Call for 2018B SPring-8 Research Proposals - Overview -
This call has been closed.
Note Please ensure to refer to the List of Beamline Summaries before preparing application because there may be possible changes in available experimental devices at Beamlines due to replacements, removals and other reasons. In addition, prior consultation with Beamline scientist is essential for some Beamlines.
BL27SU plans to have a monochrometer upgrade after 2018A research period. Due to the commissioning, two weeks (42 shifts) at the beginning of 2018B term is not available for users.
In addition, BL45XU is planned to be reconstructed as a Macromolecular Crystallography Beamline from January 2019 and hence beamtime will not be allocated thereafter.
We appreciate your kind understanding.
[Contents]
1. 2018B User Operation
1.1 Beamtime Available to Users in 2018B: 291 shifts (tentative)
1.2 Types of Research and Proposals Available for 2018B Beamtime and Submission Deadline for Online Proposals (Japan Time)
• General, Cross-SR Facility Use for Industrial Application, Budding Researchers Support, Social Interest Proposals: June 7, 2018, 10:00 am
• Non-Proprietary Grant-Aided Proposals: May 24, 2018, 10:00 am
1.3 Beamlines Available for 2018B Public Beamtime
1.4 Several Bunch Mode Operation in 2018B
1.5 Complementary Use with SACLA, J-PARC MLF or the K computer
1.6 Beamtime Allocation at BL27SU
1.7 Reconstruction Work at BL45XU
2. Requirements
2.1 User Registration
2.2 Application for Beamtime
2.3 Radiation Worker Registration
2.4 Others
3. Fees (Tax Included)
3.1 Beamtime Fee
3.2 Program Fee for Non-Proprietary Grant-Aided Proposal
3.3 User Fees
4. List of Beamline Summaries
5. Contact
1. 2018B User Operation
1.1 Beamtime Available to Users: 291 shifts (tentative)
291 beamtime shifts will be available for 2018B (from October 2018 to February 2019).
1.2 Types of Research and Proposals Available for 2018B Beamtime and Online Submission Deadline for Online Proposals (Japan Time)
[Types of Research]
There are two types of research available at SPring-8: proprietary and non-proprietary research. Users are exempt from paying the beamtime fee if their research is non-proprietary. For research to be considered non-proprietary, users are required to make their research results available to the public through refereed journals or equivalent. For proprietary research, the research proposals are reviewed only from the viewpoint of feasibility, safety, sociality, and ethics. In this type of research, users are charged a beamtime fee of 480,000 yen/shift based on cost recovery for SPring-8 beamline operation. In return, users are not required to make their research results publicly available.
If you are a doctoral student (at the time of experiment) and wish to apply for beamtime (submit a proposal as a project leader), the budding researchers support proposal is your only choice; as a project team member, you can participate in any research project.
[Types of Proposals Available for 2018B Beamtime and Submission Deadlines (Japan Time)]
Click on the link to see the call for proposals.
- General Proposals: A signed Proprietary Use Agreement for Public Beamline (proprietary research only) must be received by June 14, 2018. |
June 7, 2018, 10:00 am |
- Cross-SR Facility Use Proposals for Industrial Application: | June 7, 2018, 10:00 am |
- Budding Researchers Support Proposals: A signed Agreement must be received by June 14, 2018. |
June 7, 2018, 10:00 am |
- Social Interest Proposals: | June 7, 2018, 10:00 am |
- Non-Proprietary Grant-Aided Proposals: A signed SPring-8 Program Fee Payment Agreement/Confirmation Check Sheet and research purpose/plan must be received by May 31 2018. |
May 24, 2018, 10:00 am |
Types of Proposals Available for 2018B Beamtime
Type of Proposal | Description | Review | Proprietary Use | Online Submission Deadline |
General Proposal | For general research using synchrotron radiation. For some BLs, one-year proposals are accepted for research term B. | twice a year | available | Thursday, June 7, 2018 10:00 am, Japan Time |
Cross-SR Facility Use Proposal for Industrial Application | For industrial research proposals that are expected to produce outstanding results through the reserch results from other domestic Synchrotron Radiation Facilities. | 6 times a year | not available | |
Social Interest Proposal | For research with themes that attract public interest and meet social requirements. | twice a year | not available | |
Budding Researchers Support Proposal | Intended for doctoral students (at the time of experiment) with an exploratory and original research proposal or research theme. Excluding some BLs, one-year proposals are accepted for research term B. | twice a year | not available | |
Non-Proprietary Grant-Aided Proposal | For research proposals that have been reviewed and approved for a research grant available in Japan. A program fee will be charged. | twice a year | not available | Thursday, May 24, 2018 10:00 am, Japan Time |
1.3 Beamlines Available for 2018B Beamtime
Beamlines available for 2018B beamtime by type of proposal are listed below.
Table 2. Beamlines Available for 2018B Beamtime by Type of Proposal
For the specifications and status of experimental stations, please check the Beamline List and Table4. List of Beamline Summaries.
1.4 Several Bunch Mode Operation in 2018B
The several bunch modes scheduled for 2018B are as follows:
A-mode: 203 bunches
B-mode: 4-bunch train x 84
C-mode: 11-bunch train x 29
F-mode*: 1/14-filling + 12 bunches
G-mode*: 4/58-filling + 53 bunches
H-mode: 11/29-filling + 1 bunch
Please note that there may be a possibility that the operation in above Bunch Mode can not be provided depending on the Accelerator Status.
* The filling modes of F- and G-modes are operated only in research term B (e.g. 2018B, 2019B). In research term A (e.g. 2019A, 2020A), the D-mode (1/7-filling + 5 bunches) and the E-mode (2/29-filling + 26 bunches) will be operated instead of the F- and G-modes. For details, click here.
If you have a preference for a particular operating mode, choose from the pull-down menu on the Basic Information page of the online application form, and explain the difference in efficiency between your first- and other modes in the box provided for "Others."
1.5 Complementary Use with SACLA, J-PARC MLF or the K computer
To encourage research that is expected to produce excellent results more effectively through complementary use with J-PARC MLF (neutron facility) or the supercomputer (K) rather than when SPring-8 is used alone, we have been inviting SPring-8 proposals for such complementary use with either or both facilities since 2014A. SACLA has been added to those facilities for complementary use from 2017A. Available types of proposals and beamlines are as follows:
[Available Types of Proposals]
• General Proposals (non-proprietary only)
• Cross-SR Facility Use Proposals for Industrial Application
• Budding Researchers Support Proposals
• Social Interest Proposals
[Beamlines Available to the Program]
Click here to see the list of beamlines available to the program.
Proposal Types marked with ★ are available.
For details, please refer to the "Call for 2018B SPring-8 Research Proposals for Complementary Use with SACLA, J-PARC MLF or the K computer."
1.6 Beamtime Allocation at BL27SU
BL27SU plans to have a monochrometer upgrade after 2018A research period. Due to the commissioning, two weeks (42 shifts) at the beginning of 2018B term is not available for users. We appreciate your kind understanding.
1.7 Reconstruction Work at BL45XU
BL45XU is planned to be reconstructed as a Macromolecular Crystallography Beamline from January 2019 and there may be a possibility that beamtime allocation in 2018B term is affected.
2. Requirements
2.1 User Registration (Not Required of Repeat Users)
To submit an application online, you must have obtained a user account (user card ID number and password) by registering yourself. Please make sure that not only project leaders/applicants but also all project team members are registered as SPring-8 users. If you are not registered as a SPring-8 user, click here to register.
Note: Registration information is also used for contact. If any of your registration information changes, you must update it from the UI site.
Front Page > Log in to My Page > Search/Other > Edit My Details
2.2 Application for Beamtime
Applicants/project leaders are required to submit proposals online from the User Information website (UI site) through the web-based proposal submission system.
UI site: http://user.spring8.or.jp/?lang=en
Log in to the system with your user card ID number and password. If you have not obtained your user card ID number, please complete user registration first. Please note that only the project leaders can submit proposals; if a project team member needs to submit a proposal in place of the project leader, she/he must log in to the project leader's account. In this case, the project leader is responsible for managing his or her account information. Before starting the application process, project leaders must make sure that all project team members have completed user registration.
To avoid losing work in the event of a browser crash or unexpected logout, you are strongly encouraged to first draft your application offline using the MS Word template available from here.
For step-by-step instructions on how to submit proposals, click here.
[Important Notes]
a. Project Leader
A project leader is the person who will have overall responsibility throughout the experiment at SPring-8. The project leader and the person who is responsible for the research may not be the same person. Likewise, the project leader need not be the first author for SPring-8-related publications.
b. Application Type (New/One-Year (accepted for B terms only))
If you wish to apply for a one-year proposal, which (a) is applicable only for non-proprietary General Proposals with use of certain limited BLs and Budding Researchers Support Proposals, (b) may allow you to use beamtime in two consecutive research terms (starting at B terms and ending at A terms), and (c) is applicable only in B terms (no call for A terms), choose One-Year as Application Type.
c. Use of Multiple Beamlines
Applicants wishing to use more than one beamline must submit a separate application for each beamline. Submitting multiple applications is not detrimental to applicants if it is deemed appropriate to use more than one beamline. In such a case, applicants may use the same wording in the abstract page of the applications.
d. Number of Shifts Required (8 h/shift)
Generally, beamtime is allocated in increments of 3 shifts, however, the beamtime in increments of a 0.5 shift is available for BL41XU, the beamtime in increments of 1 shift is available for BL38B1and BL26B1/B2, and the beamtime in increments of 1.5 shifts is available for BL32XU. If you need assistance in calculating how many shifts are necessary for your research, please contact the Beamline Scientist.
e. List of SPring-8 Publications (Repeat Users Only)
Please be sure to provide the list of publications with brief descriptions in chronological order with the most recent first. List as many as space permits.
f. High Pressure Gas Cylinder
If you wish to bring in a high-pressure gas cylinder, please make sure to provide all required information in the online application:
[Known Safety Hazards & Measures to Be Taken]
"Does your proposed research involve any of the following?" > Check the box for "High pressure gas cylinder." Then, fill out the "Details of samples" table properly. Please be advised that if you attempt to bring in a high-pressure gas cylinder without providing the required information in the application, there may be restrictions on the cylinder to be brought into the site during the administrative procedures required by the High Pressure Gas Safety Act.
g. Mode Operation
Options for mode Operation has been renewed from 2017A. For details, click here.
2.3 Radiation Worker Registration
Japanese Law (Ordinance on Prevention of Ionizing Radiation Hazards) requires all SPring-8 users to be registered as SPring-8 radiation workers. To complete your registration, you must submit a "Radiation Worker Registration Form (Form 5-1)" by post at least 10 days before your visit. Once registered, submission of this form is not required for return visits within the same fiscal year (from April 1 to March 31 of the following year). For details, click here.
2.4 Others
- Safety Precaution
For your safety, do not work alone. Please include the name of your project team members in the online proposal application and make sure to work in a group of two or more.
- Cancellation of Beamtime
Please be advised that your scheduled beamtime may be cancelled in case of emergencies such as equipment failure, natural disaster, and pandemic. In such cases, users cannot claim compensation for the lost beamtime.
- General Insurance and Compensation
Users shall take out appropriate personal injury and liability insurance before conducting experiments. If their project teams include students, they shall make sure that all the students take out appropriate personal injury and liability insurance. If users damage SPring-8 facilities, equipment or persons, either willfully or through gross negligence, JASRI may require them to meet all or part of the cost of repairs. JASRI shall take due account of all relevant circumstances in determining the degree of user liability.
3. Fees (Tax Included)
Fees for public beamline use and user fees are summarized in the Table 3. Fees for Public Beamline Use & User Fees.
3.1 Beamtime Fee
[Non-proprietary Research]
Users are exempt from paying the beamtime fee.
Note: For research to be considered non-proprietary, users are required to disseminate their research results through refereed journals or equivalent and register the results with the SPring-8 Publications Database within three years from the end of the half-year research term. For details, click here.
[Proprietary Research]
Regular Use: 480,000 yen/shift (8 hours), 60,000 yen/hour
Time-Designated Use: 720,000 yen/shift (8 hours), 90,000 yen/hour (regular fee + 50% premium)
For any proposals that are allocated by the hour, the beamtime fee is charged by the hour.
3.2 Program Fee for Non-Proprietary Grant-Aided Proposal
Program Fee: 131,000 yen/shift (8 hours), 16,375 yen/hour
Intended for non-proprietary research projects that have been reviewed and approved for a large research grant, non-proprietary grant-aided proposals are exempt from scientific review, and only the technical feasibility and the safety of the experiment, necessity of SPring-8 as a research tool and ethics (e.g. exclusively for peaceful purposes) are reviewed and are available on the payment of program fee.
For any proposals that are allocated by the hour, the beamtime fee is charged by the hour.
3.3 User Fees
Public beamline users are required to pay the fees to cover the costs of beamline maintenance/operation and consumables actually used (user fees). User fees are composed of a fixed fee charged for wear and tear on the facility and a variable fee charged for liquid He etc.
Fixed Fee: 10,560 yen/shift (8 hours), 1,320 yen/hour
For any proposals that are allocated by the hour, the fixed fee is charged by the hour.
Variable Fee: calculated based on the amount actually used
Important: We will cover the costs for Budding Researchers Support Proposals and the non-proprietary proposals submitted by foreign users within the limit of the budget. Please note that the variable fee is not always covered when it exceeds the limit of the budget.
Click here for more details.
4. List of Beamline Summaries
Research areas and experimental stations/facilities available to users at each beamline are listed below. For the specifications and status of experimental stations, please also refer to the Beamline List. If you have questions, please contact the Beamline Scientist.
<Table 4. List of Beamline Summaries>
5. Contact
SPring-8 Users Office, User Administration Division
Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute
1-1-1 Kouto, Sayo-cho, Sayo-gun, Hyogo 679-5198 JAPAN
Tel : +81-791-58-0961 Fax : +81-791-58-0965
Email: sp8jasri@spring8.or.jp