SPring-8, the large synchrotron radiation facility

Before filling out the application forms...
The application form is the only information provided for reviewers to consider the scientific merit of your proposal, so please be as specific as possible in describing research objectives and methods, etc. Make sure that the research can be completed in the forthcoming half-year research term; SPring-8 does not allocate beamtime for comprehensive research that cannot be finished within a time frame of one research term (about six months).

[Basic Information]
Title of Experiment:
Use a descriptive title for the experiment to be performed at SPring-8, including specific objectives and methods. Please note, as mentioned earlier, that the research must be completed in a half-year research term, and comprehensive research proposals won't be considered for review.

When the proposal is approved, only the project leader's name and affiliation and the number of allocated shifts will be made available to the public; the title of the experiment won't be disclosed until after the experiment is finished.

Review Field:
Select one review field that applies from the pull-down menu. The list of review fields is shown in Table 1.

Research Areas, Research Methods:
Choose from the respective pull-down menus and enter keywords. The examples of keywords are listed in Tables 2 and 3; but you do not necessarily have to select from the list. If you choose "Other," provide a specific research area/method in the box provided.

Beamline Number:
Select beamlines that would meet your needs in order of preference and explain the reason for your choice in the space provided for "Reasons for selecting this beamline" (Main Menu > Experimental Details). If you wish to use two beamlines, you need to submit two separate sets of application forms.

See the Beamline Table at http://www.spring8.or.jp/en/facilities/bl/list/ to make your choice.

Number of Shifts Required:
Provide the number of 8-hour shifts necessary for your proposed research. If the research needs to be conducted in more than one run, add details: the number of shifts per run and the number of runs. The total number of shifts is calculated automatically. (To verify the total number of shifts, click "Confirm/Submit" in the main menu on the left.)

Remember to explain how you estimated the number of required shifts in the space provided for "How you calculated the number of shifts" (Main Menu > Experimental Details).

If you choose "Annual" for "Attribute of Application," provide the number of shifts required in the research term A.

Operating Mode:
If you require a particular operating mode, choose from the pull-down menu. If you do not have a preference, choose "Any," and have the beamline scientist choose the mode for you.

If the beamline has to be operated in multi bunch mode for your experiment, choose "multi bunch (essential)"; and if the experiment is possible in other operating modes although the multi bunch mode operation is desired, choose "multi bunch (preferred)."

If the several bunch mode operation is required, choose "several bunch," and select filling modes in order of preference from the pull-down menus, and explain the difference in efficiency between your first- and second-choice modes in the box provided for "Others." Please note that available filling modes are subject to change depending on the research term. (Check with the SPring-8 website.) If you do not see the operating mode you are looking for in the pull-down menu, provide the details of the filling mode and explain the reason(s) in the space provided for "Other."

Scheduling Restrictions:
In the space provided for "Unacceptable Dates," specify scheduling restrictions, if any. No adjustments will be made for rescheduling after the beamtime has been allocated.

[Project Team Members]
Enter the user card number of all project team members who will be involved in experimental work at the SPring-8 beamline, and click on the "Lookup User Information" button. If any of your project team members has not obtained a user card number, please have the member complete user registration, first. The user card number will be sent to the registered email address upon successful registration.

[Details of Potential Hazards and Associated Safety Measures]
The experiment which needs procedure:
Choose from the pull-down menu. If you choose "Uranium & Thorium," "Sealed Radioactive Materials," " Microorganism Experiments," "Recombinant DNA Experiments," or "Use of High-Pressure Gas," download necessary forms from the UI site, fill out the forms and send them to the Users Office AFTER submitting a proposal. On the downloaded forms, you are requested to enter the beamline number, period of use/storage/disposal and other details; but if the information is not final, please leave blank. For details, please see this page.

Live Animals:
If you plan to bring in live animals, check the box. (You will be required to submit an "Animal Experiment Application Form" and "Application for Registration as an Animal Experiment Researcher and Letter of Declaration" after the proposal has been approved.)

Equipment/Instruments needed to be provided by SPring-8:
Please check with the Beamline Table page of the SPring-8 website for details of the equipment and instruments available at each beamline and enter the name(s) of equipment or instrument(s) that you wish to use.

Experimental samples and their characteristics:
Enter details of all samples and materials to be brought to SPring-8: name of material*, shape, quantity, hazards**, purpose of usage, handling method and disposal method after usage, safety measures.

*Use general names, structural formulas, or compositions (XAFS); and do not use abbreviations or acronyms. Enter "Handmade" if you made up the substances by yourself even if the substances have a CAS number; or enter "Invented," if you invented the substance and the property value is unknown.
**Enter statutory characteristics such as poison/deadly poison (subject to the Poisonous and Deleterious Substances Control Law), organic solvent/selected chemicals (subject to the Industrial Safety and Health Law), dangerous goods/hazardous materials/ explosives/combustibles (subject to fire laws);  for other materials that are not subject to the laws above, be as specific as possible (explosive, combustible, inflammable, pyrophoric, antiposic, oxidative, autoreactive, toxic, corrosive, carcinogenic, infectious, radioactive, DNA recombinant, human materials, etc.)

You are advised to download a draft file in MS Word format at the UI site and use it as a working draft in order to avoid input errors and just in case your web browser closes unexpectedly or becomes non-responsive.

Please note that failing to provide all the necessary information might eliminate the possibility of getting beamtime.

Please make sure to bring back all of your samples and materials to your home institution.

Instruments that users plan to bring to SPring-8:
Enter details of all the instruments brought to the SPring-8: name, specification and safety measures. If you are not planning to bring any instrument, enter "None."

Specify if the instrument is self-made or purchased.

Please note that failing to provide all the necessary information might eliminate the possibility of getting beamtime.

You are responsible for bringing back all the instruments to your home institution.

[Abstract]:
Description of significance, aim, originality and expected results of this experiment, including reason for requesting SPring-8 beamline. Continuation proposal : describe the results of your experiment and the reason for requesting continuation. Urgent proposal : append the reason for urgency.
New: Describe your research purpose and experimental method in detail so that the significance of your research can be understood by the reviewers who are not specialists in your area. Please make sure that your research can be completed during the half-year research term. Comprehensive research projects will be screened out; we do not allocate beamtime for comprehensive research that cannot be finished within a time frame of one research term (about six months). Also be specific about how the SPring-8 can contribute to your achieving the expected research results.
Continuation: Provide the specific reason(s) for requesting a continuation (e.g. Research was interrupted due to beam dump). Give full details of your previous research results and present solutions to the problems you had, if any. In addition, describe a detailed plan for the continued research. When you wish to continue research after using up all the beamtime allocated in the previous research term; when there are major changes in the sample(s) or experimental method; or when the project leader changes, please submit a New set of application form.
Urgent: Submit an urgent proposal when you wish to perform the proposed research urgently in the current research term. State clearly the reason why it is urgent and why it is indispensable to conduct the experiment using the SPring-8 beamline. Also provide the ripple effect that the proposed research may have in relevant fields or disciplines.
Reserved Beamtime: Choose "Reserve" to apply for reserved beamtime. For details, see "New" above.

Describe preparation status of the proposed research, relationship with the proposal selected in the past and with the other proposal(s) being applied, if any, and past experience of conducting similar experiments:
Describe in detail the research results obtained in order to achieve expected research goals, and the preparation status of equipment/instruments and samples. If you are submitting another proposal related to proposals approved in the past, explain the relationship with the proposals. If you have experience conducting similar experiments, also explain the experience.

List the project leader's publication(s) associated with the proposed research (Place an asterisk next to the publications based on research at the SPring-8.) and describe each publication briefly:
Please be sure to provide the list of publications with abstracts in chronological order - most recent first: please list as many as space permits. As for applicants who have conducted experiments at the SPring-8 in the past, the number of papers registered with the SPring-8 Publications Database is considered during peer review in determining, in part, the merits of your proposal.

[Experimental Details]
Experimental details (sketch of setup, measurement method, detector, concentration of samples):
If you wish to use a new measurement technique, provide a diagram that gives details of special features associated with the experiment.
* For how to upload files, please see this page.

Reasons for selecting this beamline:
To choose the beamline best suited to your research, check the Beamline Table at http://www.spring8.or.jp/en/facilities/bl/list/ for the maintenance status of each beamline. If you have any questions, contact the beamline scientist on the Beamline Table.

Energy/wavelength:
Explain what characteristics (energy region, focusing property, detector) of the beamline was the decisive factor in determining the desired beamline(s). If you plan to conduct an XAFS experiment, be sure to provide the measurement method (e.g. transmission method or fluorescence method; Lytle detector or semiconductor detector; single or multi, etc.), element, absorption edge, sample concentration and sample matrix.

How you calculated the number of shifts:
Provide how you estimated the number of required shifts. If you have any questions, contact the beamline scientist.

[Biocrystallography Applicants]
Molecules & Crystals:
Provide all the necessary information if you check the box for "Biocrystallography Applicants." You can enter only three kinds of molecules/crystals. If you need more space to enter additional information, contact the Users Office.

Note: As for "Experimental details" page, provide only "Reasons for selecting this beamline" and " How you calculated the number of shifts."

You are advised to download a draft file in MS Word format at the UI site and use it as a working draft in order to avoid input errors and just in case your web browser closes unexpectedly or becomes non-responsive.