Please browse science highlights from the 2017 ISIS Neutron and Muon Source annual review on the right hand side menu, or view the full document here.
There have been two assessments published in the past year that send very positive messages both about the past and present performance of ISIS, but also about the future. The Strategic Review of Neutron and Muon Science and Facilities confirms that neutron and muon facilities will continue to be needed for at least ten years from a scientific perspective and that ISIS is the core of this provision for the UK research community. The Independent Review of National Large Facilities at Harwell examined the fundamental 'free at the point of access' model on which these facilities operate, and came to the conclusion that this is definitely the right model. Few people are aware that the model of user facilities, which is now common worldwide, was pioneered by Peter Egelstaff at Harwell in the 1960's. ILL was the first neutron user facility completely based on this paradigm, and Daresbury hosted the first synchrotron.
The strength of science at the UK large facilities is fundamentally based on our external user community. ISIS has many first class scientists on its staff, as our users are well aware, but it is not a research department. Our success is achieved through collaboration with our colleagues in universities, research institutions and industry. To drive both science and technology forward our staff need to be experts in their own right, but the relationship with external users is symbiotic – we succeed or fail together. While reviews always concentrate on the facility itself, they should in fu ture also consider the skills base in the community, built up over 50 years of the user facility model. Just like the UK National Health Service, this model is something to be proud of. Long may both continue.
Robert McGreevy, ISIS Director
