Welcome

Dear Members,

Welcome to the first edition of the ARCNN News!

The ARCNN was successful in gaining 5 years of funding as an ARC Research Network, and began operations in late 2004. ARCNN aims to bring together groups working in nanotechnology, to communicate, innovate, share and exploit mutual strengths and facilities to make a major impact internationally. Go to www.ausnano.net for full details about aims and activities. ARCNN is continually growing, and to date we have over 280 members within 80 research groups from all across Australia, as well as internationally!

A preliminary Management Committee meeting was held in November 2004 at the ANU, and a second meeting was held in March 2005 at UNSW. Meetings will be held 3 or 4 times each year with the next one scheduled to be held in July, in Perth, during the International Workshop on Nanotechnology. Current members of the Management Committee are Prof Neville Fletcher (Chair), C Jagadish (Convenor, Australian National Uni) Prof Laurie Faraone (Uni of Western Australia), Assoc Prof Paul Mulvaney (Uni of Melbourne), Dr Adam Micolich (Uni of NSW), Assoc Prof Deb Kane (Macquarie Uni), Prof Max Lu (Uni of Queensland), Prof Peter Majewski (Uni of South Australia), Prof Gordon Wallace (Uni of Wollongong), Dr Alan Wilson (DSTO), Dr Terry Turney (CSIRO), Dr Steve Duvall (Intel), Dr John Bartlett (ANSTO), Ms Fang Xie (Student Member, Macquarie Uni).

Management Committee members are also part of one or more of a number of Working Groups that will evaluate funding applications and advise the Management Committee. All Management Committee members vote on funding applications

ARCNN offers the opportunity to host 'job vacancies' on its website. Please contact Helen or Cindy if you want to make use of this option.

ARCNN provided funding support for the very successful Australian Nanoindentation Workshop, held at Kioloa, NSW in March. See outcome details at www.rsphysse.anu.edu.au/nanoindentation.

See details below about upcoming ARCNN supported events and activities.

We encourage and welcome members contributions for future newsletters including Nanotechnology facilities, Visitors to groups, Member achievements, Upcoming nanotechnology events. The newsletter which will be distributed to members every 2 months with the next one due mid June.

We are in the process of applying for ARC Funding under the LIEF Program to establish an Australian Nano-Lithography Facility (e-beam lithography) at the ANU and if you are interested in becoming a CI, please contact me.

If you are looking for LIEF partners, please send us a title and brief outline of your project, which we will post it on ARCNN web page.

I look forward to your involvement in ARCNN,

C Jagadish, Convenor

Funding Support Available

Funding support is offered for Events (Conferences, Workshops, Summer and Winter Schools, and Short courses), Short and Long Term Visits, and Travel Grants (to attend ARCNN supported events). Members are encourage to apply. ARCNN's funding guidelines reflect the aim of focusing on supporting postgraduate students and early career researchers. The guidelines, selection criteria and application forms are due to be added to ARCNN's website www.ausnano.net, by early May. Members will be advised by email when this occurs.

ARCNN Website

ARCNN will be unveiling it's new website soon - stay tuned! The current one will still be available in the meantime, www.ausnano.net. The keyword based search option of the ARCNN website will allow you to search groups/participants working in a particular area.

Upcoming ARCNN Supported Events

International Workshop on Nanotechnology, Perth, 17-20 July 2005. Further info at www.ias.uwa.edu.au/nano
Postgraduate Symposium on Nanotechnology in Perth, 21-22 July 2005. Further info at www.ausnano.net/symposium
XXII International Conference on Photochemistry, Cairns, 24-29 July 2005. Further info at www.icp2005.net

ARCNN Distinguished Lecturers

ARCNN's first two Distinguished Lecturers will be giving talks in late July 2005, following the International Workshop on Nanotechnology being held in Perth. Prof Klaus Ploog from Paul Drude Institute, Germany will visit Melbourne, Canberra and Sydney. Prof Ploog's area of research is ferromagnetic semiconductors for spintronics applications. Dr Vince Castronova from the National Institute for Occupational Health and Safety, USA will visit Melbourne, Adelaide, Canberra and Brisbane. Dr Castranova's area of research is the impact of nanotechnology on OH&S issues. Dates, times, locations and topics will be posted on the ARCNN's website soon.

Other Nano Events Held in Australia

Quantum Materials Workshop, Heron Island, 1-4 June. Further info at www.physics.uq.edu.au/cmpc
Materials Australia 2nd Nanotechnology Conference, Melbourne, 26-28 September 2005. Further info at www.mateng.asn.au/Nano2005
IEEE Lasers and Electro-Optics Society Annual Meeting, Sydney, 23-27 October 2005. Further info at www.ieee.org/organizations/society/leos/LEOSCONF/LEOS2005/leocom05.htm
BioNano: The Next Frontier, Brisbane, 5-7 December 2005, website address coming soon.
SPIE International Symposium: Microelectronics, MEMS, and Nanotechnology, Brisbane, 11-14 December 2005. Further info at www.spie.org/events/au

ARCNN Admin Contacts

Helen McMartin (Network Manager, 02 6125 0693) and Cindy Bradley (Network Administrator, 02 6125 2495) are your admin contacts at ARCNN. Helen and Cindy both work part time, covering the office 5 days a week. Email arcnn@ausnano.net. Fax 02 6125 3915.

For further information regarding ARCNN or any events, please contact Helen or Cindy, or visit the website: www.ausnano.net