  The RD51 collaboration was founded in April 2008 to coordinate and facilitate
efforts for development of micropattern gaseous detectors (MPGDs). The 59
institutes from 20 countries bundle their effort, experience and resources to
develop these emerging micropattern technologies.
  MPGDs are already employed in several nuclear and high-energy physics
experiments, medical imaging instruments and photodetection applications; many
more applications are foreseen. They outperform traditional wire chambers in
terms of rate capability, time and position resolution, granularity, stability
and radiation hardness. RD51 supports efforts to make MPGDs also suitable for
large areas, increase cost-efficiency, develop portable detectors and improve
ease-of-use.
  The collaboration is organized in working groups which develop detectors with
new geometries, study and simulate their properties, and design optimized
electronics. Among the common supported projects are creation of test
infrastructure such as beam test and irradiation facilities, and the production
workshop.
