Info for users

On Proposal Submission

We invite users and collaborators to discuss their proposals with the beamline local contacts well in advance before the submission deadline. This is crucial for a careful assessment of the experiment feasibility and may result in an improvement of the proposal.  Please read carefully our guidelines for proposal submission.

ATTENTION: Since 2018, SAXS beamtime can be obtained ONLY by submitting a CERIC beamtime proposal !!!  Access via an Elettra beamtime proposal is NOT possible anymore. Therefore, both single or also multiple technique CERIC beamtime proposals are now accepted for the SAXS beamline. 
 

Call for proposals

The deadlines for CERIC proposal submission for beamtime allocation from January 1st to June 30th, 2020 are

• September 1st 2019 at 17:00 CET for users who wish to get a pre-evaluation and the possibility to improve their proposal
• September 30th 2019 at 17:00 CET final submission, recommended only for users that are experts in all the techniques requested, and know the available experimental set-ups.

Access Request

Users and collaborators coming to the Austrian SAXS beamline for experiments are requested to fill out the dedicated Access Request Form. Timing for the submission of the Access Request varies according to Users Categories: General Users, EU Funded Users, Research Team Members and Collaborators must submit their Access Form at least two weeks before the experiment. Italian Users must submit their Access Request form at least one month before the experiment. Note that in order to be able to enter the Elettra Laboratory, your access request must be approved. Instructions for different user categories can be found on the User Office webpages following our quick links.

When to apply

The "Call for Proposals" deadline occurs twice a year, in March and September. The exact dates are advertised on the CERIC homepage.

Beamtime proposal submission

CERIC beamtime proposals can be uploaded and submitted via the Elettra Virtual User Office (VUO). Before writing a proposal, you and your collaborators must register on the VUO (see instructions). Every proposal must address a clear, well-focused scientific problem or a debated, unanswered issue in the literature. The experimental plan must be realistic and well organized, capable to deliver achievable goals.

Experiment feasibility

Read carefully the informations on the Austrian SAXS beamline web pages. Consider that there are some important restrictions on how and what kind of samples can be measured, as well as to the maximum space available in case you wish to bring your own sample stage.
In case of doubts do not hesitate to contact us, so that we can discuss your needs, and prepare your experiment together.

Feedback from the local contacts

In order to be able to get back to you with feedback on the proposal feasibility, we strongly encourage you to upload your proposal in the VUO at least one week before the deadline. Interaction with the local contacts is highly recommended. Don't hesitate to discuss with us your experimental plan in detail !

Peer Review evaluation

The proposals are reviewed by an independent extern Review Panel (RP), after their feasibility has been assessed by the beamline coordinators. The RP is composed of experts in various fields of synchrotron radiation research, and evaluates the scientific merit of the proposals. The main criteria for evaluation are the following: expected impact of the experiments, topicality, probability to produce one or more publications on highly cited scientific journals, potential to help solving important technologically or socially relevant problems, possible development of a new application of synchrotron radiation.

Funding

The latest news on the financial support options can be found here. 

Scheduling accepted proposals

The beamline coordinator takes care of contacting all of the users whose proposals have been accepted, following the rank indicated by the Review Panel. We try to arrange the beamtime calendar keeping into account the experiment requirements and your specific needs.

Sending us your instrumentation

During the scheduling of the various proposals, we carefully check with you whether we have all the necessary equipment for  experiments. If something is missing, we make specific agreements so that you send us what is needed in time for the experiments (BEFORE shipping please follow the instructions).

Before your arrival

The Elettra user office webpages offer you advice on several topics regarding your stay at Elettra, including accommodation, car rental and how to reach the Elettra site.

Important note concerning funding

Funding agencies normally refund expenses in the time interval one day prior and after the beamtime. Thus, in the case you arrive earlier, your expenses ARE NOT COVERED. We invite you to check this with the CERIC User Office.

Fill the Access Request in advance!

Most importantly, don't forget to fill in the Access Request form. Timing for the submission of the Access Request varies according to Users Categories: General Users, Research Team Members and Collaborators must submit their Access Form at least two weeks before the experiment. Italian Users must submit their Request at least one month before the experiment.

Contact us!

Don't forget to contact us, so that we can arrange an appointment to meet at the beamline!