Call for 2022A SPring-8 Research Proposals – Overview –

Important

1. New Proposal Review Fields (PDF) will be applied to 2022A proposals. Please click here for details.
   Proposal application forms have also been updated, and “Equipment” needs to be selected in addition to “Beamline”. Detailed instruction is available here. Make sure to check “Choose from Beamline” and click “OK” when you select “Beamline” and “Equipment”. Please consult SPring-8 Users Office (sp8jasri@spring8.or.jp), in case you are not sure about “Beamline” or “Equipment”. If you select “Unknown/Others” for “Beamline” or “Equipment”, the review will proceed with the “Beamline” or “Equipment,” which seem the most appropriate.
   In addition, if you cannot find your preferable combinations of “Beamline” and “Equipment”, select “Unknown/Others” and notify SPring-8 Users Office by email of your preferable combinations of “Beamline” and “Equipment”.
   [For applicants choosing “Industrial Application” or “Humanities and Social Sciences” as Review Field]
   If you want to select the preferable equipment from beamline or in case the appropriate equipment is unclear, please check “Choose from Beamline” and click “OK” to choose Beamline/Equipment from pull-down menu at Basic Information on the application form.
2. Due to beamline restructuring, HAXPES will be the only measurement technique at BL46XU from the 2022A term. The multi-axis diffractometer installed at BL46XU will be relocated to BL13 XU after 2021B term. Furthermore, BL46XU was available only for proposals in Industrial Application Field till 2021B term, but BL46XU will also be available for proposals in other review fields in 2022A term.

Special Notes on COVID-19
Special policy will be applied to 2022A proposals in order to minimize the effects of beamtime cancellations due to COVID-19. Please make sure to check here.

[Contents]

1. 2022A User Operation

1.1 Beamtime Available to Users: 270 shifts (tentative)

270 beamtime shifts will be available for 2022A (from April to August 2022) .

1.2 Types of Research and Proposals Available for 2022A Beamtime and Online Submission Deadline for Online Proposals (Japan Time)

[Types of Research]

There are two types of research available at SPring-8: proprietary and non-proprietary research. Users are exempt from paying the beamtime fee if their research is non-proprietary. For research to be considered non-proprietary, users are required to make their research results available to the public through refereed journals or equivalent. For proprietary research, the research proposals are reviewed only from the viewpoint of feasibility, safety, sociality, and ethics. In this type of research, users are charged a beamtime fee of 480,000 yen/shift based on cost recovery for SPring-8 beamline operation. In return, users are not required to make their research results publicly available.

If you are a doctoral student (at the time of experiment) and wish to apply for beamtime (submit a proposal as a project leader), the Budding Researchers Support Proposal or Long-Term Graduate Student Proposal are your only choice; as a project team member, you can participate in any research project.

[Types of Proposals Available for 2022A Beamtime and Submission Deadlines (Japan Time)]

Click on the link to see the call for proposals.

• – Non-Proprietary Grant-Aided Proposals: November 18, 2021, 10:00 am (Japan Time)
• 　A signed SPring-8 Program Fee Payment Agreement/Confirmation Check Sheet and research purpose/plan must be received by email before November 25, 2021.
• – Long Term Graduate Student Proposals (email submission of application form): December 1, 2021, 10:00 am (Japan Time)
• – General Proposals / Budding Researchers Support Proposals: December 2, 2021, 2:00 pm (Japan Time)
• 　A signed PDF file of Proprietary Use Agreement for Public Beamline (proprietary research only) / A signed Agreement for Budding Researchers Support Proposal must be received by email before December 9, 2021.

Table1. Types of Proposals Available for 2022A Beamtime

1.3 Beamlines Available for 2022A Beamtime

Beamlines available for 2022A beamtime by type of proposal are listed below.

Table 2. Beamlines Available for 2022A Beamtime by Type of Proposal

For the specifications and status of experimental stations, please check the Beamline List and Table4. List of Beamline Summaries.

1.4 Several Bunch Mode Operation in 2022A

The several bunch modes scheduled for 2022A are as follows:

• A-mode: 203 bunches
• B-mode: 4-bunch train x 84
• C-mode: 11-bunch train x 29
• D-mode*: 1/7-filling + 5 bunches
• E-mode*: 2/29-filling + 26 bunches
• H-mode: 406 × 11/29−bunches + 1 bunch

Please note that there may be a possibility that the operation in above Bunch Mode cannot be provided depending on the Accelerator Status.

* The filling modes of D- and E-modes are operated only in research term A (e.g. 2022A, 2023A). In research term B (e.g. 2022B, 2023B), the F-mode (1/14-filling + 12 bunches) and the G-mode (4/58-filling + 53 bunches) will be operated instead of the D- and E-modes. For details, click here.

If you have a preference for a particular operating mode, choose from the pull-down menu on the Basic Information page of the online application form, and explain the difference in efficiency between your first- and other modes in the box provided for “Others.”

1.5 Complementary Use with SACLA, J-PARC MLF or HPCI including the K computer / the supercomputer Fugaku

To encourage research that is expected to produce excellent results more effectively through complementary use with J-PARC MLF (neutron facility) or HPCI including the K computer / the supercomputer Fugaku (public computational resource of High Performance Computing Infrastructure including the K computer / the supercomputer Fugaku) rather than when SPring-8 is used alone. Available types of proposals and beamlines are as follows:

1. [Available Types of Proposals]
   • General Proposals (non-proprietary only)
   • Budding Researchers Support Proposals
2. [Beamlines Available to the Program]
   　Click here to see the list of beamlines available to the program. Proposal Types marked with ★ are available.

For details, please refer to the “Call for 2022A SPring-8 Research Proposals for Complementary Use with SACLA, J-PARC MLF or HPCI including the K computer / the supercomputer Fugaku.”

1.6 New Proposal Type Launched: Long Term Graduate Student Proposal

Long Term Graduate Student Proposal has been launched from 2022A. Please refer to Call for 2022A Long Term Graduate Student Proposals for details.

1.7 CryoTEMs Newly Available for Non-Proprietary Grant-Aided Proposal

CryoTEMs (EM01CT/EM02CT) are newly available for Grant-Aided Non-Proprietary Proposals. For details, please refer to 2022A Operation of Proposals in the field of Structural Biology and 2022A CryoTEMs for public use at SPring-8.

1.8 Reorganization of Review Fields and Changes in Proposal Application Form

Please note that New Proposal Review Fields (PDF) will be applied to 2022A proposals.
In addition, proposal application forms have been updated and “Equipment” needs to be selected in addition to “Beamline”. Detailed instruction is available here (PDF). Please contact SPring-8 Users Office, if you are not sure about “Beamline” or “Equipment”. If you select “Unknown” for “Beamline” or “Equipment”, the review will proceed with the “Beamline” or “Equipment” which seem the most appropriate.

1.9 Beamtime Allocation at BL13XU, BL20B2, BL28B2, BL46XU, and BL47XU

Due to reconstruction works/equipment replacements and adjustments, 147 shifts at BL13XU, 42 shifts at BL20B2, 42shifts at BL28B2 and 9 shifts at BL47XU are subducted from 2022A Beamtime. In addition, only Experimental Hutch 1 (multi-axis diffractometer) and Experimental Hutch 4 (microdiffraction) will be available for users at BL13XU, and beamtime will be allocated from June 2022. Previously, BL46XU was available only for proposals in Industrial Application Field, but BL46XU will be also available for proposals in other review fields in 2022A term. Please refer to the table below for details.

1.10 Proposals for High-Resolution Inelastic X-ray Scattering and Nuclear Resonant Scattering

Since Proposals for high-resolution inelastic x-ray scattering are automatically reviewed at BL35XU and BL43LXU, please submit your proposal to BL35XU. Similarly, proposals for nuclear resonant scattering submitted to BL35XU will also be reviewed at BL19LXU. Please indicate the number of shifts required at BL35XU in proposal application.

1.11 Mechanical failure of Insertion Devices at BL17SU

Due to the mechanical failure of the insertion device of BL17SU, the light polarization and energy range available are currently restricted to vertical polarization and 480-2,000 eV, respectively (circular polarization is not available). Please contact SPring-8 Users Office for details.

2. Requirements

2.1 User Registration (Not Required of Repeat Users)

To submit an application online, you must have obtained a user account (user card ID number and password) by registering yourself. Please make sure that not only project leaders/applicants but also all project team members are registered as SPring-8 users. If you are not registered as a SPring-8 user, click here to register.

Note: Registration information is also used for contact. If any of your registration information changes, you must update it from the UI site.

    Top Page > My Page Login > account information > Edit My Details & SPRUC Research Groups

2.2 Application for Beamtime

Applicants/project leaders are required to submit proposals online from the User Information website (UI site) through the web-based proposal submission system.

Log in to the system with your user card ID number and password. If you have not obtained your user card ID number, please complete user registration first. Please note that only the project leaders can submit proposals. Before starting the application process, project leaders must make sure that all project team members have completed user registration.

To avoid losing work in the event of a browser crash or unexpected logout, you are strongly encouraged to first draft your application offline using the MS Word template available from here.

For step-by-step instructions on how to submit proposals, click here.

[Important Notes]

a. Project Leader

A project leader is the person who will have overall responsibility throughout the experiment at SPring-8. The project leader and the person who is responsible for the research may not be the same person. Likewise, the project leader need not be the first author for SPring-8-related publications.

b. Application Type (New/One-Year (accepted for B terms only))

If you wish to apply for a one-year proposal, which (a) is applicable only for non-proprietary General Proposals with use of certain limited BLs and Budding Researchers Support Proposals, (b) may allow you to use beamtime in two consecutive research terms (starting at B terms and ending at A terms), and (c) is applicable only in B terms (no call for A terms), choose One-Year as Application Type.

c. Use of Multiple Beamlines

Applicants wishing to use more than one beamline must submit a separate application for each beamline. Submitting multiple applications is not detrimental to applicants if it is deemed appropriate to use more than one beamline. In such a case, applicants may use the same wording in the abstract page of the applications.

d. Number of Shifts Required (8 h/shift)

Generally, beamtime is allocated in increments of 3 shifts, however, the minimum allocatable beamtime is 0.25 shift for BL41XU and BL45XU, 1 shift for BL26B1/B2, and 1.5 shifts (or 0.25 shifts for Automatic Data Collection without visit) for BL32XU. Similarly, the minimum allocatable beamtime is 3 shifts for EM01CT/EM02CT. If you need assistance in calculating how many shifts are necessary for your research, please contact the Beamline Scientist.

e. List of SPring-8 Publications (Repeat Users Only)

List the project leader’s publication (maximum 3) associated with the proposed research (Place an asterisk next to the publications based on research at the SPring-8.) and describe each publication briefly. In addition, put the project leader’s ORCID iD if available. (ORCID iD will be used to understand the project leader’s past research activities which is not directly related to the proposed research.)

f. High Pressure Gas Cylinder

If you wish to bring in a high-pressure gas cylinder, please make sure to provide all required information in the online application:
[Known Safety Hazards & Measures to Be Taken]
“Does your proposed research involve any of the following?” > Check the box for “High pressure gas cylinder.” Then, fill out the “Details of samples” table properly. Please be advised that if you attempt to bring in a high-pressure gas cylinder without providing the required information in the application, there may be restrictions on the cylinder to be brought into the site during the administrative procedures required by the High Pressure Gas Safety Act.

g. Mode Operation

For details on options for Mode Operations, please click here.

2.3 Radiation Worker Registration

Japanese Law (Ordinance on Prevention of Ionizing Radiation Hazards) requires SPring-8 users, excluding non-visiting users using Measurement Service/PX-BL Automatic Data Collection, to be registered as SPring-8 radiation workers. To complete your registration, you must submit a “Radiation Worker Registration Form (Form 5-1)” by post at least 10 days before your visit. Once registered, submission of this form is not required for return visits within the same fiscal year (from April 1 to March 31 of the following year). For details, click here.

2.4 Others

• – Safety Precaution
  For your safety, do not work alone. Please include the name of your project team members in the online proposal application and make sure to work in a group of two or more.
• – Cancellation of Beamtime
  Please be advised that your scheduled beamtime may be cancelled in case of emergencies such as equipment failure, natural disaster, and pandemic. In such cases, users cannot claim compensation for the lost beamtime.
• – General Insurance and Compensation
  Users shall take out appropriate personal injury and liability insurance before conducting experiments. If their project teams include students, they shall make sure that all the students take out appropriate personal injury and liability insurance. If users damage SPring-8 facilities, equipment or persons, either willfully or through gross negligence, JASRI may require them to meet all or part of the cost of repairs. JASRI shall take due account of all relevant circumstances in determining the degree of user liability.

3. Fees (Tax Included)

Fees for public beamline use and user fees are summarized in the Table 3. Fees for Public Beamline Use & User Fees.

3.1 Beamtime Fee

[Non-proprietary Research]

For research to be considered non-proprietary, users are required to disseminate their research results through refereed journals or equivalent and register the results with the SPring-8 Publications Database within three years from the end of the half-year research term. For details, click here.

[Proprietary Research]

Regular Use

Time-Designated Use

N.B. In 2022A term, beamtime Fees of CryoTEMs for regular and time-designated use are 80,000 yen/shift (8 hours) and 120,000 yen/shift (8 hours), respectively.

3.2 Program Fee for Non-Proprietary Grant-Aided Proposal

Intended for non-proprietary research projects that have been reviewed and approved for a large research grant, non-proprietary grant-aided proposals are exempt from scientific review, and only the technical feasibility and the safety of the experiment, the degree of expectation to produce results and ethics (e.g. exclusively for peaceful purposes) are reviewed and are available on the payment of program fee.
For any proposals that are allocated by the hour, the beamtime fee is charged by the hour.

N.B. CryoTEMs will be available for Non-Proprietary Grant-Aided Proposal from 2022A term. Program fee TBD.

3.3 User Fees

Public beamline users, including CryoTEM users, are required to pay the fees to cover the costs of beamline maintenance/operation and consumables actually used (user fees). User fees are composed of a fixed fee charged for wear and tear on the facility and a variable fee charged for liquid He.

Fixed Fee

Variable Fee

• A variable fee will be calculated and added in accordance with the amount of liquid helium actually used.

* 1 shift is 8 hours and for any proposals that are allocated by the hour, the fees are charged by the hour.

Important: Please note that financial support of user fees for non-proprietary beamtime users from foreign organizations has not been available from 2019B term. Similarly, domestic travel, lodging expenses and user fees support has not been available for Budding Researchers Support Proposal from foreign organizations. These expenses and fees have to be borne by the users themselves. We will cover the costs for Budding Researchers Support Proposals from domestic universities within the limit of the budget. Please note that the variable fee is not always covered when it exceeds the limit of the budget.　
Click here for more details.

4. List of Beamline Summaries

Research areas and experimental stations/facilities available to users at each beamline are listed below. For the specifications and status of experimental stations, please also refer to the Beamline List. If you have questions, please contact the Beamline Scientist.
Table 4.　List of Beamline Summaries

5. Contact