Dear Guests, Dear ESUO Members,
The European Synchrotron and FEL User Organisation (ESUO) is pleased to announce its upcoming 23rd General Assembly and warmly invites members of the European synchrotron and free-electron laser (FEL) user community to participate, principally the national user delegates to ESUO. The event will take place from 25th to 27th of August in the beautiful city of Grenoble. Host of the meeting will be European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF).
The General Assembly is ESUO's principal annual meeting, bringing together national user delegates, researchers, facility representatives, and stakeholders to review the organisation's activities, discuss strategic priorities, and strengthen collaboration with and among users across the European research infrastructure landscape.
The ESRF as our host, with the ESRF Director and the Scientific Directors, will highlight the facilities place within the landscape and a variety of new scientific and organisational achievements and developments to our ESUO delegates.
The meeting will provide updates on ESUO's work over the past year, including advocacy for equitable transnational access to synchrotron and FEL facilities, collaboration with national user organisations, and engagement with European research initiatives. The NEutrons and PHotons Elevating Worldwide Science (NEPHEWS) project is where ESUO is a key user organisation partner, and participants will hear about its activities supporting researchers in Widening, Associate and neighbouring countries with updates in a special session. ESUO continues to promote diversity and gender balance, and advancing the development of synchrotron and FEL techniques.
ESUO delegates will hear from one of the chairs of the League of European Accelerator Based Photon Sources (LEAPS), the consortium of synchrotron and FEL facilities across Europe, inclusive of the ESRF. ESUO is one of the Strategic Partners of LEAPS.
The General Assembly offers an opportunity to discuss key issues affecting the user community, including sustainable access to research infrastructures, and future funding opportunities at European and national levels. These discussions help shape ESUO's future priorities and ensure that the organisation continues to represent the interests of users across Europe.
To that end there is a discussion panel on "User participation in European collaborations, RI access from European and national perspectives" where representatives of LEAPS and of Horizon-Europe projects such as PSENTRIC, Access2Access (tbc), and also of ESFRI (tbc) and DAPHNE4NFDI/ENSA will participate. The European Neutron Scattering Association (ENSA) is itself our complementary user organisation participating in NEPHEWS. This discussion panel will provide valuable input for policy actions under NEPHEWS.
Members will also receive reports from the Executive Committee and take part in statutory business, related to ESUO elections. The Assembly provides an important forum for national user delegates to exchange experiences, share best practices, and strengthen ESUO's network of national organisations.
ESUO encourages participation from researchers at all career stages. The organisation's strength depends on the active engagement of its members and their shared commitment to ensuring fair, sustainable, and scientific merit-based access to Europe's world-leading synchrotron and FEL research facilities.
Further information, including the agenda, registration details, and meeting documents, will be published accordingly. We look forward to welcoming members and guests to a productive General Assembly and to working together to support a vibrant and inclusive European user community.
The ESUO would like to express its sincere appreciation to our host, ESRF, and its dedicated team for their outstanding hospitality and excellent organisation of this event. We also gratefully acknowledge the support of the NEPHEWS project, whose contribution has been instrumental in making this meeting possible.