Thanks from Chalk River

[Powell, Brian]

Neutron and Condensed Matter Science 
Chalk River Laboratories 

From:  Brian Powell, Manager, NCMS
To:       Neutron Scatterers

As many of you will already know, the Condensed Matter Science (CMS)
program (the name by which the Chalk River neutron scattering user
program is known), finally has been informed by Federal Minister Anne
McLellan that a funding package has been approved to continue operation
of the program.  Until this announcement, the program was scheduled for
termination on March 31st 1997.  New funding will now be provided for
three years, with contributions from the Federal departments, Natural
Resources Canada and Industry Canada.  Responsibility for the CMS
program will pass from Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd. to the National
Research Council of Canada (NRC) and the program will become part of the
Steacie Institute for Molecular Sciences of NRC.  A case will have to be
prepared by NRC for continued funding beyond the three year bridging
period. 

The Minister's announcement marked the successful culmination of an
intense campaign to save the CMS program, a campaign waged by a huge
number of supporters.  Without the intense lobbying efforts of our many
users, collaborators, friends and allies in many institutions, from many
countries and at many levels, it is doubtful that the Federal government
would have been persuaded to reverse its decision to terminate funding
for the program.  CMS personnel send grateful thanks to everybody who
was involved in the campaign, in whatever role; writing letters of
support, talking to Ministers and Members of Parliament, contacting
government officials etc.  All these efforts were essential in
generating enough political support within the Federal government to
persuade the Minister and her colleagues to find the continued funding
for CMS.  Again, thank you to everyone who contributed their time and
effort to the "Save CMS" campaign

Now that the threat of imminent termination has receded, CMS scientists
can once more devote their full attention to operating the Canadian
national user program.  In the next two years we must develop and grow
the program so that an irrefutable case can be made for continued
funding beyond the third year of the bridging period.  The spectrometers
are all operating, NRU continues to run on a regular schedule and we are
open for business.  So send in your proposals and come to Chalk River to
do your experiments.  I hope to see many of you here in the near future.

All the best,

Brian Powell