Proposal Submittal and Scheduling Procedures for X-ray and VUV Beam Lines at SSRL

Proposal Information

Facility Information

For information on beam line characteristics, equipment, data acquisition and analysis software, support staff and contacts, click here.

There are several ways to obtain beam time at SSRL. The standard method is by submitting a scientific proposal that is peer reviewed by external reviewers and by the SSRL Proposal Review Panel (PRP) and rated by the PRP. Proposals are generally eligible to request beam time in 6 consecutive scheduling period (or for 2 years). Proposals can be submitted for renewal for up to 2 additional years on the basis of an extension request and review by the PRP. This renewal review takes into consideration progress to date, publications, continuing scientific priority, and future plans.

Rapid Access Proposals

Users can submit a brief scientific proposal to compete for a block of 3-6 shifts of beam time set aside monthly for one rapid access for several techniques and beam lines, including:

Letters of Intent (LOIs)

Letters of Intent (LOI) - may receive a small amount of beam time, usually to fill vacant or canceled beam time, for conditions such as beam time needed by students to complete thesis, testing the feasibility of a "risky" experiment or other novel ideas which have been conceived too late for the normal proposal review cycle. LOI proposals are reviewed by appropriate SSRL staff members for any technical and safety issues. LOIs may be eligible to request beam time up to 1 year, but do not receive priority in scheduling.

The LOI proposal should briefly address the problem to be studied; the amount of 8-hour shifts needed; the desired experimental station, required crystal set and orientation; any SSRL equipment required; whether or not it includes proprietary research; any safety concerns; and the time frame desired, see form at http://www-ssrl.slac.stanford.edu/userresources/documents/loi-proposal.rtf

STANDARD PROPOSALS

The PRP has four subpanels that review and rate proposals within their areas of expertise. Proposals that cross disciplines will be cross-rated by multiple subpanels if deemed appropriate by the spokesperrson or the PRP. Check the subpanel(s) that best applies to your proposed experiment.

Structural Molecular Biology and Biophysics (BIO)
Molecular Environmental & Interface Science (MEIS)
Materials 1: Structure, Reactivity & Self-Assembly (MAT1)
Materials 2: Electronic Properties, Magnetic Properties & Surface Science (MAT2).

SPOKESPERSON, COLLABORATORS, REVIEWERS

Select or enter names, institutions and contact information for the proposal spokesperson and collaborators for this proposed experiment. Accurate information is crucial to timely communications regarding upcoming events and deadlines at SSRL.

The Spokesperson is responsible for all communication with SSRL staff (e.g., scheduling, equipment needs, characteristics of samples, and safety requirements), and should be the person who will actually be responsible for these matters. In most cases, all communications from SSRL will be sent to the Spokesperson ONLY, who is thus also responsible for transmitting any pertinent information to her/his collaborators.

Spokespersons may provide the names of appropriate and inappropriate proposal reviewers. To suggest appropriate reviewers, list full names, institution and email address of up to three scientists. Do not include scientists that you have worked or collaborated with during the last five years, a current PRP member, a current SSRL staff member, or anyone who may feel that a conflict of interest would result by review of your proposal.

Alert us if there is anyone who would NOT be an appropriate peer reviewer for your proposal for reasons of conflict of interest.

TITLE

Titles should be as short as possible, but uniquely descriptive of your proposed work. Please provide a title that you would be willing to share publicly in various reports and use Title Case (e.g., Studies of Molecular Structures of XYZ.)

BRIEF ABSTRACT

Provide an abstract (~300 words or 2000 characters) of your proposed experiment(s). The abstract should have a brief introduction stating what this project is about and why it is important. Please explain what one is expected to learn and how that fits into the bigger picture. Specifics on what the approach is and, if applicable, why one specific approach needs to be taken should be included. A statement regarding the availability of crystals, etc., can be included but is not essential. If this project is an adjunct to previous work, more background information may be provided.

POTENTIAL SAFETY CONCERNS OR HAZARDS

Describe detailed safety issues and procedures (including toxic, nanoscale materials, radioactive, reactive, and flammable materials; biohazards; infectious agents; or hazardous procedures or equipment) in the space provided.

If your experiment will involve tissue from human subjects or laboratory animals, you MUST provide details of materials and procedures to be utilizedl and any safety concerns as well. If any proposed research involves the use of human subjects or laboratory animals, a research protocol must be submitted to Stanford University's Panel on Human Subjects in Medical Research or the Panel on Laboratory Animal Care for review and approval prior to acceptance and scheduling of the proposal. Investigations must comply with University regulations established by the Panels, federal legal standards, and the terms of the University's Assurance filed with the Department of Health and Human Services. Contact Matthew Padilla, SSRL Safety Officer, for details.

PROPRIETARY SECTOR RESEARCH

Proprietary research is defined as that for which users request confidentiality of proposal, data and results for a certain period of time. This research follows the Guidelines for Implementation by the Stanford University Faculty Senate (see Proprietary Research) and is executed through a Proprietary Research Use Agreement. Proprietary research is subject to the Department of Energy's full-cost recovery requirement for facility charges for the use of SSRL facilities and advance payment of those charges. The facility charges are established as a dollar rate for each shift of beam time. As the Proprietary Research Use Agreement can take some time to complete, needing approval of legal department both at SSRL and at the user organization, users should plan to allow the appropriate amount of extra time. For more information on conducting proprietary research at SSRL, see Proprietary Research and contact the User Research Administration Manager at 650-926-3191.

EXPERIMENTAL STATIONS REQUIRED

List the primary and alternate beam lines you require for this proposal. For information on beam lines, characteristics, and contacts see beam lines by number and/ or beam lines by technique.

ESTIMATED BEAM TIME REQUIRED

Provide the number of 8-hour shifts requested. The PRP closely considers reasonability of requested beam time.

UHV BEAM LINES

For proposals utilizing UHV beam lines, list all samples you expect to insert into the vacuum system and any construction materials and components not generally considered UHV materials or components. Provide details of the proposal body.

SSRL EQUIPMENT OR MATERIALS REQUIRED

List the major SSRL-provided equipment to be used and any space and services required for the experiment. See the SSRL Home Page for information on equipment and contact staff.

DOE/NIH REPORTING CATEGORIES

The Department of Energy and the National Institutes of Health require that we report annually on research areas and funding agencies for all proposals submitted to SSRL. Please check all that apply to your proposal and provide detailed information where indicated "specify below." Please do not use acronyms for Foreign or other funding agencies.

PUBLICATIONS

Users are required to inform Lisa Dunn of each publication or thesis based, fully or partially, on work at SSRL.

A Reference Submittal Form is available to provide reference information in advance of the actual preprint distribution, see http://www-ssrl.slac.stanford.edu/publications/index.html

ACKNOWLEDGE SSRL AND FUNDING SOURCES IN PUBLICATIONS

All publications related to work fully or partially undertaken at SSRL should contain one of the following acknowledgements.

X-ray absorption spectroscopy users, (biology, materials science, molecular environmental sciences, and chemistry users) and biological small-angle x-ray scattering users should use:
"Portions of this research were carried out at the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource, a national user facility operated by Stanford University on behalf of the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Basic Energy Sciences. The SSRL Structural Molecular Biology Program is supported by the Department of Energy, Office of Biological and Environmental Research, and by the National Institutes of Health, National Center for Research Resources, Biomedical Technology Program."
Macromolecular crystallography users should use:
"Portions of this research were carried out at the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource, a national user facility operated by Stanford University on behalf of the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Basic Energy Sciences. The SSRL Structural Molecular Biology Program is supported by the Department of Energy, Office of Biological and Environmental Research, and by the National Institutes of Health, National Center for Research Resources, Biomedical Technology Program, and the National Institute of General Medical Sciences."
All other users should use:
"Portions of this research were carried out at the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource, a national user facility operated by Stanford University on behalf of the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Basic Energy Sciences."

PEER REVIEW

Peer review is an essential element in ensuring that experimental facilities are utilized for the highest quality science and that the allocation of this scarce resource is fair and transparent. Spokespersons of SSRL proposals are expected to serve as peer reviewers for other scientists who submit proposals to SSRL related to their area of expertise. In general, users will not be asked to review more than three proposals more than three times a year.

FEEDBACK

Feedback is an important part of the Integrated Safety & Environmental Management System (ISEMS). Users are required to complete an end of run summary after each scheduled experiment.

In addition, users are encouraged to complete the annual survey which is an important tool to help us continue to provide excellent service to the SSRL User Community. The information you provide users will be used to organize the next Users' Meeting and to report on user interests/issues to SSRL management and scientific advisory committees. Users are also encouraged to contact the SSRL Users' Organization Executive Committee or the Proposal Review Panel to share their suggestions or concerns.

Submission Deadlines

Although proposals for experimental work at SSRL are accepted at any time, the PRP normally reviews proposals three times a year. Users are invited to submit new proposals for X-ray and VUV experiments June 1st, September 1st, or December 1st; for Macromolecular Crystallography April 1st, July 1st, or December 1st. For more information on deadlines related to proposals and beam time requests visit: http://www-ssrl.slac.stanford.edu/userresources/deadlines.html

Proposals should be submitted in accordance with the due dates provided in the table below to coincide with the review process.

**New SSRL Xray/VUV Proposal Review Schedule, 3/26/09**
Proposals Due	Review Date	Eligible for Beam Time
June 1st	July	Oct-Feb	Feb-May	May-Aug	Oct-Feb	Feb-May	May-Aug
September 1st	October	Feb-May	May-Aug	Oct-Feb	Feb-May	May-Aug	Oct-Feb
December 1st	January	May-Aug	Oct-Feb	Feb-May	May-Aug	Oct-Feb	Feb-May

* Proposals are eligible to request time in 6 consecutive scheduling periods (2 years), and may be eligible to request an extension of up to two additional years.

Review Process

Once a complete proposal is received, it is assigned to one of the four subpanels of the PRP. In some cases, the proposal is assigned and reviewed by multiple subpanels. Subpanel members determine external peer reviewers for each proposal. As the reviews are received from the reviewers, they are transmitted anonymously to the Spokesperson indicating: a) for your information, b) addendum suggested, or c) addendum requested. Spokespersons may respond to these by sending explanations or more details in the form of an addendum. Addenda should be sent to Michelle Steger and must be received in time for consideration by the PRP. Additionally, peer reviewers will rate the proposal on the basis of Overall Quality and Competency using the following rating scale: Excellent (1), Very Good (2), Good (3), Fair (4), and Poor (5). Ratings are averaged for use by the PRP during their review. The panel meets to consider all new proposals. All proposals are rated from 1.00 (high) to 5.00 (low). The rating is based on the peer reviews and PRP independent judgment, taking into account the entire body of work being performed at the laboratory. Consistency in ratings from year to year is strived for and cross-checking of ratings between the four subpanels is performed at each meeting.

Proposals rated between 1.0 and 1.4 have a good chance of being scheduled on a high demand, wiggler end station.
Proposals with ratings between 1.5 and 2.0 have a lower probability of being scheduled on a wiggler end station but are competitive on wiggler side stations and bend magnet beam lines.
Proposals rated between 2 and 5.0 have a low probability of receiving beam time at SSRL.

The Proposal Review Panel (PRP)

The Panel consists of scientists with expertise in various research fields using synchrotron radiation. For the purpose of rating proposals, the panel is divided into four subpanels. See http://www-ssrl.slac.stanford.edu/prp.html for current PRP membership.

The PRP also advises SSRL management on policy concerning scheduling and the proposal process as well as more general matters affecting the user community.

Appeals to Ratings

Ratings assigned by the PRP can be appealed on the grounds listed below. Except in extraordinary circumstances, appeals will be addressed at the following meeting of the PRP. Appeals must be received at SSRL four weeks BEFORE the panel meeting. Appeals should be addressed to the User Research Administration Manager.

The grounds for appeal are:

The PRP did not receive a Spokesperson's response to one or more reviews.
There is a significant discrepancy between the peer reviewers' comments and the PRP rating, and the remarks supplied by the PRP with their rating are not a sufficient explanation of that discrepancy.
Unanticipated experimental results or new instrumentation has been developed since the initial rating.

Scheduling Procedure

SSRL operates as a dedicated synchrotron radiation source for ~8-9 months per year (usually from November through July). A call for Beam Time Requests is sent by email to the Spokespersons of active proposals approximately three months in advance of each scheduling period. All proposals that are active at the time of the call for Beam Time Request Forms are eligible for beam time during the period stated. Experimenters interested in requesting beam time must submit their requests by the published deadline. Submit forms at https://www-ssrl.slac.stanford.edu/URAWI/.

Scheduling is done primarily on the basis of the proposal's rating. Due to the scarcity of beam time and the large number of proposals of high scientific merit, a number of factors beyond the rating may come into play in making the final determination as to which proposals will actually receive beam time including availability of resources such as equipment or support staff. The cut off rating on many highly subscribed beam lines is about 1.4.

In determining which experiments will run on the wiggler lines, the demonstrated need for the wiggler is considered. Consideration may also be given to graduate students completing their thesis work. If a single Spokesperson has several proposals that make the "cut" she/he is usually given only a block of time equal to one of those requests.

Shift Assignment

The guiding philosophy in shift assignment is to give enough beam time to maximize the chance of significant results. Usually the amount assigned is within the maximum and minimum shifts requested. In general, users are not assigned less than their minimum request without consultation. Padding of shift requests is discouraged, and large requests are individually examined. To minimize equipment changeovers and ensure maximum utilization of beam time, experiments with similar configurations and crystal requirements are scheduled together. For users with experiments scheduled at the beginning of the run or at a storage ring parameter change, consideration might be given to provide extra shifts to compensate for potential loss of beam time.

Required Safety Review

A series of safety related questions are incorporated into the proposal and beam time request. Please answer these questions and provide additional information as appropriate. If your proposal is flagged for safety concerns (indicated by a * after the proposal number), you will be contacted by the Safety Office. When appropriate, the SSRL Safety Office will contact the spokesperson.

Please review safety information and requirements:

User Support Request

If assigned beam time, the Spokesperson will be notified by email. Log in to URA website to "ACCEPT TIME" to acknowledge your beam time allocation. If you find that you cannot use your assigned time, click on "DECLINE TIME" where you will be prompted to enter relevant comments. (Please also contact us directly to discuss what other options might be available.) For X-ray/VUV proposals, you "ACCEPT" this time, click on "ENTER REQUEST" to alert us of who from your group will be onsite for this scheduled beam time. Add additional collaborators from the pull down list. Indicate their status by clicking the "Onsite" button or click the red 'x' circle if the individuals who are listed on your proposal will not be onsite for this experiment (FYI-Remote is only for crystallography users who will collect data remotely). You can also add new individuals by clicking on the "+" sign and completing the fields provided.

Changes to the SPEAR Schedule

Please refer to the SPEAR operating schedule which provides information on dates when we will be DOWN for Maintenance, Accelerator Physics or Holiday breaks so that you can plan your visits accordingly: http://www-ssrl.slac.stanford.edu/userresources/documents/08-09_run.pdf. Changes to the SPEAR schedule can occur due to unanticipated problems with the storage ring. These changes can occur on very short notice and may result in the cancellation of a scheduled experiment. In most cases, short-term adjustments to the SSRL schedule cannot be made to compensate for unanticipated poor performance of the storage ring or problems with the equipment.

Use Agreement(s)

Fully executed Use Agreement(s) between Stanford University and the spokesperson's home institution, and all collaborator institutions (if personnel physically coming to SSRL) must be completed prior to beam time. A single Use Agreement covers all experimenters from that institution. Collaborators who are not coming to SSRL do not require a Use Agreement. A Supplemental Use Agreement is required for experimenters wishing to perform proprietary research at SSRL.

Use Agreement forms for both standard and proprietary research are available for downloading at:
http://www-ssrl.slac.stanford.edu/users/user_admin/useagreementmenu.html

Proprietary Research

Proprietary Research is defined as that for which users request confidentiality of proposal, data and results for a certain period of time. This research follows the guidelines for implementation by the Stanford University Faculty Senate and is executed through a Use Agreement for Proprietary Research for each individual research proposal submitted to SSRL. Proprietary Research is subject to the Department of Energy's full-cost recovery requirement for facility charges for the use of SSRL facilities and advance payment of those charges. The facility charges are established as a dollar rate for each shift of beam time.

Experimenters interested in conducting Proprietary Research should contact the User Research Administration Manager well in advance of the anticipated need for beam time as the legal procedures involved may take up to several months to finalize. All user institutions are required to complete the Use Agreement for Proprietary Research in addition to the Standard Use Agreement.

For beam time to be assigned on general user stations, proposals for proprietary Research must be reviewed for merit and to assure that all ES&H guidelines are met in accordance with standard SSRL policies and procedures. Sufficient generic information to enable external peer and Proposal Review Panel review should be provided in standard and program proposals. Proposals designated as proprietary research will be maintained in confidence during the review process to the maximum extent possible.

Proprietary Research can be performed on Participating Research Team (PRT) time in cases where the industry is a PRT member. However, the periodic performance review of the PRT must include at least sufficient information on how the proprietary research time was used so that a review can be made by the external group appointed to carry out the review.

General Conditions:

Stanford faculty, students or research staff will not be directly involved in the research aspects of the proprietary research program.
No more than 15 percent of the SSRL beam time in a given 12-month running period will be used for proprietary research.
The SLAC Associate Director for SSRL, or the Associate Director's designate, and the SSRL Safety Officer will be provided with a description of the experiment and its goals prior to the approval of the experiment. The description will be sufficiently detailed so that the Associate Director can understand and monitor the main components of the experiment and the Safety Officer can assure that all ES&H guidelines are met and that there is no risk to people, the facility or the environment. If possible, these should be written so that the confidential nature of the research is not compromised.
Disclosure of intellectually significant results of the experimental work will be made within five years from the time of completion of the data collection at SSRL.
A yearly disclosure will be made of the scientific and programmatic accomplishments at least in general terms (such as a contribution to the activity reports).
Barriers, roped-off areas or other similar measures that would restrict access to the experimental stations will not be used.

General Policies

SSRL Policy on Duplication of Effort

Duplication of effort is not bad per se, and is, in fact, desirable in important experiments. Past experience has shown that a single experimental program often fails to provide solutions that stand the test of time. A new proposal to work in an area where other studies at SSRL are ongoing will be weighed against these proposals. However, no implicit penalty will be applied simply because of the choice of area.

SSRL Policy on Significant Deviation from Proposed Research in a Rated Proposal

It is recognized that, occasionally, significant deviation from proposed research contained in a proposal will occur during the course of an experiment. Deviation that occurs in order to compete with research covered in another user's proposal or for an idea that has been discussed commonly and is in the public domain is not acceptable. Deviation from the proposed work that follows either from a new idea arising from the research or from new information is acceptable assuming it does not cover material in a rated proposal from another user group.

Addenda covering significant deviations should be submitted to the User Research Administration Manager in advance of performing the work whenever possible. If significant deviation occurs in the course of running an experiment, the information should be recorded on the End-of-Run Summary Form.

SSRL Policy on Instrumentation Development

Although most of the proposals active at SSRL are for experimental work aimed at producing significant new scientific results or technological applications, SSRL also welcomes proposals for testing and developing scientific instrumentation, particularly when the instruments are likely to have impact on synchrotron radiation research.

SSRL Policy on Acknowledgement Statements

All publications related to work fully or partially undertaken at SSRL should contain the appropriate acknowledgements.
SSRL Policy on Reporting Requirements

SSRL submits several annual reports to the Department of Energy and the National Institutes of Health, which require up-to-date publications listings. These publications lists are extremely important in presenting scientific achievements and productivity, and thus funding case to these agencies.

Users are required to inform Lisa Dunn of each publication or thesis based, fully or partially, on work at SSRL. A Reference Submittal Form is available to provide reference information in advance of the actual preprint distribution, see http://www-ssrl.slac.stanford.edu/publications/index.html. Additional information on patents and awards is also encouraged.

SSRL Policy on Trading Beam Time

SSRL assigns beam time primarily on the basis of a peer-reviewed rating system. Moreover, onsite users are tracked for safety reasons and computer accounts enabled based on the posted schedule. Thus, the practice of beam time trading or brokering among user groups is not allowed.

SSRL Policy on Peer Review

Peer review is an essential element in ensuring that experimental facilities are utilized for the highest quality science and that the allocation of this scarce resource is fair and transparent. Spokesperson of SSRL proposals are expected to serve as peer reviewers for other scientists who submit proposals to SSRL related to their area of expertise. In general, users will not be asked to review more than three proposals more than three times a year.

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