Standard Research Proposal

Access to the application form in the User Portal

In this page:

Status of your proposal (new, resubmission, continuation)
Experimental reports on previous experiments
Safety aspects
Selection of the beamline(s)

The status of your proposal

Is it a New, a Resubmission of a previous proposal or a Continuation of a previous proposal?:

• New: This is a completely new proposal which has never previously been submitted for beam time at the ESRF,
   
• Resubmission: The project described in your proposal has already been submitted to the ESRF in an earlier proposal round but was not allocated beam time. It is being resubmitted in this round either in an identical form or with some changes and/or improvements. By selecting the option "Resubmission", a specific tab "Details" will be issued in your application form where you will have to indicate any changes and/or improvements made in your proposal compared to the previous submission;
   
• Continuation: The project described in your proposal is a continuation of a previous proposal for which beam time was allocated at ESRF. The project described in your proposal is a direct follow-on from the work and results of  the earlier proposal.

The Experimental reports

Experimental reports on previous experiments MUST be registered as "relevant reports" in your new application for beamtime, even those carried out during the last 6 months preceding the proposal submission deadline. 'Preliminary report" or "confidential reports" can also be submitted. Details HERE.

If you register experimental reports in your new application form for beam time, please make sure that they have been EFFECTIVELY submitted and registered in our data base via the Portal. 

Warning: Your proposal will automatically be rejected by the Beamtime Allocation Panels if your experiment reports on previous beamtime usage are missing. Please ensure you submit them before the review process begins. 

The safety aspects

The name and characteristics of the substance(s) must be completed carefully.

Who to contact:

• the Experimental Safety Officer: Martine Moroni
  Tel:  +33 (0)4 7688.2369  Fax:  +33 (0)4 7688.2418

Consult also the biosafety information web pages

The selection of the beamline(s)

Useful links: 
Beamlines
Status of the beamlines

Select carefully the beamline(s) for your research: in the proposal review process, it is the beamline(s) selected in the electronic proposal form which determine(s) the committee(s) which will assess the proposal.

Selection of the beamlines for your proposal

ESRF beamlines are designed for research in areas as diverse as engineering, physics, chemistry, crystallography, earth science, biology and medicine, surface and materials science, and are characterized by specific techniques of investigation.

In the electronic application form, the main proposer may select :

• in the case where only one beamline is required :
  • the principal beamline (P1) required and up to two alternative beamlines (A1, A1') : this corresponds to a request for P1 or A1 or A1'.
• in the case where more than one beamline is required :
  • two principal beamlines (P1, P2). If appropriate, possible alternative beamlines for each principal beamline may be selected (as above) : this corresponds to a request for P1 and P2.
  • the proposer must give number of shifts requested on each principal beamline

Important:

In order to request the appropriate beamline(s) for your research, and therefore to have your proposal assessed by the appropriate review committee, you are kindly requested, in case of doubt:

• to consult the information web page on the beamlines,
• to contact the beamline responsible if you need more information
• to MAKE SURE, before the validation of your proposal, that the status ("principal" or "alternative") of the selected beamline(s) corresponds exactly to what you need.

Proposal summary: aims and scientific basis of the proposal - Scientific background

State clearly the aim of the proposed experiment together with the general and specific scientific background;  give results of preliminary work carried out with synchrotron radiation and/or other methods.

Experimental technique(s), required set-up(s), measurements strategy, sample details (quantity,...)

Describe the arrangements which will be made for the reception, preparation, use and disposal of the sample.  For life sciences proposals, a description of how the sample is obtained is essential.

Describe the experimental set-up and requirements, in some detail.  Queries concerning the feasibility (technical or safety aspects) of an experiment should be clarified with ESRF staff before the proposal is submitted.  The User Office can assist you to find the most appropriate person.

Safety considerations

Experimental conditions requiring special safety precautions such as the use of lasers, high pressure cells, bacteria, viruses, dangerous substances, toxic substances and radioactive materials, must be clearly stated in the proposal.  Moreover, any ancillary equipment supplied by the user must conform with the appropriate French regulations.

Beamline(s) and beam time requested with justification

See "Selection of the beamlines" in point 2.

Results expected

Describe the results expected from the measurements, their scientific (or technical) relevance, and how they relate to existing work on the topic.

Concluding remarks

Justify the beam time you request and give technical reasons which make the ESRF necessary for your experiment.

Include REFERENCES where these are relevant, but do not assume that they will be systematically consulted for essential details.

The Electronic Submission is done through the ESRF User Portal (SMIS). In order to login to the application you will require your ESRF login (last name) and personal password. If you are registered in the ESRF data base but you have forgotten your personal password, kindly contact the User Office by e-mail (user office). If you are not yet registered in the ESRF data base, you will be able to create your own user account and to access the proposal submission application.

IMPORTANT: Should you run into difficulties submitting your proposal electronically contact the User Office who will give you instructions to proceed with the electronic submission of your proposal.

Access to the electronic application form, via the User Portal

• tab "Proposals / Experiments"
• select: "Proposals" in the drop-down list
• tab "New proposal"

What to do?

• SELECT the electronic beamtime application form for an ESRF Standard Proposal
• COMPLETE and SAVE your electronic application form for a STANDARD PROPOSAL: the data registered in the proposal (details for the main-proposer, the co-proposer(s), proposal title, beamline(s) and shifts requested,...)  is submitted directly into an ESRF data base;

• DOWNLOAD the template of the "Experimental Method Form" (link below) and SAVE it on your local folder for completion:** LaTeX Users ONLY: convert the Experimental Method file in Postcript or PDF format;

MS Word for WINDOWS (updated: July 2017)
LaTeX.sty
LaTeX.tex

Once your Experimental Method file is completed and saved on your local folder, you must attach it to your electronic application form via the User Portal (tab "Proposals/Experiments -> "Proposals" -> "Proposal in Progress" , select "Manage your Experiment Form"):

• DOWNLOAD your Experimentam Method Form (the application accepts ONLY documents.PDF) and SUBMIT it: it will be automatically attached to your electronic beamtime application form;
   
• CHECK the PDF file of your complete proposal issued by the submission application;
   
• VALIDATE your proposal.
  Please note that the submission of your new proposal will NOT be complete unless you VALIDATE your proposal (Beamtime Application Form AND Experimental Method).

How to modify your proposal?

You have validated your proposal: it can be modified until the deadline (1st March or 1st September, inclusive).

Validation by the User Office

One week AFTER THE DEADLINE, the User Office:

• validates the proposals and attributes them a FINAL NUMBER (i.e.: CH-1111),
   
• communicates by e-mail to the main-proposers the final number of their proposal(s) ("Acknowledgement message")

In case of severe problems, please contact the MIS group or the ESRF User Office.