Category: Miscellaneous

UK X-ray free electron lasers Science Case: contribute your thoughts to a survey and endorse a support letter for the “UK XFEL” project

UK X-ray free electron lasers Science Case: contribute your thoughts to a survey and endorse a support letter for the “UK XFEL” project

In 2019 STFC launched a project to develop a Science Case for a next generation X-ray free electron laser (XFEL), the UK XFEL project. The scientific lead of this project is Jon Marangos (Imperial, Physics) and the science team comprises a wide spectrum of experts from the disciplines already impacted by XFELs including from Imperial: Jasper van Thor (Life Sciences) and Xiaodong Zhang (Infectious Disease) and David Dye (Materials).

As part of the broadening of the community engagement for a UK XFEL, a community survey has been launched, including a support letter for the “UK XFEL” project that can be endorsed (you can view the letter below and find out more about the project here. You can complete the survey with or without endorsing the letter). The team is seeking to learn more about XFEL active researchers and potential future active researchers across all disciplines. The survey will only take a few minutes to complete.

Support letter for the “UK XFEL” project

“To whom it may concern,

X-ray free electron lasers (XFELS) have emerged as important and wide-ranging tools for advanced science over the last decade. Their impact has been extensive (from catalysis and energy research to structural biology and laboratory astrophysics) and has opened-up a new era in research in structural dynamics. In the UK and around the world significant numbers of scientists have begun to engage with these opportunities, and many more are hoping to do so as the capabilities are developed, and as capacity grows so that it becomes easier to secure access.

The UK XFEL Science Case https://www.clf.stfc.ac.uk/Pages/UK-XFEL-science-case.aspx examines the transformative scientific opportunities that will be created with a Next Generation XFEL i.e. one that can deliver near transform limited pulses, high reproducibility, and synchronised to a wide range of external beams (e.g. lasers, THz and electrons) all delivered at a high repetition rate with a pulse structure matching state-of-the-art sample delivery and detector technologies. We strongly endorse this scientific vision, and fully support the next stage in the efforts to ensure that there is an overall capacity increase and that these new capabilities can be made available over the next decade for advancing science and technology.”

The survey

The survey link is: https://forms.gle/KdZ3XefZHt9oNYY26

Opportunity to contribute to the Working Together Task Group 

Students and staff are invited to contribute to important ongoing work to develop a positive working culture, with a focus on identifying practical actions for positive and sustainable cultural change.

The Working Together Task Group will be running a number of facilitated conversations with the College community in May and June, to inform recommendations for implementation in the new academic year.

External independent facilitator, Louisa Hardman, who has extensive experience of supporting positive change in complex institutions including universities, charities and the NHS, is helping the Group develop this work, supported by our College HR and Organisational Development teams.

Anyone at the College is welcome to be part of the conversation and there are different ways to take part:

  • Staff and student representatives with formal leadership responsibilities at all levels across the College will receive personal invitations to the conversation sessions shortly.
  • Open sessions will be held for staff and students who would like to take part in the facilitated exercise, although these will be on a first come basis.

o    Staff should sign up here.

o    Students should sign up here

  • Written submissions are also invited if you can’t take part or choose not to attend a session.

The Working Together Task Group will provide its report and recommendations to the President’s and Provost’s Boards this Summer for implementation to begin in the new academic year.

Imperial College Speakers Club

Our online club helps students improve their public speaking and communication skills in a welcoming environment. At every meeting, students give prepared speeches, practice impromptu speaking, develop active listening skills, and give constructive feedback to each other. During the meeting there is time to socialize with a diverse people from across the Imperial College community. Through our club’s training, students will hone the public speaking skills essential to effective lab meetings, conferences, class presentations, and other professional events.

In this uncertain time, new undergrad and postgrads are seeking connection with fellow students. Our club provides a weekly social space where students can feel connected to a supportive community and build friendships at our weekly meetings. For example, students can work together on projects such as planning club events and mentoring fellow members. We also invite speakers from our alumni network to share their experiences with current students.

We hold regular meeting every Thursday at 6:15 pm to 8:15 pm on Zoom.

Zoom Meeting Information: 

Meeting ID: 853 4330 9159

Password: speakers

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85343309159

Guests are welcome at all meetings. Membership rates can be found on the club’s Union page.

Links to our pages:

Student Parent Network

Are you a student that is also a parent or guardian?

We are seeking to understand the experience of our students who are also parents or guardians to help us improve the support for this student group in the future. We have a Yammer Group to facilitate student parents to network and share ideas as well as a short survey for you to tell us about your experience at Imperial.

If you have any further questions or feedback, please get in touch at student-services@ic.ac.uk

Join the Innovation Forum

The Innovation Forum is looking for energetic and enthusiastic individuals to join our London team!

Are you interested in science and start-ups (particularly in the life sciences) and the entrepreneurial ecosystem? Then the Innovation Forum is a great opportunity for you to meet like-minded people, learn more through our informative talks, and expand your network through our events and the solid network of alumni from the Global Innovation Forum.

We’re looking for people with various backgrounds (e.g. marketing, business, science, etc.) and we welcome students, PhDs, postdocs and working professionals to join our dynamic team.

The Innovation Forum is a global grassroots network of over 10,000 innovators seeking to drive innovative technology development through bridging the gap between academia, industry, investors, and government.

Our global partners include Johnson and Johnson Innovation, Pfizer, Roche, Marks and Clerk, AstraZeneca, Astellas, BioCity, SwissBiotech, UCL Innovation and Enterprise, KISScom, Vistra and many more.

Available positions:

  • Operations associates/logistics coordinators.
  • Content associates/speakers coordinators.
  • Marketing associates and editors

Apply now here: http://bit.ly/JoinInnovationForum