ESF provides Assessment of austrian research facility plans

A European Science Foundation expert panel has completed an independent assessment of the project studies for two new medium-scale, transnational research facilities in Austria, AUSTRON and EURO-CRYST. The AUSTRON proposal is for a medium-scale pulsed neutron source for multidisciplinary use in fundamental and applied research and EURO-CRYST for a central laboratory for crystal research and synthesis.

The final report and recommendations of the assessment, which was undertaken at the request of the Austrian Ministry for Research and Austrian ESF member organisations, were presented by the ESF’s Secretary General, Professor Peter Fricker, and Dr Hans Karow, the panel secretary, at a meeting last week in Vienna with the Austrian Minister for Science, Dr Caspar Einem, and senior Austrian science administrators.

The report provides an assessment, from a European perspective, of the respective merits of the proposals for the two new facilities. Excluding political considerations from its deliberations, the assessment panel focused on the key scientific and technical issues related to the two projects including the projected costs of construction and subsequent operation. In particular, it looked at strategic considerations such as the timeliness and relevance of the proposed facilities; their probable performance within the overall European ‘park of research facilities’; and the possible alternatives or consequences if either facility is not built.

Regarding the AUSTRON proposal, the ESF panel recognises that neutron sources will remain an indispensable tool for a number of R&TD fields into the future and, while expressing a number of reservations about the proposal’s cost analysis, acknowledges the technical feasibility of the proposed project. It also recognises that there is still a ‘window of opportunity’ for a new facility for neutron scattering in Europe. However, the panel concludes that the ‘scientific-strategic positioning’ of the projected pulsed neutron source in its European-regional context has not yet been sufficiently demonstrated. Given the Austrian objective to attract a substantial financial inflow from the surrounding region, the report argues that addressing "this task would need to be given high priority otherwise all efforts to promote AUSTRON any further could be too late".

The EURO-CRYST proposal to establish a large research centre on a ‘green field’ site did not win the panel’s support. The report argues that the concepts, techniques, and uses of crystalline materials to be developed under EURO-CRYST are highly specialised and rather disparate. In addition, the fast evolution of R&TD goals and trends in this field requires the close interaction and embedding of crystal researchers in their transdisciplinary home environment. The report concludes that "no convincing added value would be achieved by massing crystal R&TD together under such a central unitary structure at such high costs". However, "the Panel sees promising features in a ‘distributed laboratory’ i.e. a networking collaboration of already existing expert groups in crystal R&TD, initiated and promoted through a national Austrian effort in a transnational collaboration". Such a distributed format, the report argues, would not only bypass most of the drawbacks and difficulties identified in the centralised format but would also offer convincing added value.

Introducing the report, panel Chairman, Dr Reinder van Duinen (President of the Dutch Research Council, NWO), comments: "The scientific baseline of both projects is sound, but the case for active support by the international community at either the regional or European level has not been made convincingly. We believe that the AUSTRON proposal needs to be adjusted to comply with transnational expectations and, if pursued, should move forward quickly to avoid missing the present ‘window of opportunity’. The EURO-CRYST proposal does not seem to add to existing facilities currently in operation in various laboratories and institutions in Europe to warrant a centralised laboratory, but could in an alternative format of a ‘distributed facility’ be an excellent vehicle for a national R&D-policy initiative in Austria".

In conclusion, the panel recommends that decisive follow-up action, with the necessary policy guidance, will be needed from the Austrian parties to promote further their proposals if they are to succeed in the competitive environment of large research facility projects in Europe.

Professor Peter Fricker, ESF Secretary General, comments: "The AUSTRON-EURO-CRYST assessment is a clear reflection of the European Science Foundation’s growing capability to provide independent and expert advice, from a European perspective, on a range of issues related to large research facilities. We are pleased to have been able to assist our Austrian member organisations and the Austrian government on this occasion."

The Austrian assessment is one element in a much wider portfolio of ESF scientific case-studies in this field, which are not just restricted to the physical and engineering sciences. ESF Standing Committees are currently considering a number of other large-scale facility initiatives, in fields ranging from the medical to the social sciences, as well as exploring ways of making more effective use of existing installations, notably by widening access. The development of a blueprint for a European social survey is a prime example. These various activities are being monitored by a recently established inter-committee working group.

Ends

For further information contact :

Andrew Smith
Head of Communication and Information, ESF
+33 (0)3 88 76 71 32
or
Dr Hans Karow
Senior Scientific Secretary for the Physical and Engineering Sciences, ESF
+33 (0)3 88 76 71 07

Notes for editors:

1. The five panel members were: Dr Reinder van Duinen, Chairman of the Dutch Research Council (NWO); Professor Marcello Fontanesi, President of the Italian State Committee for Physics and Chairman of the CNR committee; Professor Yves Petroff, Director of the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility; Professor Joachim Seelig, Head of the Biophysical Chemistry Department, Biozentrum Basel and Chairman of the Swiss National Research Council division on biology and medicine; and Professor Gerhard Wegner, Director, Max-Planck Institute for Polymer research and Vice-President of the Max-Planck Gesellschaft. Dr Hans Karow, ESF Senior Scientific Secretary for the Physical and Engineering Sciences, acted as secretary to the Panel.

The ESF Panel was assisted by a PESC support group made up of: Professor Peter Day, Director of the Royal Institution, London and former Director of the Laue-Langevin Institute, Grenoble; Professor Norbert Kroo, Director of the Solid-state Physics Research Institute, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest and former President of the European Physical Society; and Professor Piero Martinoli, Institute for Physics, University of Neuchâtel and Vice-President of the Swiss National Research Council.

2. The European Science Foundation is an association of 62 major national funding agencies devoted to basic research in 21 countries. The ESF assists its member organisations in two main ways: by bringing scientists together in its scientific programmes, networks and European research conferences, to work on topics of common concern, and through the joint study of issues of strategic importance in European science policy.

3. If you’re only interested in receiving releases in particular scientific areas, please mention it.

For further information contact: Andrew Smith

Category: Media Centre, Press Releases 1997