Dear Colleagues,

The STFC is undertaking another Programmatic Review to decide on funding priorities for the next few years (this coincides with the next Comprehensive Spending Review which may be brought forward to next year). I have recently been appointed to their Physical Sciences and Engineering advisory panel and we have been asked to make recommendations on the science priorities to inform this process.

One of the areas that I am sure we should be pursuing is FEL research. To make this case we need to have good data on the take up of opportunities for FEL science by researchers  in the UK. I am therefore canvassing for information on the current state of the field and trying to put together a picture on who is using FELs (especially the recently commissioned X-ray FELS) and the range of science programmes UK scientists are involved in with these machines.

I would greatly appreciate if you could communicate to me the following information:

1/ A list of the FEL experiments you have participated in over the last 5 years (including the scientific topic, dates and any published outcomes).

2/ The names of all the UK based researchers (academics, postdocs, PGs) who were involved.

3/ Your views about what kind of support is needed from STFC (and other research councils) to ensure sustainability for UK participation in FEL science.

Ideally I need all this info by the end of September.
Thanking you in anticipation.

Jon Marangos
j.marangos@imperial.ac.uk