The Vega Centre
A proposed microanalytical facility at NRM
The new Vega centre application was approved by VR in November 2011, although no sums have been specified at this stage. These will be decided after later negotiations.
Introduction
This initiative aims to create a new, long-term research infrastructure for Swedish Geoscience based at the Swedish Museum of Natural History. It is partly based on the previous initiative for a Geoscience Centre for Microimaging and Microanalysis (GCMM), that was proposed jointly by the Museum and Stockholm University in 2008, but did not receive any funding at that time. The new Vega Centre is intended to provide the Swedish Geoscience community with state-of-the-art microbeam analytical and imaging technology focused on in situ material analysis at the micrometre to sub-micrometre scale. Such techniques are essential to a wide diversity of research topics in the geosciences today, permitting both fundamental and innovative investigation of chemical and isotopic composition, atomic structure (surface and internal), and surface texture of both natural (minerals, fossils, etc.) and synthetic materials. The motivation for this initiative is three-fold:
- There has been a recent shift towards ‘strategic planning´ in the Swedish Research Council´s funding policy, i.e.- funding larger, longer-term national facilities of international relevance (Research Infrastructure).
- Internationally competitive science often requires expensive and complicated state-of-the-art technology which in turn needs highly skilled technical support.
- While funding of single instruments to single researchers or research groups is likely to become even more difficult in the future, a Research Infrastructure initiative provides an opportunity for Swedish Geoscience.
Our goals:
- To create an internationally competitive, state-of-the-art centre relevant to the broader geoscience community in Sweden.
- To establish Sweden as a clear leader in microanalysis and microimaging.
- To promote high quality/high profile science via proposal assessment.
- To provide low cost analyses for approved proposals.
- To subsidize travel costs, ensuring equal access for all parts of Sweden.
- To provide full technical support to centre visitors.
Research Infrastructure criteria (as defined by VR)
- Be of broad national interest
- Offer scope for world-leading research
- Be used by several research teams /users with highly advanced research projects
- Be so large-scale that individual groups cannot operate them on their own
- Have long-term plans for their scientific objectives, funding and exploitation
- Be open and easily accessible for researchers and have plans to improve their availability (including use, accessibility of collected data, and presentation of results)
Time plan
An overview for the development of the Vega Centre is given below:- 2009 - 2011 — discussions with prospective users and planning of proposal
- 2011 - 2012 — equipment and operating grants (KAWS/VR)
- 2012 - 2013 — rebuilding of lab localities for the new equipment; purchase of equipment
- 2013 — personnel and equipment arrive
- 2014 — centre opens; first users; course grants
- 2015 — courses implemented
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