A FORM (to prepare experiment)

• the A Form must be submitted as soon as possible after the invitation letter is received and ideally not less than 6 weeks before onsite arrivals.

Important - Travel arrangements for subsidised users will be more flexible for trips that are organised early. No reimbursement or contribution to travel expenses will be made for travel requests made less than 2 weeks (10 working days) before the arrival date. It is therefore important to organise the user visits well in advance of the experiment.

• for MX experiments (Structural Biology) only:

Sample sheets can be added through the A Form up to 3 calendar days before the experiment.

• It is possible to add as users, scientists who were not registered as proposers on the original proposal.
   
• The number of users per experimental session is not limited but should be restricted to a safe number of people working together in a control cabin.
   
• The number of users receiving financial support from the ESRF or parcels of samples reimbursed, per session, is limited:
   
  • to 3 persons/parcels per standard experiment, MX BAG experiment and MX Rolling experiment,
  • to 4 persons/parcels for the following categories of proposals: Long Term Project proposals, HUB proposals, non-MX BAG proposals and standard proposals classified as 'red experiments' by the Safety Group, when the presence of more than three users is necessary to ensure the effective use of the beamline,
  • to 2  persons/parcels for CryoEM MX Rolling experiments
  • to one person or parcel for an offline experiment.
     
• Users who should receive a financial support from ESRF (to be registered as "reimbursed" in the A Form) must complete, in their user account, the information requested in the tab "Reimbursement data", otherwise the Main Proposer will not be able to tick the "reimbursed" box;
   
  • Requests for travel arrangements can be requested ONLY for "reimbursed" users: the "Travel Office" box must be checked.

Prerequisites for the registration of users via an A Form
 

The working language of the ESRF is English: therefore IT IS MANDATORY that at least one fluent English-speaking scientist participates in the experiment onsite.

• only scientists already registered in our data base (who have a user account) can be added to an A Form:
   
  • The Main-Proposer cannot create the user account of another scientist, as personal information is required.
  • the Main-Proposer must contact all the members of the experimental team to ask them to create their personal "user account" if not already done, so that he will be able to add them to the A Form,

• each user must validate his/her electronic and personal "User & Safety Declaration Form" relevant to the experimental session,

• each user must have followed and validated his/her Online Safety Training Course.
   

Both the "User & Safety Declaration Form" and the online Safety Training can be accessed via the ESRF User Portal

Note:

The ESRF is notified about a user, through the submission of the A Form, ONLY IF the user has completed all required actions (i.e. the on line Safety Training and validation of the personal 'User & Safety Declaration Form' specific to the session).

A scientist can consult/check the A Form completed by the main proposer only once he/she has been added to the A Form as a user (each registered user receives an automatic notification informing him/her that he/she has been added to an A Form).

Experiment

The information necessary to prepare the experiment must be provided in:

• the "Samples tab: this tab concerns ONLY the Structural Biology experiments (see point 5 concerning the Structural Biology Experiments).
• the "Sample environment" tab
  The request for support laboratories must be made in this tab.

Save the A Form

• Once the A Form has been completed (list of users, requests for arrangements), the first step is to SAVE it;
  At that stage the information registered in the A Form is saved in the Main-Proposer's account but is NOT communicated to the ESRF.
   
• The scientists registered as users on the A Form can consult the A Form and check the arrangements requested, through their user account (tab "Proposals/Experiments -> "A Form). They cannot edit the A Form.

To allow the submission of the A Form by the Main-Proposer, ear user registered on it must:

• validate his/her personal "User & Safety Declaration Form"
   
• perform their Safety Training if necessary

Submission of the A Form

At the submission of the A Form the all the information concerning the users and the experiment is communicated to the ESRF.

An A Form can be updated and re-submitted when necessary, but should be avoided when it is closed to the starting date of the experiment.

Reminder: only the Main-Proposer can complete and submit an A Form. The Users can only consult the A Form.

BEFORE STARTING THE A FORM

The Main Proposer should:

• Ask each team member either to create a user account or to update their existing account, if relevant. 
• Ask team members who should receive financial support from the ESRF, to complete or update the 'Reimbursement data' (private address and bank details) section in their user account.
• Ask each team member to make sure their appropriate safety training is still valid (tab 'Safety' in the user account).

Completing the A Form

Information to provide about each user

"Users" tab

Structural Biology (MX) Experiments:  see point 5 in this page

For each  user selected from the ESRF data base, the Main Proposer needs to indicate:

• the arrival and departure dates: all the arrangements (site entrance authorisation, accommodation, travel) will be made on the basis of the these dates
• whether the user will receive financial support from the ESRF for travel, accommodation and subsistence expenses -> tick the box 'Reimbursed'
• whether the user needs:
  • a room at the Guesthouse -> tick the box "Guesthouse"
  • assistance with travel arrangements -> tick the box 'Travel Office'
    Note: This option is only available for users receiving financial support from the ESRF (registered as 'reimbursed'),
  • a form for Customs enabling them to transport samples in person back to their home institution -> tick the box 'Airport Form'

REMINDER:
1. The box 'reimbursed' in the A Form is available ONLY if the user has completed the tab 'reimbursement data' in his/her user account.
2. The box "Travel Office" in the A Form is available ONLY for a user registered as "reimbursed"

Note: there is no need to request a 'canteen card'. The site entrance badge given to all users carries the canteen credit during the stay on site. It will be either charged by the ESRF (reimbursed users) or empty for the non-reimbursed users who have to charge it themselves.

Information to provide about experiment

"Sample" tab

Register the sample sheet describing the sample to be studied during your experiment.

"Sample environment" tab

For all categories of experiments you are asked to provide specific information on the sample such as:

• the volume of deuterium, if any
• the use of dry ice

Specific information is required for the Structural Biology experiments.

The request for support labs is also made through this tab with links to the appropriate request forms to be completed and to be sent to the scientists in charge of the laboratories.

"Comments" box

A “COMMENTS” box is available at the bottom of the A Form where the Main-Proposer can add any type of complementary information regarding accommodation or travel requests.

Saving the A Form

Once completed the necessary information in all tabs:

1. Choose the option 'Temporarily Save A Form' (button at the top left of the page). 

"Temporarily Save A Form" -> At this point, the A Form cannot be submitted

2. Each user listed receives an automatic notification asking him/her to validate his/her personal electronic 'User & Safety Declaration'.

3. Via the User Portal and his/her user account, each user validates his/her individual "User & Safety Declaration Form" for the appropriate session and should notify you (in view to submitting the A Form).

Submitting the A Form

4. At least one user is in good standing (i.e. he/she has both a validated 'User & Safety Declaration Form' and a validated safety training course): you may submit the form:

• click "Check and submit A Form"
• click "Submit" AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE

At this point, only the names of users in good standing for the session are communicated to the ESRF through the submission of the A Form.

5. Once all users are in good standing, resubmit the A Form a final time, at least 2 weeks before the start of the experiment.

The main proposer should ensure that the final submission of the A Form is made once all listed users have validated their declaration form and performed their Safety Training.

Please consult the previous points as they give general information for the completion and submission of an a form which are common to all types of experiments.

However user operation modes specific to the Structural Biology beamlines exist and each one determines specific requirements for the registration of the users.

Since 16 April 2018, the ESRF pays for either a user to travel or for the transport of a sample dewar to/from the beamlines, provided that the reimbursed users and dewars are registered in the A Form and that the sending of the dewars is organised according to the procedures clearly defined by the ESRF and the scientists of the Structural Biology beamlines.

The various options of completion of an A Form for an MX experiment are all described below: please read carefully.

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User Operation Modes on the Structural Biology beamlines
Registration of reimbursed users and reimbursed dewars (transport cost paid by the ESRF)
Mail-in experiment: how to complete the A Form
Registration of SANS-SAXS Users
Safety Trainings
Samples: registration
Travel with samples
Submission of the A Form

User Operation Modes on the Structural Biology beamlines

Normal operation mode
 

• All users coming to the beamline MUST be registered on the A-form ("Users" tab)
• All users MUST have done the Standard User Safety Training,
• Reimbursed users/dewars are selected,
• Requests for arrangements are made: travel & accommodation arrangements for reimbursed users, accommodation arrangement only for non-reimbursed users.

Remote Access experiment

This mode is available on all Structural Biology beamlines except MASSIF-1 (ID30A-1), CM01 and BM29.

The experiment may be “complete” Remote Access (no users physically present, all are collecting data remotely) or “hybrid” remote access (some users physically present and others collecting data remotely).

• All users who wish to use the beamline, either locally or remotely, MUST be registered on the A-form ("Users" tab)
• Users present on site:
  • MUST have done the Standard User Safety Training
  • Reimbursed users are registered
  • requests for arrangements are made; travel & accommodation for reimbursed users, accommodation only for non-reimbursed users
• Remote Users:
  • The "remote" box must be ticked for the corresponding user(s)
  • MUST have done the Remote Access Safety Training

Mail-in experiment - ONLY on ID30A-1 (MASSIF1) and CM01 (Cryo-EM)

This operation mode concerns ONLY experiments on beamline ID30A-1 (MASSIF-1) and CM01: no user present on site, the samples are sent.

• ONLY the name of the Main Proposer must be entered in the A-form ("Users" tab)
• the “Mail-in samples” box must be ticked.
• The Main Proposer MUST carry out the Mail-In User Safety Training and
• The Main Proposer must ensure that any members of the BAG who will prepare and send samples for Mail-In experiments have also done the Mail-In User Safety Training.

See "Mail-in experiment: how to complete the A Form" ("reimbursed dewars")

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Registration of reimbursed users and reimbursed MX Dewars (transport costs paid by the ESRF)

• For all public peer-reviewed experiments on the ESRF Structural Biology beamlines ID23-1, ID23-2, ID29, BM29, CM01, ID30A-3, BM30A and ID30B, the ESRF will pay for either a user to travel to the ESRF or a dewar of samples to be sent to the ESRF, up to the maximum number of reimbursed users and/or reimbursed dewars allowed for the experiment:
   
  • 3 for BAG experiments,
  • 3 for Rolling XRD/Bio-SAXS experiments,
  • 2 for Rolling Cryo-EM experiments
  • 1 for offline experiments.
     
• For mail-in experiments carried out on ID30A-1 (MASSIF-1) and CM01 see specific requirements for the reimbursed dewars.

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Procedure for the registration of reimbursed users and reimbursed dewars through the A Form

The reimbursed users and the reimbursed dewars must be both registered in the A Form, through the "User" tab.

Special warning when reimbursed dewars and reimbursed users are registered through the A Form

The procedures implemented that allow the registration of reimbursed dewars (payment by the ESRF of the transport of sample dewars) in connection with the registration of reimbursed users through the electronic A Form require the maximum of attention and care from the main-proposers in charge of the completion and submission of the A Form.

Why?

On submission of an A Form by the Main-Proposer:

• the list of users with requests for arrangements (travel and accommodation) is communicated to the ESRF
• the information on the reimbursed dewars is exported to ISPyB, the dewar tracking system.

This means that: 

• the ESRF starts to process the requests for arrangements for the registered users (booking and purchase of flight tickets, booking of rooms), and
• the information on the reimbursed dewars exported to ISPyB allows the users to send the reimbursed dewars.
• actions are initiated by both the ESRF and the Users.

Therefore the users must be aware that the modification of the number of reimbursed users and/or reimbursed dewars, once an A Form has been submitted, will not be accepted in order to avoid any discrepancies between the reimbursement requests already processed and the new requests.

The Main-Proposers are therefore requested:

• to finalize their reimbursement requests (users and dewars) for the session before the submission of the A Form,
• not to modify the number of reimbursed dewars and/or reimbursed users once the A Form has been submitted.

 

STEPS

Through the "Users" tab

The Main-proposer:

• Selects the Users, who are added in the section "Added users",
   
• Selects the reimbursed users by checking the corresponding box,
   
• Registers the requests for arrangements for all users (travel & accommodation for reimbursed users and accommodation only for non-reimbursed users), by checking the corresponding boxes,
   
• selects the number of reimbursed dewars to be sent using the available pull-down menu in the section “Reimbursed dewars”

Note: the number of “reimbursed dewars” proposed is linked to the number of reimbursed users previously selected in the section "added users".

• SAVE the A Form which cannot be yet submitted:

The Main-Proposer submits the A Form:

• The ESRF receives the name of users and the requests for arrangements:
  • the travel and accommodation arrangements are made (booking of flights and rooms, site entrance requests),

• the number of selected reimbursed dewars is automatically exported to ISPyB
  There is a link to ISPyB/EXI in the “Sample” tab of A Form and also in the Main-Proposer User account (tab “proposals/experiments” -> A Form)
   
  • by connecting to ISPyB/EXI using his credentials, the Main-Proposer can create the shipment for his dewars and proceed with the organisation of the transportation using the company FedEx.

Shipping the samples using ISPyB/EXI and FedEx:

See complete instructions on how to send your dewars using ISPyB, the dewar tracking system, and the courier company FedEx HERE.

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MAIL-IN experiment: how to complete the A Form

General instructions

The Main Proposer must complete the A-form as follows:

"Users" tab

• the name of the Main Proposer must be registered as the sole user on the A-form and
• the “Mail-in samples” checkbox must be checked - no other option must be checked
• in the appropriate section (under the "users" section), the number of reimbursed dewars to be sent must be registered, at a level of:
  • 1 dewar per shift of beam time to be used for ID30A-1
  • 2 dewars for CMO1

"Samples" tab

• all the samples to be sent for that session are registered in the “Samples” tab,

Mail-in Safety Training

• the Main Proposer MUST carry out the specific Mail-In safety training (valid for 1 year) and sign the "User and Safety Declaration form" as usual.

• The Main Proposer must ensure that any members of the BAG who will prepare and send samples for Mail-In experiments have also done the Mail-In User Safety Training.

Sending of sample dewars

The dewar shipment via ISPyB/EXI and the organisation of the transport of the dewars with FedEx are carried out as for all other MX beamlines.

Information on dewar reimbursement for mail-in experiments on ID30A-1 (Massif-1)

• The ESRF will pay for 1 dewar per shift of beam time to be used, with a maximum of :
  • 3 dewars for a BAG experiment
  • 3 dewars for a Rolling experiment.

Information on dewar reimbursement for mail-in experiments on CM01

If the MAIL-IN service is to be used:

• the ESRF will pay for up to 2 dewars
• it is highly recommended to send and Atlas image of the grid indicating the best areas.

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ILL/ESRF Joint Proposals (registration of SANS-SAXS Users)

The users should be registered through A Form for their whole stay (covering the full duration of the two experiments) through the ESRF A Form, where all requests for travel, accommodation and reimbursement for the full period of the two experiments should be made. When requested by the users, the ESRF will arrange the travel and book the accommodation (Guesthouse).

Consult also information on reimbursement regulations for SANS-SAXS Users.

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Safety trainings

All safety trainings are available through the User Portal, tab "Safety".

• users who participate in the experiment on site must perform the Standard User Safety Training
• an MX user identified as 'remote user' must perform the specific "Remote Access Training"
• if the "mail-in sample" option is selected on the A Form, the user (Main Proposer) as well as the scientists who send dewars must complete the "mail-in access training".

The course must be taken and validated before the A Form is submitted.

The "Remote Access Training" and "Mail-in Access Training" do NOT replace the Standard Safety Training Course; the standard course should be completed if the user intends to visit the ESRF at any point for an experiment.

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Samples

Registration of Samples through A Form - Tab "Samples"
 

For a Structural Biology experiment, at least ONE SAMPLE SHEET must be selected through the "Sample tab" to allow the submission of the A Form

Normal, Remote Access and Mail-in

The main proposer must specify in A Form which sample(s) will be studied during that specific session: the sample(s) are declared in the "Sample" tab:

1. On the A Form, open the 'Samples' tab: a table 'All Samples defined for the Proposal' is displayed, listing all sample sheets previously submitted for the corresponding proposal.
    
2. Select the samples to be 'attached' to the A Form (i.e. the samples to be studied in this session).

Adding samples - specific situations

If a list of sample sheets is shown but  a new sample sheet is needed:

•  On  the 'Samples' tab of the A Form click on the quick link 'manage samples' to access the sample sheet submission utility.

If the A Form has already been submitted and a sample has changed:

• In this case, the sample sheet cannot be edited: it must be removed from the A Form.

A new sample sheet must be created: go to the 'Samples' tab of the A Form, click on the quick link 'manage samples'.

Sample Environment

Information on the sample environment is provided by the users in the "Sample Environment" tab in which the users can also request the use of support facilities.

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Travel with samples

If you travel with sample(s) and require an Airport Form you must request it from the ESRF Biosafety Engineer as soon as you receive your invitation to carry out an experiment at the ESRF. Please send an e-mail to the Safety Group or the Biosafety Officer with the following information:

• the number of the experiment
• the name(s) of the person(s) who will be transporting the sample(s)
• how the sample(s) will be transported: dewar, crystallisation tray...
• date of departure or date for which the form is needed if you are leaving the ESRF during the week-end or on a holiday.

Attention: This letter for the airport security is only valid for going back from the ESRF to your home institute.

The ESRF will not issue an airport form for your travel to the ESRF: for your travel to ESRF please contact the safety office in your home institute.

Further information on the Airport Form can be found here.

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Sending Samples

• Samples must be sent using an official courier service such as FedEx, TNT, DHL and must be addressed to the ESRF stores,
• All shipments must be prepared, declared and tracked using ISPyB and its dewar tracking system,
• When the transport of the dewars must be paid by the ESRF ("reimbursed dewars"): see procedure in "Registration of reimbursed MX sample dewars"
• If the transport of the dewar is NOT paid by the ESRF, the users can use any company to transport the dewars to/from the ESRF
• For experiments on ID30A-1 (MASSIF-1), see "Special instructions for ID30A-1"

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Submission of the A Form

Once all requested actions are done for the completion of the A Form, the A-form must then be submitted.

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