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Following the recommendation of the Strategic Plan for Physics in Australia (Physics: A Vision for the Future , NBEET 1993) it was suggested that there should be a three stage process for establishing the centre. The first was a series of trial workshops for which ARC provided a little funding. The first was held at ANU in 1994 and the second will be held there later this year. The second stage was that institutions interested in hosting the proposed Institute should prepare proposals by 31 January 1995 and submit them through Prof. Delbourgo (Chairman of the National Committee for Physics) for decision by the National Committee. Stage three is a final bid for ARC funding (based on the successful proposal at stage two) in the next round of Special Research Centres - with proposals due (probably) by October 1995. Funding, if the bid is successful, would begin in 1997. It has been made clear by Prof. Brennan that no proposal will be successful unless it has the full support of the Australian theory community.
Three proposals have been received and they are available through this page as .ps files. The feeling of many members of the National Committee was that the decision should really lie with the theoretical community. At a meeting in Melbourne on Friday 24th February it was agreed by all proposers that the decision should be made as soon as possible by a small committee whose members are listed below. They have funds to make a visit to each site and to hold one meeting. They should report their recommendation to the National Committee at its meeting on 26th April. In order to assist in their decision making the three proposals are being sent to the Directors of comparable overseas institutes who are asked to report their assessment to the Chair of the Committee, Prof. G. Wilson.
As the eventual Institute must serve the whole physics community in Australia it is desirable that members of the community should be able to have a say! Therefore any interested physicist is asked to send comments (confidential or otherwise) to Prof. Wilson - e-mail is the most convenient. In order to be of maximum use the comments should be received by the end of March. The brief of the committee is not only to choose the best proposal (which is its prime function) but to also advise on features of the unsuccessful bids that could be usefully incorporated in the final bid to ARC. In short the aim is to produce the best possible Institute for this country. Your assistance will be most valuable.
The committee membership is:
Chair: Prof G V Wilson, Vice-Chancellor,
University of Central Queensland,
Rockhampton, QLD 4702, AUSTRALIA
e-mail: g.wilson@cqu.edu.au
Prof D Melrose, Department of Physics,
Sydney University,
Paramatta Road, Sydney NSW 2006, AUSTRALIA
e-mail: melrose@physics.usyd.edu.au
Prof D Walls, Department of Physics,
University of Auckland,
Private bag 92019, Auckland, NEW ZEALAND
e-mail: d.walls@auckland.ac.NZ
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