Apply For Time
There are a number of ways to request time on the beamlines at the Berkeley Center for Structural Biology (BCSB), and we hope that some of these options will meet your research needs.
Please note that prior to using the beamlines, new users will need to complete proprietary and/or non-proprietary user agreements and provide advance funding for any proprietary beam time. See Proprietary Nonproprietary for additional information.
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[edit] General User (GU) Program
General User beam time on all BCSB beamlines is awarded every two months. We invite qualified scientists to apply for beam time through the Protein Crystallography Rapid Access Program, administered by the Advanced Light Source (ALS). Interested researchers can submit a proposal which will be reviewed and ranked by the ALS Biosciences Review Panel. These rankings form the basis for allocating General User beam time every two months. To submit a proposal for the next GU cycle, click to
http://alsusweb.lbl.gov/4DCGI/WEB_GetForm/PXProposalEntry.shtml/Initialize.
GU proposal deadlines are usually the fifteenth of the month, six weeks prior to the next GU cycle. Check http://www-als.lbl.gov/als/quickguide/independinvest.html for upcoming submission deadlines.
For further details on the proposal application and review process, please click
http://www-als.lbl.gov/als/quickguide/independinvest.html.
[edit] Open Beam Time
Use of any unassigned, cancelled, or otherwise open beam time is strongly encouraged. Open beam time can be found on the Schedules page of the BCSB website.
In general, open beamtime appears on the schedules as blank or lined-through slots, with the following exceptions:
- General User shifts (turquoise) are allocated on all five beamlines every two months through the ALS Rapid Access program. Consequently, future General User slots may be in reserve for an upcoming General User proposal cycle, and unavailable for reservation.
- On BL 8.2.1 and 8.2.2 open teal-colored slots are released for reservation 72 hours prior to the start of beamtime.
If you have any questions about a possible open slot, please contact the BCSB Scheduler (BCSBbeamtime@lbl.gov) and we would be happy to assist you in finding available beamtime.
After identifying open shifts on the schedules, please contact the BCSB Scheduler (BCSBbeamtime@lbl.gov) to reserve the beam time, and include a claim with the respective number of proprietary and/or non-proprietary shifts. The BCSB Scheduler will confirm the beam time reservation via e-mail. BCSB admin staff will check that valid proprietary and/or non-proprietary contracts are in place, and if appropriate, that adequate proprietary funding is available. Prior to beamtime the following requirements must be met:
- The appropriate fully executed ALS User agreements must be in place prior to beam time.
- If applicable, proprietary funding must be received by LBNL at least five business days in advance of beam time.
- Prior to beam time, researchers must claim shifts as proprietary or non-proprietary. Claims should be submitted to ALS_BCSBaccounts@lbl.gov.
Use of "open" beam time without prior funding/contract verification is not permitted. The BCSB Scheduler occasionally sends out e-mail notification of upcoming open beam time. If you would like to be included on this list, please contact BCSBBeamtime@lbl.gov and provide your e-mail address.
[edit] Sector 5: BL 5.0.1, 5.0.2, 5.0.3 -- Participating Research Teams (PRTs)
The PRT groups are scheduled in four month blocks. When the schedules are posted, an e-mail is sent to PRT researchers, listing the following requirements:
- The appropriate fully executed ALS User agreements must be in place prior to beam time.
- Both PRT funding and any applicable proprietary funding must be received by LBNL at least five business days in advance of beam time.
- In advance of beam time, researchers must claim shifts as proprietary or non-proprietary. Claims should be submitted to ALS_BCSBaccounts@lbl.gov.
If a PRT member would like to reserve future beam time for use, but the Lab has not yet received the current PRT funding or executed contract, the BCSB Scheduler will post their reservation request on the web schedules with "pending" after the User Name. All PRT funding must be received by LBNL five business days prior to the scheduled beam time. If the funding has not been received by this time, or if the necessary PRT agreements have not been received prior to beam time, the user will be required to re-schedule for a later date, as the reservation will be released and the beam time will be available for use by other users.
This "pending" policy also applies to proprietary funding. See Proprietary Research at BCSB Beamlines for additional information.
If you would like reserved beam time on a on-going basis and if you are interested in becoming a Participating Research Team (PRT) in the BCSB,please contact the BCSB Head, Paul Adams, at PDAdams@lbl.gov for additional information.
[edit] Sector 8: BL 8.2.1 and 8.2.2 -- Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Investigators
HHMI Investigators are invited to use the beamlines on Sector 8. Check the Sector 8 schedules (http://bcsb.als.lbl.gov/wiki/index.php/Schedules) for open teal-colored slots, and e-mail the BCSB Scheduler (BCSBBeamtime@lbl.gov) with your requested dates. No single request should exceed six shifts. Non-local users can request a maximum of nine shifts. (Requests for additional time may be granted under special circumstances, subject to the approval of beamline scientist.)
HHMI International Scholars and Professors are invited to apply through the General User Program (http://alsusweb.lbl.gov/4DCGI/WEB_GetForm/PXProposalEntry.shtml/Initialize). See description above for more information. Please note: HHMI International Scholars and Professors will need a valid Non-Proprietary General User Agreement in place prior to scheduled beamtime.
72-Hour Rule: Open HHMI shifts will be held for Investigators' use up to 72 hours prior to the start of beam time. If the slots have not been reserved three days before, the time will be available to any users on a first-come, first-served basis.
New HHMI Beamline Users: The BCSB invites new HHMI Investigators to try out the Sector 8 HHMI beamlines. If you would like to begin using the Sector 8 beamlines, please e-mail your request for beam time to BCSBBeamtime@lbl.gov, and we will be happy to help you get started. Please note that new HHMI users must have a non-proprietary user agreement in place prior to the start of beam time. See Proprietary Nonproprietary research at the BCSB for additional information.
[edit] Crystallography Consultants/Contractors
The BCSB welcomes scientists who have arranged for their data collection to be performed by third-party consultants/contractors, who will be collecting crystallographic data on the researchers' behalf. Researchers can request beam time via one of the above scheduling processes: General User, PRT, or Reserving Open Beam Time.
[edit] BCSB Scheduling Policies
The BCSB endeavors to maximize scientific research conducted on the beamlines.
[edit] Pending Policy
If a scientist would like to reserve future beam time for use, the BCSB Scheduler will post their reservation request on the web schedules. "Pending" will be entered after the User Name if the Lab has not yet received the following:
- Executed PRT agreement and/or funding;
- Executed proprietary user agreement and/or funding;
- Executed non-proprietary user agreement.
All funding must be received by LBNL at least five business days prior to the scheduled beam time. If the funding has not been received by this time, or if the necessary agreements have not been received prior to beam time, the user will be required to re-schedule for a later date, as the reservation will be released and the beam time will be available for use by other users. See also Proprietary Nonproprietary Research at the BCSB for additional information.
[edit] Approved Programs
A number of Approved Programs make use of the BCSB beamlines - i.e. NIH SGx, etc. Two weeks prior to the scheduled beam time, the BCSB Scheduler will notify Bay Area and West Coast groups of upcoming openings. If the slots have not been reserved five business days in advance of beamtime, the shifts will be released and made available to any users on a first-come, first-served basis.
[edit] Unusable Beam Time
If a researcher is unable to complete their reserved shifts due to technical difficulties (i.e. storage ring malfunction), etc., please notify BCSBBeamtime@lbl.gov and the beamline scientist upon conclusion of your work.
- Sector 5: Peter Zwart, PHZwart@lbl.gov
- Sector 8: Corie Ralston, CYRalston@lbl.gov
Please include the time that you stopped work. If applicable, proprietary charges will be adjusted to reflect actual usage. Please keep in mind that the ALS assesses proprietary charges in eight-hour increments. Every effort will be made to re-schedule lost beamtime resulting from storage ring malfunction. Unfortunately, rescheduling may be limited by the restricted amount of open beamtime in the future.
[edit] Cancellations
Please notify us of cancellations as soon as possible (BCSBBeamtime@lbl.gov). If you could give us two weeks notice prior to scheduled beamtime, we would greatly appreciate it. This will allow us to offer the beamtime to other potential users. Also, we would be happy to re-schedule your cancelled shifts on any available open beamtime.