Proposal Guidelines

Proposal Types

Registering as a user and submitting a proposal by the posted deadlines are the first steps to access beam time at SSRL. See below for information on the types of SSRL proposals:

• Standard Proposals
• Rapid Access Proposals
• Letter of Intent Proposals

When submitting proposals or requesting beam time, remember that attention will be given to published results from previous experiments utilizing SSRL's unique facilities that have appropriately acknowledged SSRL, DOE and funding agencies. Updated publications and acknowledgements help to demonstrate the scientific achievements and productivity of SSRL beam time as well as the scientists who have been awarded beam time at this facility.

Standard General User Proposals

Standard General User (GU) proposals can be submitted through the user portal three times a year.

• X-ray/VUV proposals due by May 1, August 1, November 1.
  • Requests for a one-time proposal extension may be submitted via email attachment before the proposal expiration date.
  • Document

    X-ray VUV Proposal Extension Form
• Macromolecular Crystallography proposals due by April 1, July 1, December 1.
  • Requests for a one-time proposal extension may be submitted via email attachment before the proposal expiration date.
  • Document

    Macromolecular Crystallography Proposal Extension Form

At SSRL, users can submit research proposals that cover many beam lines and techniques. Standard proposals are generally eligible to request beam time for up to six scheduling periods (for up to two years). The proposal form requires prospective users to indicate the total number of shifts desired on all SSRL beam lines or techniques during the lifetime of the proposal. If the proposal has not exceeded the maximum shifts, users can also request extensions (see below).

Research teams are discouraged from submitting multiple proposals unless the proposed research is completely unrelated. Multiple proposals from members of the same research team will be flagged during the peer review process and may be combined, limited in lifetime and/or beam time allocations, or rejected.

Proposal Extension Requests

Standard Proposals that have not already exceeded the number of shifts estimated may be eligible to request a one-time extension from the SSRL Proposal Review Panel (PRP). If approved, the PRP may extend the proposal up to 2 additional years, change the rating, and/or limit the amount of beam time allocated.

Send proposal extension requests by email before the initial beam time eligibility period expires. Extension requests will be accepted and reviewed on the same schedule as new proposals. Based on the extension material provided, the PRP may extend the proposal for up to two years, change the rating, or terminate the proposal.

Extension requests must summarize the following. Include the following information in the email listed below.

1. Proposal Number and Spokesperson's Name
2. Progress: Briefly describe work accomplished at SSRL on this proposal to date (2-4 paragraphs).
3. New elements: If applicable, describe any new elements that may add interest to extending the proposal (1-2 paragraphs).
4. Future plans: Briefly describe the next steps or future plans proposed to be pursued under the existing proposal (1-2 paragraphs).
5. Update collaborators: If different from the original proposal, list current collaborators, including institution and email address; ask new collaborators to register as new users on the user portal.
6. Summary of beam time: List beam time used at facilities other than SSRL-this will not affect your SSRL proposal extension request.
7. Publications: List all publications related to work conducted at SSRL on this proposal, include links, and ensure that user publications have been reported and included in the SSRL publications listing.

Send Email

Review How to Request & Access SSRL Beam Time

Submit Proposal

Rapid Access

Users may submit a Rapid Access Proposal through the User Portal to apply for a limited allocation of a small amount of beam time (1-5 shifts) which may be set aside during the run cycle on a few beam lines. Rapid access proposals may be brief but should provide sufficient detail for review and rating by the Proposal Review Panel. Rapid access proposals must include a strong justification of why rapid access is needed. Often the justification is to try new ideas or to conduct initial feasibility tests. Rapid access proposals compete with standard peer reviewed proposals and, unless very highly rated, can have difficulty obtaining beam time on oversubscribed beam lines. Rapid access proposals may be submitted at any time and are subject to the availability of rapid access slots on these SSRL Beam Lines:

• Macromolecular Crystallography
• Biological Small Angle-Scattering (Bio SAXS) (BL4-2)
• Biological X-ray Spectroscopy & Imaging (BL4-3, BL7-3, BL9-3, BL14-3a, BL14-3b, BL15-2)
• Chemistry Catalysis and Molecular Environmental and Interface Science (MEIS XAS) (BL10-2b, 4-1, BL11-2)
• Materials Sciences X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and Small Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS) (BL1-5, BL2-1, BL11-3, BL17-2)
• Microprobe Imaging (BL2-3, BL7-2, BL14-3b)

Submit Proposal

Letter of Intent

At the discretion of the SSRL Director (and pending review by the Safety Officer), a small amount of beam time (6-18 shifts) may be available for students to complete their thesis work or for users to test the feasibility of new ideas (including users from industry). Letter of intent (LOI) proposals must include a strong justification for why LOI time at SSRL is needed. Users may submit LOI proposals through the User Portal at any time, NOTE: LOI proposals are subject to the availability of beam time. LOI proposals compete with peer reviewed and rated proposals, and they may have difficulty competing for beam time on oversubscribed beam lines.

Submit Proposal