Keynote research results from several CLS scientists.

4.0 Jillayne Neufeld

AUM hotels – 2 hotels (Park Town Hotel, Hilton Garden Inn) have blocked a number of rooms for AUM guests and 2 other hotels (Radisson and Sheraton) have provided a CLS group rate. These and other options for accommodations, including the Lutheran Seminary, are already on the 2010 AUM website, http://www.lightsource.ca/uac/meeting2010/index.php and choose the Accommodations tab on the left.

June F2F – the UAC members agreed the Wednesday prior to the AUM starting would be a logical time to organize the F2F meeting. The date for this meeting would be Wednesday, June 16, 2010. Jillayne will look into booking a meeting space at CLS or on the U of S Campus. A block of hotel rooms has been reserved at the Park Town Hotel for attendees of this meeting.

Letter to Exhibitors – a letter has been written by Stewart McIntyre which will be sent to all prospective Vendors. This letter will be sent out shortly, once the TCU Place floor plan is ready to attach to the AUM website. This letter will give potential vendors/sponsors more lead time to plan for their travel to the AUM, or for those unable to attend but wishing to monetarily sponsor the event.

5.0 Tom Ellis

Peer Review
Tom Ellis provided a document with 3 models for Peer Review processes.

Currently over-subscribed beamlines have their proposals reviewed by the Peer Review Committee. Under-subscribed beamlines are not reviewed by the PRC. Currently a single peer review committee (as we currently have) is not enough for all the proposals.

The 3 possible models to consider would be:

  1. By beamline
  2. By Research themes
  3. By increasing the external reviewers

Graham George thought a fusion of #2&#3 would be a better option. He suggested there be 1 PRC member allocated to read each proposal; therefore not all members would read all proposals.

Graham George, Ron Cavell and Dennis Tokaryk all agreed they liked the idea of separation on research themes.

Tom Ellis indicated the disadvantage to reviewing by themes would be a need for the same scoring system but there is varying scoring now. He also felt reviewers might try to ‘say something’ with the score they allocated.

All UAC members agreed the Research theme was their preferred option. Michael Murphy suggested we avoid relying on external reviewers.

Lavina Carter indicated we have a pool of about 500 potential reviewers.

Tom Ellis indicated some people feel there is more consistency and confidence with external reviewers than with the PRC.

This will require more discussion.

6.0 Michael Murphy

CLS shifts - letter

Michael Murphy’s letter related to midnight shifts at the CLS.

Dennis Tokaryk didn’t think we need to say “no midnight shifts”.

Lucia Zuin said if beamlines become over-subscribed, midnight starts may happen, but it is not preferred, by users or the beamline scientists.

Michael Murphy felt an extra shift might have to be requested to ensure equipment is working when the user wishes to begin their experiment.

Tom Ellis spoke with Stewart McIntyre about HXMA regarding ‘buffer shifts’. One might have to take out some proposals to accommodate extra shifts to others.

Graham George indicated that at some other synchrotrons, like Sanford, you just ‘show up and the beamline is ready for you’.

Tom asked the question “Would you prefer using a beamline when it is ‘ready’?”

7.0 Brian Bewer – Absent

End of Run meeting results – will likely provide this information at the next meeting.

Tom Ellis did indicate that a 6 month summary of the EOR results is provided to the SAC/Board of Directors.

8.0 Stewart McIntyre

Draft letter from Royal Hinther, BDO

  • Stewart McIntyre received this letter just prior to the start of this meeting. Royal Hinther has written a letter asking users for information regarding the industrial content of their work.
    • The details of this letter will be discussed at the next UAC meeting.

Synchrotron user list

  • This list will contain users living and working in Canada but who generally have not used the CLS.
  • Stewart McIntyre has spoken with Emil Pai @ CISR and Emil Pai may join the next UAC conference call meeting.
  • Possible phone meeting with BAC – maybe in January to discuss outreach efforts. This meeting should be separate from the regular UAC meeting.
  • Preliminary discussion on remote access – Science Studio is a project of Stewart’s and he indicated several CLS people are needed to help with these discussions. Ron Cavell and Michael Murphy volunteered to help.
  • AUM workshop organizers – these were discussed in item #3, workshop topics, above.
  • Possible change in the week for 2010 UAC meetings to accommodate Serge Desgreniers:
    • Although the schedule change still will not better accommodate Dennis Tokaryk’s schedule, the Jan, Feb and March meetings will be held on the 3rd Wednesday of these months, so January 20th, February 17th and March 17th. April and May can likely stay with the 2nd week of these months, so April 14th and May 12th, unless something changes in the New Year.

9.0 Further fallout from Board of Directors

General discussion of future accommodations for users; plans for hotels, general enthusiasm within the University of Saskatchewan to bring in a private entrepreneur to build a hotel/conference centre. Stewart suggested the price not exceed $60/night.

Ron Cavell indicated at the start of the CLS, an accommodation unit had been suggested.

Tom Ellis has met with Richard Florizone (U of S, VP of Finance and Resources). Discussions with an accommodation similar to the Marriott could be much higher costs. Tom will continue to push the issue but default of a hotel chain for price and location does not serve the CLS well.

The building beside the Lutheran Seminary may be available but needs upgrading. Some single rooms had sinks and there are some suites. The disadvantage is the building is for sale @ a cost of $2,000,000 and the roof leaks.

One thing is certain; it is unacceptable to continue with only the Lutheran Seminary.

This will require further discussion.

10.0 Other Business

No other business was indicated. Meeting adjourned @ 2:30pm.
Next meeting to take place, Wednesday, January 20th @ 1pm SK time.

Last modified: 2012-01-19 17:01:18