Major National Research Facilities funding for Australian astronomy
In the June 2001 issue of the ATNF News, I reported on the submission of a proposal to the Major National Research Facilities (MNRF) Program, a component of the Australian Government's "Backing Australia's Ability" statement, which was released earlier this year. The ATNF-led proposal involved a wide cross-section of the Australian astronomical community and had two main objectives:
1) To increase Australia's share in the International Gemini Telescopes in Hawaii and Chile from 5% to 10%, by building and providing new instruments for Gemini;
2) To develop enabling technologies for the Square Kilometre Array (SKA), in a way that enhances Australia's existing radio telescope facilities and reinforces Australia's bid as the prime location to host the SKA.
On 21 August 2001, the Minister for Industry, Science, and Resources, Senator Nick Minchin announced the allocation of $155 million under the MNRF Program to fifteen successful proposals. I'm very pleased to be able to report that the ATNF-led proposal was amongst those successful and was granted the largest single allocation, $23.5 million. Other successful proposals spanned a wide range of disciplines: biotechnology, information technology, medicine, agriculture, mining, manufacturing, and marine research. A total of 86 proposals were submitted to the Program and 37 were short-listed before selection of the final 15, which also cover geographical locations in all Australian states and territories.
Artist's impression of one SKA antenna concept.
Gemini south at sunset (photo courtesy of Gemini Observatory).
Senator The Hon Nick Minchin, Minister for Industry, Science and Resources, announcing the successful proposals.
The combination of optical and radio astronomy priorities in the proposal mean that the activities of the Australian astronomical community as a whole are probably more closely aligned now than at any time in the past. The proposal also builds upon the strength and experience of the original MNRF-funded upgrade of the ATNF and University of Tasmania radio astronomy facilities - the high frequency upgrade of the ATCA and the upgrade of Australian VLBI facilities. These upgrades will be practically complete by the end of calendar year 2002.
Elsewhere in this issue, in Peter Hall's regular SKA report, a more detailed outline of the proposed SKA component of the new MNRF work is given.
Institutes that contributed to the successful proposal were: CSIRO ATNF; the Anglo-Australian Observatory; the Australian National University Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics; Swinburne University of Technology; the University of Sydney; the University of Melbourne; and the University of New South Wales.
Ray Norris
ATNF Deputy Director
(Ray.Norris@csiro.au)