The future of the AUS$200 million Australian Synchrotron (AS), looks uncertain after it's director, Robert Lamb, was fired last month, and six of the nine science advisory committee members resigned yesterday. More resignations are expected to follow.
After hearing of Lamb's firing, the AS staff went on a "work-to-rule" protest in which they would only provide services 9:00am–5:00pm only says Science magazine's Elizabeth Finkel. The facility is designed to run on a 24-hour cycle.
Lamb issued a statement last week:
I have not been informed in detail or really at all of the reasons for the ending of my secondment to the Australian Synchrotron 5 weeks ago. I don't know why this would of occurred. It is personally distressing but I am very concerned about the smooth operation of our Australian Synchrotron. We were running at 1% below budget in the past year, have raised in conjunction with the science community almost $55 million in 2009 alone and are successfully meeting the research needs of both the national and international science community. I am at a loss and until I am enlightened I am unable to usefully comment further. I appreciate the support of the scientific community and the overwhelming support of other groups that have contacted me. Most recently I accepted an invitation from the Asian Synchrotron Science community to be their guest at the annual Asia Synchrotron meeting held in Shanghai this past week. I know the University of Melbourne has demanded an explanation from the Board but it is several weeks overdue.
The synchrotron's Science Advisory Committee (SAC) met with board director and lawyer Catherine Walter yesterday, and six SAC members followed through on their threats to resign unless Walter herself leaves.
All the Australian SAC members, Frank Larkins, chairman of the advisory committee; Peter Lay of the University of Sydney; and Jenny Martin of the University of Queensland were among those who resigned.
Earlier this week, a synchrotron researcher who asked to remain anonymous reported to Nature's Stephen Pincock, "If the [SAC] committee resigns, no eminent scientist from around the world is going to touch the Australian Synchrotron with a bargepole."
Paul Guinnessy
