# Australian Synchrotron

> Large-scale synchrotron facility in Australia

**Wikidata**: [Q4056104](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4056104)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_Synchrotron)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/australian-synchrotron

## Summary
The Australian Synchrotron is a large-scale synchrotron facility and research institute located in Australia. Established in 2007, it operates as a specialized synchrotron light source dedicated to generating new knowledge through systematic investigation. As a research organization, it is distinguished from universities and companies by focusing exclusively on research activities without teaching obligations.

## Key Facts
- **Inception:** The facility began operations in 2007.
- **Location:** Situated in Melbourne, Australia, at coordinates -37.91398, 145.142615.
- **Classification:** Identified as a research institute, facility, and synchrotron light source.
- **Website:** Officially accessible at http://www.synchrotron.org.au/.
- **Identifiers:** 
    - ROR ID: 03vk18a84
    - GRID ID: grid.248753.f
    - ISNI: 0000000405620567
    - Ringgold ID: 326623
    - Open Funder Registry ID: 501100001164
    - Freebase ID: /m/0c7t25
    - Autonomous System Number: 132158
- **Wikidata:** Defined as a "Large-scale synchrotron facility in Australia" with the topic's main category being "Category:Australian Synchrotron".
- **Online Presence:** Featured on Wikipedia in 4 language editions (commons, en, pt, ru) and has a dedicated gallery and category on Wikimedia Commons.
- **Imagery:** An associated image depicts the facility exterior with the Russian caption "Здание австралийского синхротрона." (Building of the Australian synchrotron).
- **Legacy IDs:** Holds discontinued Microsoft Academic IDs 2803046337 and 2778633113.

## FAQs
### What type of organization is the Australian Synchrotron?
The Australian Synchrotron is classified as a research institute and a facility, specifically functioning as a synchrotron light source. Unlike universities, it does not grant degrees or teach; its sole purpose is to conduct research.

### Where is the Australian Synchrotron located?
The facility is located in Melbourne, Australia. Its precise geographic coordinates are recorded as latitude -37.91398 and longitude 145.142615.

### How is the Australian Synchrotron identified in global research databases?
The organization is tracked by numerous unique identifiers across different systems, including the ROR ID (03vk18a84), GRID ID (grid.248753.f), and Open Funder Registry ID (501100001164).

### What distinguishes the Australian Synchrotron from a think tank?
While think tanks primarily conduct policy-oriented research to influence government decisions, the Australian Synchrotron focuses on fundamental scientific inquiry as a research institute. It is an operational entity conducting hands-on investigation rather than policy analysis.

## Why It Matters
The Australian Synchrotron serves as a dedicated engine of discovery, free from the teaching obligations that divide university researchers' attention. By concentrating resources and talent purely on investigation, this facility accelerates breakthroughs in fields from medicine to technology. It provides a space where scientists can pursue long-term, high-risk research that might not fit within university or corporate timelines. As a research institute specifically designed as a synchrotron light source, it represents critical infrastructure for advancing human knowledge and solving society's most pressing problems, such as vaccine development and renewable energy technologies. In an era where innovation drives economic competitiveness and addresses global challenges like climate change and pandemics, the facility plays a vital role in the national and scientific landscape.

## Notable For
- Commenced operations in 2007 as a major scientific infrastructure project in Australia.
- Functions specifically as a synchrotron light source, a distinct subclass of research institutes.
- Located in Melbourne with precise geographic coordinates integrated into global database systems.
- Recognized across 4 Wikipedia language editions (commons, en, pt, ru) and maintains a presence on Quora under the topic "Australian-Synchrotron".
- Classified under the Geonames feature code S.ITTR and mapped to schema.org/ResearchOrganization for structured data.
- Distinct from hybrid organizations like universities or policy-focused think tanks due to its exclusive focus on fundamental research.

## Body
### Classification and Purpose
The Australian Synchrotron is formally categorized as a research institute, a facility, and a synchrotron light source. In library and knowledge organization systems, it is distinguished from scientific societies, learned societies, and think tanks. While scientific societies are membership-based and think tanks focus on policy, the Australian Synchrotron exists as an operational entity dedicated to fundamental scientific inquiry. It is mapped to schema.org/ResearchOrganization and uses the Geonames feature code S.ITTR for geographic identification. Its primary purpose is to generate new knowledge through systematic investigation, operating without the teaching or degree-granting functions of a university.

### Location and Establishment
The facility is physically located in Melbourne, Australia. Its precise location is recorded at coordinates -37.91398 latitude and 145.142615 longitude. The Australian Synchrotron began operations (inception) in 2007. It operates the website http://www.synchrotron.org.au/ and manages its network resources under Autonomous System Number 132158.

### Digital Identity and Systems Integration
The entity is widely recognized across academic and bibliometric systems with multiple unique identifiers:
- **ISNI:** 0000000405620567
- **ROR:** 03vk18a84
- **GRID:** grid.248753.f
- **Ringgold ID:** 326623
- **Open Funder Registry:** 501100001164
- **Freebase ID:** /m/0c7t25
- **Microsoft Academic IDs (discontinued):** 2803046337 and 2778633113

It is also indexed on Quora under the topic "Australian-Synchrotron."

### Global Recognition and Media
The facility maintains a presence on global knowledge platforms. It is the subject of a Wikipedia entry titled "Australian Synchrotron," which is available in 4 language editions: commons, English (en), Portuguese (pt), and Russian (ru). The topic's main category is "Category:Australian Synchrotron." On Wikimedia Commons, it hosts both a gallery and a category named "Australian Synchrotron." A notable image file hosted on Commons depicts the outside of the facility (dated 14.06.2007) with the caption "Здание австралийского синхротрона." (Building of the Australian synchrotron).

## References

1. Open Funder Registry
2. [Source](https://lightsources.org/lightsources-of-the-world/)
3. GRID Release 2017-01-10
4. [Source](https://figshare.com/articles/GRID_release_2015_12_14/2010108)
5. GRID Release 2016-12-06
6. Quora
7. Aligned ISNI and Ringgold identifiers for institutions
8. Microsoft Academic Knowledge Graph