The capacity to characterise matter to see its detailed structure and functioning at an atomic and microscopic level has helped researchers to make breakthroughs in a wide range of fields.

The Australian Government is committing $50 million to characterisation through the National Collaborative Research Infrastructur e Strategy (NCRIS) to support four complementary national facilities: the Australian Microscopy & Microanalysis Research Facility, the National Deuteration Facility, the National Imaging Facility and the Australian Synchrotron.

The Australian Microscopy and Microanalysis Research Facility is a national network with access sites across the country. The NCRIS investment provides new equipment and makes facilities accessible at a low cost to researchers on a merit basis.

The National Imaging Facility will use magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET) to monitor the behaviour and function of cells within animals, which will aid medical research and the development of pharmaceuticals.

The National Deuteration Facility will be established near Sydney. Deuteration improves the capacity to characterise samples, particularly using the neutron radiation produced by the OPAL reactor. This technique has many applications including discovering the properties of high-tech polymers.

Synchrotrons generate intense X-ray beams to characterise matter, which is important in a range of biological, health, physical science and engineering disciplines. NCRIS contributed to the first nine beamlines at the Australian Synchrotron and funded access by Australian researchers to overseas synchrotron facilities through the Australian Synchrotron Research Program (ASRP). Access to overseas facilities is now administered through the Australian Synchrotron.