Becoming an ALS User
Qualified researchers work at the ALS as general users, members of an Approved Program, or members of participating research teams (PRTs).
General Users
General users are granted beam time through a peer review proposal process. They may propose experimental programs or single experiments to be performed on existing beamlines. They may provide their own endstations, use endstations provided by the ALS facility, or negotiate access to a PRT-owned endstation. They may establish collaborations with PRT members.
Approved Program
An Approved Program (AP) enables an investigator or a group of investigators to receive an assured percentage of beam time for a period of a few years to carry out an extended program of research. It is generally expected that the investigator(s) will bring in some resources that enhance the capability of the facility. AP status is obtained through the peer review process. More details can be found on the ALS User Policy Web page.Participating Research Teams
PRTs (groups of researchers from one or more institutions) construct and operate beamlines and have primary responsibility for experiment endstation equipment. They are entitled to a percentage of the beamline's operating time based on the resources the PRT contributed to the beamline. To establish a PRT, team members submit a proposal in the form of a white paper outlining the scientific motivations for their request. The proposal is presented to the ALS Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) which reviews the submission and advises the ALS director on the formation of a new PRT. For more information on forming a PRT, contact ALS User Services Group Leader (see below). For information on joining a PRT, contact the appropriate PRT spokesperson (listed on the individual ALS Beamline Tables).
Costs to Users
All users are responsible
for the day-to-day costs of research (supplies, phone calls, technical
support, etc.). The ALS does not charge for beam time if the user's
research is nonproprietary (results are published in open literature).
Users performing proprietary research pay a fee based on cost recovery
for ALS usage. The user may then take title to any inventions made during
the proprietary research program, and treat as proprietary all technical
data generated during the program. For additional information about proprietary
research, contact the ALS User Services Office (see below).
Additional Information
- Review the individual ALS
Beamline Tables to learn about research capabilities of the ALS.
- Inquire about individual
beamlines by contacting the beamline scientist or local contact listed
in the individual ALS
Beamline Tables.
- Select the beamline(s)
best suited to your research requirements and submit an ALS
General User Proposal and Request for Beam time Form.
- Read Writing
a General User Proposal for the ALS: Guidelines from the
Proposal Study Panels.
For information about beamlines available to general users
or for information about PRTs, contact
ALS User Services Group Leader
Advanced Light Source, MS 6-2100
Berkeley Lab
Berkeley, CA 94720
Tel: (510) 486-7727
Fax: (510) 486-4773
For information about proprietary research, contact:
ALS User Services Office
Advanced Light Source, MS 6-2100
Berkeley Lab
Berkeley, CA 94720
Tel:(510) 486-7745
Fax: (510) 486-4773