Call for 2021B Long-Term Proposals Closed

• Please understand that there is a possibility that we cannot provide stable supply of Helium (both liquid and gas) due to the recent situation regarding global helium supply.

[Contents]

1．What is the Long-Term Program?

The system for the long-term use of beamline, under which 2-year beam access is guaranteed, is intended to promote research that are expected to produce outstanding results in the field of science and technology, pave the way for new research areas and new research methodology, and contribute to a notable improvement of technology for industrial base by fully utilizing the SPring-8 characteristics.

Unlike General Proposals, Long-Term Proposals need to go through a two-stage review process of application screening and interview and the post-project review is conducted upon the completion of the project. Please note that research results must be made available to the public; users are required to report the progress and results of their research in public appearances. Please also note that the title and overview of the proposed research and the name of the project leader will be disclosed when the proposal is selected.

Interested parties are encouraged to apply. Please prepare your proposal application using the following guidelines and instructions.

2．Research Period

From 2021B through 2023A (Post-project review: after 2023A)

3．Beamlines and Beamtime Available to Users

Please check beamline specifications at Beamline List before applying for beamtime. If you have any questions, please contact the Beamline Scientist of the beamline of interest. To see what kinds of experiments have been performed at SPring-8, please refer to the SPring-8 Solution Database. Please note that the maximum available beamtime per proposal is 16% of beamtime shifts allocated to each beamline for each half-year research term. In the case of the use of multiple beamlines for one proposal, the maximum total percentage of allocatable beamtime is also 16%.
Please note that prior consultation with BL scientist is necessary, if you are applying Long-Term proposal for RIKEN BLs.

4．Several Bunch Mode Operation in 2021B

The several bunch modes scheduled for 2021B are as follows:

• A-mode: 203bunches
• B-mode: 4-bunch train x 84
• C-mode: 11-bunch train x 29
• F-mode*: 1/14-filling + 12 bunches
• G-mode*: 4/58-filling + 53 bunches
• H-mode: 406 x 11/29-bunches + 1 bunch

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

*The filling modes of F- and G-modes are operated only in research term B (e.g., 2021B, 2022B). In research term A (e.g., 2022A, 2023A), the D-mode (1/7-filling + 5 bunches) and the E-mode (2/29-filling + 26 bunches) will be operated instead of the F- and G-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”.

5. Application Procedures

5.1 User Registration (Not Required of Repeat Users)

To submit an application online, you need to 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 your registration details change, please update your account from the User Information Website (UI site).

UI site > Log in to My Page > Search/Other > Edit My Details

5.2 Proposal Submission

Applicants/project leaders are required to submit proposals online through the UI site. To have your user account activated, contact the SPring-8 Users Office in advance.

UI site > Log in to My Page > Application/Reporting > Proposal/Use Plan Submission > New > Long-Term Proposal

Log in to My Page with your user card ID number and password. Please note that only the project leaders can submit proposals.

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 here.

For step-by-step instructions on how to submit proposals, please see this page.

[Important Notes about Information Required on the Application]

– Project Leader

A project leader is a person who will assume overall responsibility throughout the experiment at SPring-8.

– Type of Application

Be sure to select “New”.

– Number of Shifts Requested

Generally, beamtime is allocated in increments of three shifts (8 hrs/shift). Please note that you may be allocated less beamtime than you requested. If you need assistance in calculating how many shifts are necessary for your research, please contact the Beamline Scientist.

– Publication

Please be sure to provide the list of publications with abstracts in chronological order – most recent first: please list as many as space permits.

– 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 try 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.

6．Submission Deadline for Online Proposals

Tuesday, May 25, 2021, 10:00 am (Japan time)

To avoid last-minute technical problems and possible network congestion caused by heavy online traffic, you are strongly encouraged to complete and submit your application well in advance of the deadline. If you have trouble completing/submitting your application online, please contact the SPring-8 Users Office (see 13. Contact) before the deadline.

Upon successful submission, you will receive a confirmation email attached with a copy of the Agreement (Rules for Users) in PDF format. If you do not receive the confirmation email, please log in to My Page of the UI site and check if your proposal has been submitted successfully.

UI site > Log in to My Page > Application/Reporting > Proposal/Use Plan Submission > Submitted

7．Proposal Review Process

Review Process:
Applicants will go through a two-step review process; application forms are reviewed initially and applicants who meet certain criteria will proceed to the interview.

Review Criteria:
In addition to the criteria for General Proposals, the SPring-8 Proposal Review Committee (SPring-8 PRC) also considers the following.
1. The proposal has clear scientific objectives and research plans.
2. The long-term and organized use of SPring-8 will contribute to:
      a. delivering outstanding results in the field of science and technology,
      b. developing a new research area or a new experimental method, and
      c. significantly improving industrial base technology.

The interview (20-min presentation and 20-min Q & A session) is scheduled on Tuesday, June 22 or Wednesday, June 30, 2021*; please prepare your presentation on your Long-Term Proposal well in advance.

*The date is subject to change depending on the number of applications received.

8．Notification of Review Results

Applicants will be notified of application screening/interview results in writing as scheduled below.

  Application screening result: early June 2021
  (Only shortlisted applicants will be notified of the time for the interview.)

  Final review results: early August 2021

9．Report Submission

Users are required to submit an Experiment Summary Report online within 60 days of their experiment. Submitted reports are made publicly available online two weeks after the report submission deadline for the last experiment of the term (60 days after the end of each half-year research term + two weeks). For details, click here.

10．Dissemination of Research Results

• Poster presentation at the SPring-8 Symposium. (Expected date: Summer 2022 and 2023)
• Submission of post project report to the online magazine published by the JASRI (Upon completion of the 2-year project)
• Registration of publications from your research results in the form of a refereed journal (incl. refereed proceedings and dissertation), a SPring-8/SACLA Research Report refereed by JASRI, or a technical journal approved by JASRI, to the Publications Database within three years from the end of the research term. In the publications, please clearly state that the results were obtained through the use of the SPring-8 specifying the relevant experiment title and number. (On an as-needed basis)

To register, go to:
UI site > Log in to My Page > Application/Reporting > After Experiment > Publications Entry

For details, click here.

11．Post-Project Review

　A closed-door post project review is conducted by the SPring-8 PRC upon completion of the project based on a Long-Term Project Report and presentation* on the project.
*It may be skipped only when you submit a renewal Long-Term Proposal during the fourth term to continue your research and it is approved for the next 2-year beamtime.

12．User Fees

Public beamline 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: 10,720 yen/shift, 1,340 yen/hour incl. tax
Variable Fee: calculated based on the amount of liquid He actually used

Click here for more details.

13．Contact