Statement by Professor C C Wilson

It is an honour to be nominated for election as BCA President. As a longstanding active member of the BCA I believe that I have its interests at heart and would put my energy and enthusiasm into helping the organisation move on from its present strong position. There has been an increasing professionalism to the BCA, introduced during the tenures of recent presidents, which is essential to our continued good health as a major scientific association in the 2000s. The consolidation of our previously part-time organisation into the hands of the professionals at Northern Networking has been a positive experience, and it is our responsibility to work with our professional organisers to continue to develop the BCA in an appropriate manner for a 1000-member organisation.

In spite of our healthy position, both in terms of our international standing and influence and our finances (stemming largely from the success of the Glasgow IUCr meeting), I see there are still issues we must address. There is still a sense of fragmentation within the BCA that is unhealthy, and our flagship event, the Spring meeting, is still not attracting the level of attendance I feel it deserves.

Special interest groups

As a means of mitigating against fragmentation, particularly within the Spring meeting, I believe that the formation of further cross-subject group Special Interest Groups is important for the future of the BCA, and will work for their introduction if elected as President. The cross-disciplinary nature of much of Crystallography makes this step appealing. Examples of possible SIG areas might include: Supramolecular chemistry (CCG/BSG): Structural solid state chemistry (PCG/CCG); Drug design and interactions (BSG/CCG/IG); High resolution diffraction (PCG/IG); Structure solution from powders (PCG/IG/CCG); Crystallisation and polymorphism (BSG/CCG/IG). There will be many more ideas, and SIGs that embrace partnerships with related organisations (e.g. CCP4, IoP & RSC groups, BACG) can also be encouraged. The combination of these cross-group SIGs in stimulating the Spring meeting, with the successful role of the existing subject groups in organising more specialist meetings, workshops and teaching events, represents to me a healthy way forward.

Spring meetings

Related to the above, I believe the impact of (and attendance at) our Spring meetings can be substantially enhanced. Over the past couple of years there has been a major discussion over the future directions of the BCA Spring meeting, centred around cost and duration on the one hand and scientific programme on the other. In the former, we will be exploring at York a new structure for the meeting, while on the latter there has been an attempt to give increasing emphasis on joint sessions between the subject groups. However, I still feel that there should be significantly increased competition for scientific slots at the Spring meeting. The formation of SIGs would give added impetus to this and offer to the Programme Committee a wider choice of proposed sessions with which to seek an exciting and balanced programme. With the Spring meeting being the key forum for the BCA as a whole, it is vital we get both the science and practicalities right, and make our meeting attractive to BCA members and also to our colleagues in associated fields. The introduction of the publication of the BCA Review Symposium is another step towards increasing the impact of the meeting. With our membership base there is no reason why the Spring meeting should not regularly attract attendances of 400+ to a vibrant and scientifically competitive programme.

Diamond

The BCA can have a significant role in canvassing and representing the needs of the UK crystallography community in the development and exploitation of the Diamond synchrotron. The new source will be of high relevance to all interest groups within the BCA, and for this reason we have inaugurated the Diamond SIG. The work of this SIG should develop as the plans for the source develop and act as a focus for informing, lobbying and representing the community.

CCW

My own background is as a crystallographer and chemical physicist using X-ray and neutron diffraction, largely single crystal but also powder diffraction, in the study of organic and related structures. I currently head the Crystallography Group at the ISIS neutron sources at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, where I also head the Centre for Molecular Structure & Dynamics, and am Visiting Professor in Chemistry at the University of Durham. My role at the central facility gives me the opportunity to see a wide range of Structural Science, and to track the trends in a range of areas - my recent appointment as Co-editor of Acta Cryst B will consolidate this. Within the BCA, of which I have been a member since 1986, I have been a member of the Committees of both the CCG and PCG (the latter as Secretary/Treasurer), and have been a member of Council since 1997. I am currently UK Councillor to the European Crystallographic Association. Since1998 I have organised the Abstract submission and Conference book for BCA meetings, and in 1999 led the Abstracts Team for the Glasgow IUCr Congress. More recently, I have been involved in the restructuring of the Spring meeting and am Guest Editor of the inaugural BCA Review Symposium issue of Crystallography Reviews.

If elected I shall work hard to advance the best interests of the BCA and all its constituent parts.

Chick Wilson