Utilisation of Light Source and Crystallographic Sciences to Facilitate the Enhancement of Knowledge and Improve the Economic and Social Conditions in Targeted Regions of the World 

This IUPAP-IUCr joint project is an initiative to enhance AdLS and crystallographic sciences in Africa, Mexico, the Caribbean, SE Asia, the Middle East and the Pacific Islands. The SESAME AdLS will start commissioning in Allan, Jordan toward the end of 2016. Interested parties have launched an initiative in Mexico to construct an AdLS there. The ESRF hosted the 1st African Light Source (AfLS) Conference and Workshop during November 16-20, 2015. At that meeting, participants adopted a set of resolutions, dubbed The Grenoble Resolutions, which enumerated the reasons for an AfLS and a roadmap to chart a path forward, and elected a Steering Committee to drive the roadmap. Cuba in March 2016 hosted a conference in Havana on high brightness beams, where there was a roundtable discussion on the idea of a Caribbean Light Source. Each region can look to AdLS science in Brazil as a model. It designed its first AdLS in 1983 and launched it in 1997. Initially, it was difficult to convince key parties of an AdLS’s benefits. At its opening, researchers submitted only a few proposals, but the number of proposals grew quickly by orders of magnitude. Brazil is now internationally recognized for the quality of its research, particularly in structural biology, and currently, it is constructing a fourth generation AdLS called Sirius. Brazil and similar experiences in Korea and Taiwan are examples of how excellent scientific research centres can improve local scientific and private enterprise opportunities.

AdLSs have revolutionized research in many science and technology disciplines, leading to a proliferation of facilities worldwide. By enhancing AdLS and crystallographic sciences, the regions' peoples will benefit from the research that will tackle such devastating viruses as Zika, Ebola and HIV. Moreover, considerable progress will be achieved towards sustainable sources of clean energy. Finally, the regions contain important archeological and paleontological treasures to be explored by the beams from AdLSs. Thus, a major outcome of this project will be a buy-in by governmental officials that AdLSs and crystallography will bring major advances in their countries' socio-economic development.

The website lightsources.org has links to some 47 facilities in 23 countries in various stages of operation, construction or planning. Unfortunately, no AdLS facility operates in Africa, Mexico or the Caribbean. To start the process of growing and enhancing AdLS and crystallographic sciences in those regions, the LAAAMP project will undertake the following tasks: 

 

[1]Strategic Plan

Develop a Strategic Plan for each region to grow and enhance its AdLS and crystallography user communities.

"Strategic Plan development for each region began in year 1 with the appointment by the Executive Committee (EC) of Regional AdLS Usage & Strategic Plan Committees (USPC) to develop a database of AdLS and crystallography users, and facilities used. The Chair of each will oversee data collection and processing. The USPC will also have responsibility to develop each region’s Strategic Plan. Each USPC Chair will communicate closely with the EC and ICSU Regional Offices. In year 3, the EC will appoint lead persons to communicate with the various governments to acquaint them with the Strategic Plans and seek buy-ins."

Read the Strategic Plans 

[1]Colloquium Programme

Establish a Colloquium Programme for each region to recruit new AdLS and crystallography users.

"The ICTP, with assistance from the ICSU Regional Offices, will manage the programme, while maintaining close communication with the EC to ensure that the most appropriate researchers are served. SESAME will manage the Middle East programme. Each speaker will spend 3 days at the host institution engaging in discussions and visiting government officials and schools."

Visit the Colloquium Programme section

[1]Information Brochure

Publish an Information Brochure that describes AdLSs, crystallography, and the many fields that they impact.

"The Information Brochure will be developed by a Brochure Committee. The EC will appoint the Chair. The Committee will engage those who have undertaken similar initiatives and develop a professional quality color brochure (hard copy and online) containing information on the various AdLS components, disciplines impacted by AdLSs and crystallography, and experimental beamline techniques. The EC will monitor this activity."

Download the LAAAMP brochure 

[1]Researchers' visits

Facilitate researchers' visits to AdLS and crystallography facilities.

"The EC will ensure that researchers and students across the four regions are informed of the various opportunities for accelerator, beamline, crystallography, and instrumentation studies at international schools and visits to appropriate facilities for training. Implementation and utilisation of IUCr-UNESCO OpenLabs in the four regions will enhance this task. The EC will appoint a Communications Officer to advertise opportunities. ICTP, with assistance from the ICSU Regional Offices, will manage the travel of those chosen."

Visit the LAAAMP FAST Teams section 

[1]Closing Meeting

Convene a meeting, possibly at UNESCO, to present the regions' Strategic Plans and define the charge for more detailed Business Plans that include feasibility studies of constructing AdLSs in regions where they do not yet exist.

"The EC will appoint an Organizing Committee led by UNESCO. The Organising Committee will invite each region's Ministers of Science, Technology, Health, Education, Energy and Natural Resources to this meeting. Representatives from each region's research community, and other international stakeholders and interested parties, will be invited."