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<\/a><\/p>\nThe European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) needs no introduction to anyone applying synchrotron radiation in the research. It is currently the most modern research infrastructure located in Grenoble (France), \ufb01rst made available to users in 1994. The construction and operation of such unique and expensive research facility was possible thanks to the creation of an international consortium, which started \ufb01nancing the construction in 1988 and covers the costs of ongoing operation and modernization of the source and beamlines [1]. Polish scientists associated with Polish Synchrotron Radiation Society have been trying to make Poland part of this consortium since 1991.
\nThanks to these activities, both at the scienti\ufb01c level (organization of many schools, symposia and specialized workshops in the \ufb01eld of synchrotron techniques) and at the administrative level (letters to the ministry, meetings with ministers, work in groups for large research facilities in the ministry, etc.), Poland o\ufb03cially joined the ESRF Consortium in 2004 as an associate member with a contribution of 0.6% ESRF annual budget. It was the result of the e\ufb00orts of the entire Polish synchrotron radiation community represented by prof. Krystyna Lawniczak-Jablonska from Institute of Physics Polish Academy of Sciences, who obtained funding for this purpose for the years 2004-2006 on the basis of an appropriate increase in the subsidy for the IP PAS.<\/p>\n
In March 2006, the National Consortium of Scienti\ufb01c Institutions Interested in the Use of the European Synchrotron Radiation Source ESRF was established. The National Consortium initially involved 9 institutes:
\n1. Institute of Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw
\n2. Institute of Neurology, Collegium Medium,\u00a0 Jagiellonian University, Krakow
\n3. Faculty of Physics and Applied Computer Science, AGH University of Science and Technology, Krak\u00f3w
\n4. Faculty of Applied Physics and Mathematics, Gda\u0144sk University of Technology
\n5. Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw
\n6. Institute of Physics, University of Silesia, Katowice
\n7. Institute of Experimental Physics, Warsaw University
\n8. Faculty of Chemistry, Warsaw University
\n9. Institute of Paleobiology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw
\nPresently,\u00a0 the\u00a0 National\u00a0 Consortium\u00a0 involves\u00a0 20\u00a0 scienti\ufb01c\u00a0 institutes.\u00a0 Their\u00a0 representatives\u00a0 create\u00a0 the Council of National Consortium. The IP PAS serves as the coordinator.<\/p>\n
In 2006, the IP PAS, as the coordinator of the National Consortium, obtained funding within a special\u00a0 project \u201cPoland\u2019s participation in European Consortium of Synchrotron Radiation in Grenoble, France, with a contribution of 1% of the annual budget\u201d for the years 2006-2009, later extended by an annex until 2011. A \ufb01nancial contribution of 1% guarantees 1% of the beamtime available at all beamlines. A settlement for each member is prepared every 3 years. In case more beamtime was granted, a request for additional payment or consent to limit beamtime in the next settlement period is sent. If there was less beamtime granted, there is more allocated in the next period. In the years 2011-2016, after legal changes in science \ufb01nancing, there was no possibility to make the due contribution to the ESRF. Despite this, while waiting for the Ministry of Science and Higher Education to create an appropriate legal path, the ESRF management still allowed scientists with Polish a\ufb03liation to apply for beamtime. In 2016, the IP PAS, as the coordinator of the National Consortium, obtained funds from the Ministry of Science and Higher Education by decision No. DIR\/PM\/2016\/03 as part of the project called “Support for the participation of Polish research teams in the ESRF and CERN” in order to cover the costs of outstanding \ufb01nancial liabilities to the ESRF for the years 2011-2016.<\/p>\n
In the same year, 2016, by decision No. DIR\/WK\/2016\/19 of December 6, the IP PAS obtained funds from the Ministry of Science and Higher Education to \ufb01nance the costs of the contribution to participate in a joint\u00a0 international\u00a0 project\u00a0 called\u00a0 “European\u00a0 Synchrotron\u00a0 Radiation\u00a0 Facility\u00a0 –\u00a0 Europejskie\u00a0 Centrum Promieniowania Synchrotronowego” . These funds were settled as a grant, based on scienti\ufb01c results from experiments carried out at the ESRF, reported annually to a special commission at the Ministry of Science and Higher Education. Only after the annual report was approved were funds allocated for the next year. The funds were granted for 5 years. They included the Polish \ufb01nancial contribution to the ESRF budget in the amount of 1% of its annual budget. Thanks to the favorable Euro exchange rate during this period, despite the increase of the ESRF budget, we were able to pay the Polish contribution. The project also covered the costs of project management: maintaining the website, participating in the ESRF Council meetings, collecting the results of experiments and preparing reports to the ministry. The leader of this project was also prof. Krystyna Lawniczak-Jablonska. The website and secretarial support for the project was provided by MSc Joanna Libera. Prof. Wojciech Paszkowicz represented Poland in the Administrative and Financial Committee of the ESRF.<\/p>\n
In 2015, as a result of the e\ufb00orts of the IP PAS, ESRF was included on the Polish Roadmap for Research Infrastructures. Poland’s participation in the ESRF was also included in the next edition of the Roadmap approved by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education on January 24, 2020. In 2021, as part of the program of the Ministry of Education and Science “Support for the participation of Polish research teams in the international research infrastructure projects”, IP PAS, on behalf of the National Consortium, obtained a grant titled “Polish contribution to the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility” (AGREEMENT No. 2021\/WK\/11). As part of the grant, Poland pays 1% of the contribution to the ESRF annual budget. This keeps open the possibility for scientists with Polish a\ufb03liation to apply for beamtime. Application for this project and reporting its results to the Ministry of National Education and Science is taken care by PhD Anna Wolska who also represents Poland at the ESRF Council. Project\u2019s website is led by MSc Joanna Libera while MSc Anna Reszka represents Poland in the Administrative and Financial Committee.<\/p>\n
The ESRF accepts applications for individual projects twice a year: by March 1 and September 10. The scienti\ufb01c program of research conducted at the ESRF is determined by the International Peer Review Committee by ranking the submitted experimental proposals. The Committee is divided on 12 Allocation Panels consisting of outstanding international experts. The \ufb01nal decision on the selection of proposals for implementation is made by the Director General after seeking the opinion of beamline scientists as to the technical feasibility of implementing the project and taking into account the use of beamtime due by a given country in accordance with the contribution made. In the case of projects carried out in international cooperation, beamtime is counted proportionally for a given country, depending on the a\ufb03liation of scientists participating in the project, regardless of whether all listed in the project directly participated in the experiment.<\/p>\n
Access to the beam for scientists from countries belonging to the ESRF Consortium is covered by contributions paid by individual countries. Additionally, the travel and subsistence expenses of the three researches carrying out the experiment are also paid. Scienti\ufb01c projects that have been granted beamtime receive technical and other necessary assistance during the preparation and conduct of the experiment.<\/p>\n
The currently implemented ministry grant, in addition to \ufb01nancing a 1% contribution to the ESRF, also o\ufb00ers co-\ufb01nancing for participation in conferences for scientists with Polish a\ufb03liation presenting the results\u00a0 of\u00a0 research\u00a0 conducted\u00a0 at\u00a0 the\u00a0 ESRF.\u00a0 The\u00a0 intention\u00a0 is\u00a0 to\u00a0 make\u00a0 it\u00a0 easier\u00a0 for\u00a0 Polish\u00a0 scientists\u00a0 to present the results of their research both internationally and domestically and to establish new scienti\ufb01c contacts\u00a0 at\u00a0 home\u00a0 and\u00a0 abroad.\u00a0 The\u00a0 funding\u00a0 regulations\u00a0 are\u00a0 available\u00a0 on\u00a0 the\u00a0 project\u00a0 website: http:\/\/www.ifpan.edu.pl\/esrf\/<\/a><\/p>\n Research results presented at conferences or published in scienti\ufb01c journals must include acknowledgments to the ministry grant \ufb01nancing Poland’s access to the ESRF. Exemplary formula: The access to the ESRF was \ufb01nanced by the Polish Ministry of Education and Science, dec. no. 2021\/WK\/11. Information about publications, conference presentations, the fact of including the results in a doctoral dissertation or the achievements included in the habilitation should be sent to MSc Joanna Libera (esrf-polska@ifpan.edu.pl). These are measurable project results that in\ufb02uence whether the ministry will continue \ufb01nancial support, and therefore whether Polish scientists will continue to have access to the ESRF.<\/p>\n ___________________________________________________<\/strong><\/p>\n [1] \u00a0Anna Wolska and Wojciech Paszkowicz “Poland at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility: 30 years of history and future prospects” Bulletin of the Polish Synchrotron Radiation Society 22 (2022) 15.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Synchrotron Radiation in Natural Science Vol. 23, p.8 (2023) authors: A. Wolska and K. \u0141awniczak – Jab\u0142o\u0144ska Institute of Physics of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw The European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) needs no introduction to anyone applying synchrotron radiation in the research. It is currently the most modern…<\/p>\n