Born in 1946 in Carlisle (United Kingdom) outstanding experimental physicist, specializing in the use of neutron scattering to study the structure and dynamics of condensed phases - polymers, liquid crystals, metal hydrides, magnetic materials, etc.
After obtaining a doctoral degree in physics in 1973 he was granted a post-doctoral research fellowship in the European Union Joint Research Centre in Ispra (Italy) and was employed at the Rutherford Laboratory near Oxford (UK). At that time, there was arising the ISIS Pulsed Neutron Source. He was launching IRIS - excellent high-resolution spectrometer there and soon became responsible for a team of about 50 researchers.
The next stage of his career was the post of Associate Director & Head of Projects & Techniques Division of the Institute Laue-Langevin in Grenoble (France), a world-renowned research facility. Then, in 2001, he was appointed as the General Director of the ILL. Under his management, the ILL embarked upon two large European investment programs, which significantly affected the laboratory infrastructure and the ILL was set fair for 15 consecutive years of high quality scientific output.
Furthermore, he led ILL’s entry into EIROforum, a consortium of the seven world-class European research facilities. He was chairman of EIROforum from 2005 to 2006.
However, he did not lose contact with the research areas and in 2006 he was offered a Guest Professor of Physics post at the University of Lund (Sweden). Management of top-class international research projects, obtaining the funding and partners in the international arena was still a very important part of his duties. From 2007 to 20013 he was the Director General and CEO of the European Spallation Source (ESS) and introduced this 1.8B€ worth endeavour to the construction phase.
Professor Colin Carlile was twice a member, and once a chair of the Scientific Advisory Board – an international body of reviewers and advisors to the Institute of Nuclear Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences. Owing to his reviews and important recommendations, he largely contributed to positive changes in the IFJ PAN. He also helped in the development of cooperation between Polish physicists and the most important centers of physics in Europe.
Currently, besides managing his own company, he provides advice to numerous organizations with an excellent reputation. He also works at Uppsala University and is editor-in-chief of the "Journal of Neutron Research".
He is the author of about 200 publications and co-author of the book "Experimental Neutron Scattering", published by Oxford University Press.
Colin James Carlile is a man of outstanding communication skills and extremely versatile interests, from astrophysics to art and literature. He is also a respected lecturer and an excellent orator.
He was awarded an honorary doctorate by the Universities of Birmingham, Huddersfield and Lund and he is an honorary professor of the University of Birmingham.
On December 17, 2015 in pursuance of a Resolution of the Scientific Council of the Institute, the title of Honorary Professor of the Institute of Nuclear Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences was bestowed on Professor Colin James Carlile.
17th December 2015, 10:00 am, Aula IFJ PAN