[ASA] Fwd: ACTION ON THREAT TO RESEARCH INFRASTRUCTURE with attachment

[Andrew Hopkins]

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: 	ACTION ON THREAT TO RESEARCH INFRASTRUCTURE with attachment
Date: 	Thu, 5 Mar 2015 11:24:17 +1100
From: 	Catriona Jackson <catriona.jackson at sta.org.au>
To: 	undisclosed-recipients:;



Dear STA members and Friends,

As many of you are aware, a number of the public research facilities funded 
under the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS) are 
in dire straits, because of continued uncertainty over operational funding.

More than $2 billion of taxpayer money has been committed to NCRIS since it 
was established in 2004. Its 27 facilities employ 1,700 skilled scientists and 
support staff, and enable 35,000 scientists in universities, industry and 
research organisations to do the work underpinning many aspects of Australia?s 
scientific research, innovation and development.

Many of these facilities are preparing to shut down in the next two months if 
the situation does not change.

STA has been working on your behalf behind the scenes to try and have the 
Federal Government release the promised operation funds, as have others of the 
Research Alliance. To date we have not succeeded, and have thus joined with 
Australia?s 15 major research and science bodies to call on the Prime Minster 
to step in and avert the crisis.

Attached you will find a copy of the open letter to the Prime Minister. We 
will keep you up to date with the media stories over coming days via our web 
page (www.sta.org.au <http://www.sta.org.au>) and urge you to keep abreast of 
developments via our page and to take part in the media and social media 
conversation on this critical issue.

Regards,

STA President Dr Ross Smith

STA CEO Catriona Jackson

-- 
Prof. Andrew Hopkins, Head of Research and Outreach
Australian Astronomical Observatory
P.O. Box 915, North Ryde, NSW 1670, Australia
ph: +61 2 9372 4849  fax: +61 2 9372 4880



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