Canadian Institute for Synchrotron Radiation
Institut canadien du rayonnement synchrotron
Canadian Synchrotron Community Long-Range Plan
CISR and the Canadian Light Source (CLS) are collaborating to develop a plan to serve the needs of the Canadian Synchrotron Radiation Community.
Purpose
To develop a community-supported, comprehensive, specific, and realistic set of recommendations that will enable Canadian research that relies on synchrotrons to address major social and economic challenges and maximize benefits to Canada over the next decade and beyond.
Process
The Long Range Planning (LRP) process will gather data on the state of the fields of research in Canada that rely on synchrotrons and identify Canadian needs and technology options for more advanced synchrotron capabilities.
These inputs will be used to solicit ideas for solutions that address those needs, evaluate them and produce recommendations.
Scope
The LRP process may consider any issue that the community identifies as important to its success, which may include 4th generation synchrotron capabilities, optimizing the CLS, x-ray FELs, partnerships for access to foreign light sources as infrastructure options.
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It may include other factors that support the use of, or return on investment from, the infrastructure such as governance and funding, user support, HQP issues, EDI, knowledge mobilization and technology transfer, generating other spin-off benefits to industry, data management, science communications and public outreach, outreach to new users in industry, government, and universities.
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The LRP will consider all user needs, covering multiple sectors (industry, government, and academic), disciplines (physics, chemistry, life sciences, health, engineering, cultural heritage), and all synchrotron techniques that Canadians require.
The LRP will consider issues from multiple time frames, from short term to the long-term (beyond 2035).
Community Driven
The Organizing Committee is comprised of representatives from CISR and CLS to oversee the development of the LRP. The Co-Chairs of the Organizing Committee are Ingrid Pickering, Chief Science Officer, CLS and TK Sham, Professor at Western University and CISR Board Member.
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A Panel will be composed of a majority of Canadian synchrotron users and will include a balance of perspectives, including not only scientific expertise, but also geographic regions, sectors, and underrepresented groups. It will include Canadian users of CLS and of foreign light sources.
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Working Groups will be created for gathering input from the synchrotron community on the different focus areas, which can be a scientific field or a topic such as synchrotron technology. Each group should deliver a summary report of findings to the LRP Panel.​​​​
Intended Use
The resulting LRP will serve as a single unified vision for the synchrotron community, providing recommendations that guide the community to act collectively to achieve it in the following ways:​
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Institutions and individual researchers will use the LRP to speak with one voice to funders, policy makers, foreign partners, and other institutions, thus demonstrating coherency of the research community.
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​The CLS will build a 10-year budget starting in 2027 on the recommendations of the LRP, which will be submitted to the CFI in 2026 as part of the development of a new framework for funding Major Research Facilities (MRF).​
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Scientific Working Groups and Contacts:
​​Advanced Materials and Energy Devices
Co-Chair: Robert Green, University of Saskatchewan
Co-Chair: David Hawthorn, University of Waterloo
Facility Rep: Feizhou He, Canadian Light Source
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Agriculture and Food Production
Co-Chair: Alejandro Marangoni, University of Guelph
Co-Chair: Raju Soolanayakanahally, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Facility Rep: Chithra Karunakaran, Canadian Light Source
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Cultural Heritage
Co-Chair: Fiona McNeill, McMaster University
Co-Chair: Aaron Shugar, Queens University
Facility Rep: Robert Blyth, Canadian Light Source
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Environment and Earth Resources
Co-Chair: Derek Peak, University of Saskatchewan
Co-Chair: Sasha Wilson, University of Alberta
Facility Rep: David Muir, Canadian Light Source
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Health and Life Sciences
Co-Chair: John Pascal, University of Montreal
Co-Chair: TBD
Facility Rep: Pawel Grochulski, Canadian Light Source
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Lightsources and Instruments
Co-Chair: Stefan Kycia, University of Guelph
Co-Chair: Graham George, University of Saskatchewan
Facility Rep: TBD
Reference Documents
