THE AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL UNIVERSITY
MICROSCOPY STRATEGIC ADVISORY GROUP


A meeting was held on Wednesday 8 August 2001 at 2pm in the Faculty Boardroom,
 Research School of Biological Sciences

Present:        Professor John Hearn, Dr Tim Senden, Dr Phil Evans, Dr Sally Stowe, Professor Simon Ringer, Dr Ray Withers, Dr Rosemary White, Dr Ian Jackson, Dr Helen O'Neill

In attendance:     Ms Mitchell

Apologies:    Dr Paul Cooper, Dr Bruce Walmsley

Documents Tabled:    Coordinator's Finance & usage reports


MINUTES

Professor Hearn welcomed in the new group stressing the importance of ANU Imaging continuing to be dynamic and fostering links with other institutions such as Sydney University and CSIRO.

1. Discussion of the function of the committee in the light of the recent review

It was agreed that the duties of the group were appropriately stated in the EM Review (2000) as follows:
 A participatory council for representatives from schools and faculties
 To keep a watching brief on new developments in science and instrumentation
 To review the strategic plan and monitor its implementation and financing
 To champion the market scientific and educational opportunities
 To prioritise and recommend purchase of equipment and capacity development
 To assist in the development of bids and grants

It was agreed that the group would meet up to twice a year, in early April and November, if the agenda was sufficient to warrant it.
A website would be set up to facilitate ongoing discussion of issues.
2. Reports:
    2000 ANUEMU annual report (circulated)
    Reports from Coordinator and RSBS Finance Officer (tabled)


The Chairman asked that in future any material should be circulated at least 2 weeks before meetings, rather than tabled.
The Coordinator said that the financial and usage trends to end of July 2001 showed no change from those in previous years, shown in the 2000 Annual Report. She drew attention to the decrease in available operating funds for non-salary purposes and the urgent need to develop a solution.







3. Forward Plans for ANUEMU

 Consideration of funds request from EM Reserve and current Linkage-Infrastructure bid

Professor Hearn advised that he would strongly carry forward the group's recommendation that the allocation to the EM Reserve be maintained at $200,000 per year.
There was discussion over whether some part of the reserve should be available for other purposes, for example salaries, travel costs and visitors. There was a general concern over the lack of room for flexibility in the salary budget. Short-term commitments should continue to be funded from departmental or the Unit's recurrent funds.

The Coordinator advised that there was no immediate need for replacement of SEM or TEM columns. As a result of new technical developments, the current Linkage-Infrastructure / EM Reserve / MEC major equipment bid for a Focused Ion Beam System would now be sufficient for a dual FIB/SEM system, which would be much more versatile. In response to Dr Withers' query about the support requirements of such a system, Professor Ringer said that it was broadly comparable to a high resolution SEM.  

 Management / reporting structure for TEM in RSES

The single management structure for this TEM and ANUEMU within ANU Imaging was reasserted. Dr Jackson asked about provision for maintenance costs. Dr Stowe said that the operating account for this machine contained $52,000 in comparison to less than $20,000 per annum spent in total on seven other columns. This buffer meant that there should be no problem for some years. Professor Hearn advised that maintenance costs should be met in the long-term by core funds.

 Satellites

There was general discussion about the role of satellite units across campus. Dr Senden said that the satellite units should be funded as a school responsibility rather than having the full burden of supporting general access on departments or individual researchers.  MSTAG was seen as having a role in drawing attention to techniques, which were important enough to have a mechanism in place to make sure they were generally accessible.  While it was often important that a facility bought by central funding should be widely accessible, arrangements would need to be negotiated with due regard to the requirements of the primary users.
Collaborative interactions between the CSIRO Plant Industry Microscopy Centre and ANUEMU were sited as an example of ad hoc arrangements, which worked well.
Professor Hearn stressed the need for good communications across campus.

 Operating Funds and User Pays
There was discussion of the need for microscopy costs to be included within ARC grant applications, although this would not replace the core funding which is seen as essential to maintain the infrastructure.  Dr Stowe stressed the greater need for funds, which could be committed to salaries, rather than equipment, which could be more easily supported by funds raised from one-off grants.
The need for an easily available list of charges was mentioned.
At 3.05 Professor Hearn had to leave, passing the chairmanship to Professor Ringer.

4. Scanned Probe Microscopy Facilities on Campus.

Problems were evident several areas, notably the lack of central support for the Scanned Probe Unit in RSPhysE, and very poor access provisions to an atomic force microscope in the Chemistry Dept. It was suggested that Dr Evans draft a letter addressing the issue.



5. Confocal and Multiphoton microscopy on campus.
Dr Evans pointed out that his associates had had to go overseas to access a multiphoton microscope.  There had been recent confocal purchases in RSBS, CSIRO and JCSMR, and two multiphotons in JCSMR, and it appeared that the ANU now had sufficient instruments available, with the JCSMR Unit developing as the major general access site. There was not seen to be a need to pursue the possibility of introducing high-end light microscopy into the ANUEMU.

6. Letter from Professor David Green
The issues raised in the letter had been dealt with in the preceding discussions.

7. Other business
Professor Ringer suggested there was a need to raise awareness of ANU Imaging and MSTAG.  Possible means included an event to showcase microscopy and microanalysis across campus, and an approach to senior university committees and potential "satellite" units.
Microscopy at Sydney University was highly centralised in the EM Unit, which included a greater range of equipment and expertise than that offered by the ANUEMU.  ANUEMU was restricted by space as well as funding, and microscopy at ANU would have to develop in a less centralised way, while maintaining good communications across campus and ensuring users were aware of the availability and utility of a variety of techniques.