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XMaS: The UK Materials Science Facility at the ESRF

Copy of Applying for Synchrotron Time on the XMaS/BM28 Beamline

Applications for CRG time (Standard Proposal deadlines: 1st April and 1st October)

Two CRG proposal review rounds are held each year. Deadlines for applications to make use of the National Research Facility time are normally 1st April and 1st October for the scheduling periods August to February, and March to July, respectively.

Can I apply?

Access to National Research Facility (CRG) time is only for UK based researchers. Collaborations with EU and international colleagues are encouraged, but the proposal must be led by a UK based Principal Investigator (PI) and it must be made clear how the collaborative research supports the UK science base. Applications without a robust link to the UK will be rejected and should instead be submitted directly via the ESRF using their public access route (i.e. ESRF time with deadlines 1st March and 11th September, see Section further down).

As a National Research Facility, we are required to make REF reports to our funders and so unfortunately we cannot accept applications from PhD students directly. Beamtime proposals must be submitted by a staff member or a PostDoc.

How can I apply?

Your proposal must be submitted electronically via the ESRF web siteLink opens in a new window. Select "Users & Science″, then choose "Applying for beamtime″ from the drop-down list. On the right hand side, you can consult the instructions to submit your proposal and access the "User Portal″. Enter your surname and password and select "Proposals/Experiments″. Follow the instructions carefully — you must choose "CRG Proposal″ and "BM28 (XMaS - Mat.Sci.)″ at the appropriate stage in the process !!! If by mistake you select "Standard ESRF Proposal", the proposal will be submitted to the wrong stack and appear in proposals list for the next ESRF proposal call, i.e. 5 months later!!!

Once submitted, your proposal will be automatically assigned a reference. Since January 2022, all the XMaS proposals will start with A28-1-XXXX (written on the top left corner of the proposal). If it shows a different reference (e.g. CH-6029), your proposal was submitted through the ESRF route... Start again the process as explained earlier and contact the CRG Office to have your proposal deleted from the ESRF stack.

If your experiment is a continuation, your proposal must be accompanied by an experimental report of any respective preceding beam time. Reports must also be submitted before the proposal deadline if the beam time was more than a month earlier. The experimental report template of a standard proposal can be found hereLink opens in a new window.

Any reports submitted after the deadline may not be considered in that round. Typically, reports are expected to be no longer than two A4 pages.

Who pays for my expenses ?

XMaS covers all the expenses (travel, accommodation, meals) during CRG beam time. For more information click HERELink opens in a new window.

Applications for ESRF time (Standard Proposal deadlines: 1st March and 11th September)

Two ESRF proposal review rounds are held each year, one month before the CRG proposal call. Deadlines for applications to make use of the public beam time are normally 1st March and 11th September for the scheduling periods August to February, and March to July, respectively.

Can I apply?

Applications for the same experiment may be made to both XMaS directly (CRG time) and to the ESRF (public time). Obviously, proposals successfully awarded beamtime by the ESRF will not then be given additional time in the XMaS allocation.

How can I apply?

Your proposal must be submitted electronically via the ESRF web siteLink opens in a new window. Select "Users & Science″, then choose "Applying for beamtime″ from the drop-down list. On the right hand side, you can consult the instructions to submit your proposal and access the "User Portal″. Enter your surname and password and select "Proposals/Experiments″. Follow the instructions carefully — you must choose"Standard ESRF Proposal (for public beamtime on ESRF and CRG beamlines)″.

Once submitted, your proposal will be automatically assigned a reference, e.g. CH-6029 (written on the top left corner of the proposal), the first 2 letters referring to one of the 11 scientific areas listed below:

  • CH (Chemistry)
  • ES (Earth Science)
  • EV (Environment)
  • HC (Hard Condensed Matter Science)
  • HG (Cultural Heritage)
  • LS (Life Sciences)
  • MA (Applied Material Science)
  • MD (Medicine)
  • ME (Engineering)
  • MI (Methods and Instrumentation)
  • SC (Soft Condensed Matter Science)

If your experiment is a continuation, your proposal must be accompanied by an experimental report of any respective preceding beam time. Reports must also be submitted before the proposal deadline if the beam time was more than a month earlier. The experimental report template of a standard proposal can be found hereLink opens in a new window.

Any reports submitted after the deadline may not be considered in that round. Typically, reports are expected to be no longer than two A4 pages.

Who pays for my expenses ?

ESRF covers all the expenses (travel, accommodation, meals) during public beam time. For more information click HERELink opens in a new window.

Applications for Spectroscopy BAG time

Applications to access the Spectroscopy BAG should apply HERELink opens in a new window (access route not available yet).

Preparing your Applications

When preparing your applications please feel free to contact members of the beamline team who can advise on the feasibility of the experiment and the wider capabilities of the facility. For some guidance on preparing your proposal click here.

The experimental form (template.docxLink opens in a new window - updated July 2017) of a proposal is a document that consists of a maximum of two A4 pages including references with a minimal font size of 12 pt. The submission application does not accept an experimental details form that exceeds two pages.

For general help, or to find out more, please contact Laurence Bouchenoire.

Alternatively, please contact the team member with the relevant expertise:

Didier Wermeille: Crystallography, high resolution diffraction and surface studies. Electric field measurements.

Oier Bikondoa: Soft matter materials, SAXS, GISAXS, GIWAXS, surface and reflectivity studies.

Laurence Bouchenoire: Magnetic scattering including polarisation dependence.

Paul Thompson: Sample environments including electric field, liquid cells and catalysis experiments. New sample environments.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion:

The XMaS facility will implement transparent policies and procedures to guarantee that access is based on scientific excellence only. In partnership with the ESRF Safety office, we will endeavour to ensure that the facility can accommodate any user, but this may require an individual needs assessment. If you have any questions about accessing the facility at any stage of the application or experimental processes please do not hesitate to get in touch.