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Become a User:
A
Step-by-Step Guide for Performing Research
at ORNL's Neutron Sciences Facilities
Step 1: Getting Started
Step 1 takes you from initial discussions
with ORNL staff to having scheduled beam
time. We strongly encourage you
to consult with HFIR
or SNS instrument scientists to determine what facility capabilities
are available.
- Select an Instrument and Local Contact
As a first step, we recommend reviewing
information on our web site to
help you determine how you can
most benefit by conducting your
research at ORNL.
- Review our site about neutron
science and its applications in specific research areas.
- Examine our instrument
pages and contact the appropriate
instrument
scientist(s). The
instrument
status page notes which instruments are available for
users. Each instrument has a web site that describes
the capabilities of the instrument and identifies
the instrument scientist and other contacts. The instrument
scientist can confirm the feasibility of your experiment
and the effectiveness of the research technique, in addition
to answering other questions about the instrument.
- When you have determined which instrument(s) will fit your needs
and have confirmed this with your local contact (usually this will be
the instrument scientist), you are ready to submit your proposal.
If you need assistance determining which instrument(s) would be
best for your experiment, the User Office will be glad to help:
User Office: neutronusers@ornl.gov or
865.574.4600
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- Register and Submit a Proposal
Before you can submit a proposal, you must register
in the Integrated
Proposal Tracking System (IPTS).
- Read and agree with the conditions
on the IPTS home page.
- Select “Register in XCAMS” (even
if you already have an ORNL UCAMS
account), or log in if you have already
registered.
- Within 5 to 10
minutes you will receive an initial
e-mail with your username and password
and a second e-mail
asking you to log in to synchronize
your password with IPTS.
- Return to
the IPTS
home page to
log in with your new username
and password. Returning users
can log in at the main login
page.
Once you've registered as a user,
you can submit proposals at any
time. Detailed instructions for
using the proposal system are in
the proposal guide book:
IPTS Proposal Preparation Procedure Guide (pdf)
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-
Apply for Beam Time
- Complete A User Agreement
Once your proposal is approved,
a user agreement must be established
between ORNL and your
home institution. This agreement
(which can be proprietary or
nonproprietary) establishes
the terms and conditions for
experimental work and the disposition
of intellectual property. Work
at a particular facility (HFIR or SNS) for
a particular experiment is covered
in an appendix to the agreement
and delineates the scope of work,
period of work, and costs
(if any). If your proposal is approved for beam time, ORNL will contact
with your institution to initiate an agreement.
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Step 2: Before You Arrive
This step takes you from having your proposal
approved and beam time scheduled to
arriving on site. By completing these
steps well in advance, you will have
a smoother, more productive visit.
-
Arrange for Site Access
Before you begin your research at ORNL, you must
- Register with the User Office. You will be contacted via e-mail from the User Office with
instructions for registering and getting approval for access to the user facility (HFIR or SNS)
- Complete training requirements.
Some requirements are
web-based courses that can be
completed before arrival. Additional
training will be completed after you arrive on site.
Conditions for Access
ORNL is a U.S. Department of Energy
(DOE) national laboratory, and access
is controlled by DOE
policies. Acceptance
of an experiment proposal does not
guarantee approval for access to
buildings and information systems
necessary for you to conduct your experiment. Access
is dependent on successful completion
of necessary training and access approval
from the appropriate facility
or space manager.
Non-US Citizens:
Please note that access to ORNL
facilities for all non-U.S. citizens
requires permission from
DOE and can require up
to six weeks for processing. In
addition, site access for prospective
users who are citizens of, were
born in, or are affiliated with
(employed or sponsored by) any “state
sponsors of terrorism”—as
defined by DOE —requires
additional approval by
DOE Headquarters. These approvals, if granted,
can require six months or more
for processing.
For directions, maps, and additional
information about visiting ORNL,
see the Visitor
Info page.
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Prepare for Your Experiment
It's essential to complete
any sample preparation and management
before you arrive on-site.
- Sample Management and Preparation
All samples will be tracked at both HFIR and SNS and entered into their respective tracking systems. Sample hazards must be identified in the proposal process; further review will be carried out during the experiment approval and review processes.
If shipping your samples to HFIR or SNS, you are responsible for shipping in accordance with relevant federal, state, and local laws and regulations, and applicable facility and ORNL policies and procedures. All samples will be surveyed for their level of radioactivity at the time of removal from the experimental apparatus and will be stored on-site if the level of activity prohibits their removal from the facility.
Each instrument will have its own capabilities to prepare samples. Contact the appropriate instrument scientist for more details.
- Shipping and Receiving
Please contact the appropriate instrument scientist for your experiment for guidance on shipping and receiving issues.
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Learn about Visiting ORNL
Step 3: When You Arrive
This step takes you from arriving at
ORNL to conducting your experiment.
-
Check In at the ORNL Gate
-
Check In at the User Office
The User Office staff will provide
you with additional information about the site and answer any general questions
you have. They will also direct you to your instrument contact.
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Step 4: When
You Leave
This step takes you from completing your
experiment to publishing your results.
- Arrange
for Outbound Shipping of Samples & Equipment
Discuss any outbound shipping
needs with your instrument
contact.
At the end of an experiment, we
survey all samples for activation.
If a sample's level of radioactivity
prohibits its removal from the building,
it will be stored on-site until it
can be safely shipped to your
home institution. If you or your
institution cannot take receipt of a
sample after the experiment, special
arrangements, up to and including
payment of disposal or shipping fees,
will need to be made.
ORNL staff will determine
when samples and user-supplied
equipment can be returned after experiment
completion.
Samples can be stored at ORNL only
for a limited period of time and
with explicit agreement from the
Neutron Scattering Science Division
environment, safety, and health manager.
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- Complete
an End-of-Experiment Report
- Publish
Your Results and Notify Your HFIR or
SNS Contact
Unless you have paid for
proprietary beam time, your primary obligations
after completing your experiment are to:
(1) Publish your results,* with suitable
acknowledgment of ORNL and the instrument used for the experiment.
(2) notify the User Office of all such
publications.
*Proprietary users are not required to publish.
Users must credit ORNL in all publications
resulting from experiments performed
at these facilities. In addition, publications,
papers, patents, honors and awards, and
their citations must be reported
to the User
Office to assist the facilities in recording
the contributions of its users. Each
facility (HFIR or SNS or both) must
be acknowledged with this statement:
This research at Oak Ridge
National Laboratory's High Flux
Isotope Reactor (and/or Spallation
Neutron Source, as appropriate)
was sponsored by the Scientific
User Facilities Division, Office
of Basic Energy Sciences, U.S.
Department of Energy.
Please provide bibliographic
information for your publications through
this survey. If you
have questions or need assistance,
contact the User Office at neutronusers@ornl.gov
or 865.574.4600.
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- Communicate
Any Status Changes to
the User Office
Notify the User Office of any changes
to your affiliation or contact information,
visa status, etc. This will allow us to
keep you informed of ORNL neutron scattering
activities.
Congratulations on
Joining the ORNL
User Community!
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