The evolution of rules for access to megascience research environments viewed from Canadian experience

After the Second World War, a criterion for access to megascience facilitie s which focused only on the scientific quality of experiments and not on pr oblem orientation or economic impact emerged. This has been a boon to scien tists from smaller communities, including the Canadian. However, policy-mak ers now increasingly look to specific economic, social, or political return on investments. The "free access" model is actively defended in the scient ific community but is currently under pressure. In fact, the "free access" model has never been applied in all disciplines. This paper considers the o rigin and limit of the "free use based on scientific quality" approach to a ccess to major facilities. The issue is particularly relevant for smaller s cientific communities. In consequence, data from the experience of Canadian astronomers and physicists is reported to illustrate the trends. Access ru les depend on the role of the three major partners, academia, government, a nd industry, and provide an important indicator of the structure of the tri ple helix partnership. We see an evolution from simpler prewar relations th rough the period dominated by academic science to the present complex of re lationships that are still in evolution. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.