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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-AU link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72"><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:6.0pt'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'>Dear Australian Astronomers,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:6.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:6.0pt'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'>The Australian Government is currently undertaking a process to renew its national research infrastructure strategic roadmap for the next five years. The process is run by the Department of Education, Skills & Employment (DESE).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:6.0pt'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'>As part of the process, DESE are seeking to directly engage researchers to understand their priorities and needs via an online survey. This survey closes on Wednesday 30 June:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:6.0pt'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'><a href="https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/ERm_CjZ1N7inky57vtWkwvZ?domain=surveymonkey.com">https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/FHT7DVT</a> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:6.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:6.0pt'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'>This survey aims to cover national research infrastructure across multiple areas of research, and there may be limitations around how some of the questions are applied to the astronomy case. While I do not wish to influence your answers to the survey in any manner, given the potential for confusion in responses from the astronomy community, the following points may be helpful:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:6.0pt'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'>- AAL considers Astronomy National Research Infrastructure as facilities that are accessible by all Australian-based astronomers, irrespective of their institutional affiliation, that is, not university-level access to facilities. This includes facilities located within Australia and overseas, and the following list includes the majority of these facilities:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:6.0pt;margin-left:36.0pt'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'>- ESO La Silla & Paranal telescope facilities (not ALMA as that is not covered by the current Australia-ESO agreement)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:6.0pt;margin-left:36.0pt'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'>- ATNF facilities (Parkes, ATCA, ASKAP)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:6.0pt;margin-left:36.0pt'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'>- Murchison Widefield Array<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:6.0pt;margin-left:36.0pt'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'>- Anglo-Australian Telescope<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:6.0pt;margin-left:36.0pt'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'>- Supercomputing facilities (NCI, Pawsey, OzStar)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:6.0pt;margin-left:36.0pt'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'>- Data centres and support facilities (ADACS, Optical Data Centre, Gravitational Wave Data Centre)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:6.0pt'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'>- You may also wish to consider whether you are involved in the development of new facilities, including the SKA, CTA or GMT.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:6.0pt'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'>- If you are presented with a question listing multiple ‘facilities’, several of which are related to astronomy, please note:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:6.0pt;margin-left:36.0pt'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'>- The list may mention the “Australian Astronomical Observatory”. The AAO no longer exists as a facility in the manner that the NRI form is considering – AAL has therefore interpreted this box as meaning the “Anglo-Australian Telescope”.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:6.0pt;margin-left:36.0pt'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'>- The list may then have specific boxes available for the ATNF, ESO and AAO[AAT]. We suggest all other astronomy-specific national facilities (ESO, etc, as above) are listed under the “Astronomy National Research Infrastructure” box.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:6.0pt'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'>I would prefer to have simply been able to forward the survey link and encourage you to complete the survey. While the survey is not perfectly designed, I do note that DESE will consider the survey as one input into the process, and therefore please consider taking the time to complete the survey.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:6.0pt'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'>Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions on this matter.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:6.0pt'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'>(Roadmap website: <a href="https://2021nriroadmap.dese.gov.au/">https://2021nriroadmap.dese.gov.au/</a>)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:6.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:6.0pt'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'>Kind Regards,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:6.0pt'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif'>Mark.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black;mso-fareast-language:EN-AU'>______________________________________________<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black;mso-fareast-language:EN-AU'>Mark McAuley<br>Chief Executive Officer<br>Astronomy Australia Ltd.</span><span style='font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black;mso-fareast-language:EN-AU'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black;mso-fareast-language:EN-AU'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black;mso-fareast-language:EN-AU'>T: 0407 529 290<br>E: <a href="mailto:mark.mcauley@astronomyaustralia.org.au"><span style='color:blue'>mark.mcauley@astronomyaustralia.org.au</span></a><br>W: <a href="https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/NyDhCk81N9tOZqWMphVvcfG?domain=astronomyaustralia.org.au/"><span style='color:blue'>astronomyaustralia.org.au</span></a><br>P: P.O. Box 2100 Hawthorn VIC 3122<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black;mso-fareast-language:EN-AU'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 style='border-collapse:collapse'><tr><td width=66 valign=top style='width:49.25pt;padding:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt'><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black;mso-fareast-language:EN-AU'><img border=0 width=38 height=35 style='width:.3958in;height:.368in' id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image001.jpg@01D7644E.C89147F0" alt="aal_logo_notext"></span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p></td><td width=510 valign=top style='width:382.7pt;padding:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt'><p class=MsoNormal><i>AAL endeavours to be an environmentally sustainable organisation built upon equity, diversity and mutual respect for its staff and stakeholders.</i><i><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></i></p></td></tr></table><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:6.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>