2020同步年報

122 ACTIVITY REPORT 2020 NUMBER OF USERS 2001-2017 648 716 829 1,012 1,384 1,623 1,683 1,994 2,230 2,266 2,201 2,036 2,120 2,199 2,360 2,305 2,328 2,432 2,254 0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 Year Number of users From 1994 to 2020, the total number of beamlines opened to general users has increased from 3 to 36, comprising 23 TLS beamlines, 2 Taiwanese beamlines at SPring-8, and 11 newly opened TPS beamlines (see Beamline Status on page 126). During year 2020, user statistics were inevitably affected by the global health crisis, COVID-19 pandemic. The User Adminis- tration & Promotion Office (UAO) issued 780 new user cards, and provided services to 2,254 users coming from 84 affiliations (including 46 users from 28 foreign institutions) to use the above 36 NSRRC beamlines. Altogether, 1,755 proposals led by 305 principal investigators were performed, involving 11,358 user runs (visits). The overall NSRRC beamtime (including SP 44XU*) allocated to users, excluding beamline maintenance and training courses, was 2,424 shifts for TPS, 12,212 for TLS, and 489 for SPring-8 (including 9 shifts for SP 44XU). Each shift consists of 8 consecu- tive hours. In year 2020, the UAO processed 35 subventions for SPring-8 experiments (including 6 for SP 44XU). Another 17 subventions, funded by the Ministry of Science and Technology, were given to Taiwan neutron users to conduct experiments at neutron facilities worldwide. Most beamtime schedules of Taiwan-contract beamlines at SPring-8 and the neutron program were cancelled after March 2020 due to border controls imposed by many nations to prevent the spread of COVID-19. In total, 138 master’s theses and 12 doctoral dissertations utilizing NSRRC facilities were completed in 2020 (see Appendix). Operational data on beamlines/experimental stations and users are summarized in the following figures. *Note: Institute for Protein Research, Osaka University (IPR-Osaka) and NSRRC have established a long-term collaboration in protein structural research aiming to combine the expertise of both sides and to access each other’s facilities when needs arise. IPR-Osaka offers beamtime of its contract beamline SP 44XU at SPring-8 to Taiwanese users selected by NSRRC to study large macromolecular assemblies and mem- brane proteins. Number of users 2002–2020 User Statistics