ANNOUNCEMENT

INAUGURAL USER MEETING
Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences
Oak Ridge National Laboratory

May 23-25, 2005
Pollard Technology Conference Center
Oak Ridge, Tennessee

The Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences (CNMS) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory will hold its Inaugural User Meeting on May 23-25, 2005, Monday Noon through Wednesday Noon, at the Pollard Technology Conference Center in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Construction of the CNMS building will be completed later this month and the CNMS will begin operation on October 1, as the first of five new DOE-sponsored Nanoscale Science Research Centers. With the opening of the new building, the CNMS will offer users access to research facilities and staff expertise in all seven of its Scientific Theme areas.

Shortly before this Inaugural User Meeting, the CNMS will announce a Call for Nanoscience User Proposals. The Inaugural User Meeting will provide a timely opportunity for prospective CNMS users to learn about the new capabilities that will become available in October, and to meet directly with CNMS scientists to discuss and plan their user research proposals.

The Inaugural User Meeting Agenda features:

• Detailed presentations by CNMS scientific leaders describing the new capabilities available to users.
• Invited plenary talks by international leaders presenting their vision of nanoscience research challenges and opportunities in selected CNMS Scientific Theme areas. Confirmed speakers include
     Dr. Stan Williams (Director, Quantum Science Research, HP Labs)
     Prof. Matthias Scheffler (Director, Theory Dept., Fritz-Haber Inst., Berlin)
     Prof. Nitash P. Balsara (Dept. of Chem. Eng., U. of California-Berkeley)
     Dr. Thom Mason (Director, Spallation Neutron Source, ORNL)
     Dr. Greg Boebinger (Director, National High Magnetic Field Laboratory).
• The CNMS poster EXPO on Monday evening will provide discussion opportunities with CNMS staff and a detailed guide to state-of-the-art and unique capabilities that will be available to users, including some that exploit synergies with other ORNL User Facilities and CNMS-affiliated research areas, e.g., neutron scattering at the Spallation Neutron Source and High Flux Isotope Reactor, and high-resolution electron microscopy.
• User Research Talks—Selected users in the current “jump start” nanoscience research program will present results of their research and share their experiences using interim ORNL capabilities.
• Proposal-planning Sessions with CNMS Staff—A highlight of the program is the provision of ample time on Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday morning for prospective users to schedule individual discussions with CNMS staff in order to plan their research proposals.
• Complete information on how to become a CNMS User and modes of access.
• Walking tours of the new CNMS building and related ORNL User Facilities (please see Registration Form).

Space is limited so please reserve your accommodations and register now.

This Inaugural User Meeting is open to the public. The CNMS is a highly collaborative national user research facility dedicated to the synthesis, characterization, theory/modeling/simulation, and design of nanoscale materials and their integration into functional systems.