Apply for Beamtime
Everything you need to know about getting beamtime at the NRC-CNBC through the Neutron Beam User Program sponsored by CINS, from the application to visiting the lab to reporting after the experiment is complete can be found here on this page.
Beamtime application:
Preparing for your beamtime:
During your beamtime:
After your beamtime:
Overview
The NRC-CNBC Neutron Beam User Program provides access to its suite of neutron spectrometers as a resource for scientists from universities, industries, NRC and other government laboratories. The Neutron Beam User Program provides access free of charge for public domain research through a proposal review system. Proprietary research is facilitated through another service, Applied Neutron Diffraction for Industry, in which the CNBC charges a cost-recovery fee.
The program is supported by an NSERC Major Resource Support Grant through CINS in order to maintain the CNBC in a state of readiness for access by scientists. CINS oversees the proposal review process and it supplies the independent committees of experts from its members.
Beamtime Application
Applying for Beamtime
You may submit a proposal at any time. On receipt of the research proposal, one of the scientists at NRC will be assigned as a Local Contact to the proposed experiment if none is specified by the proposer/user
Your proposals will then be reviewed by one of five CINS review committees, based on the scientific subject of the proposal. Proposals are considered for scientific merit, for technical feasibility and to decide if the period of beam time requested is appropriate.
Graduate students and post-doctoral fellows who participate in the proposed research may also apply for a travel grant from CINS.
Beam Time Application Form
You may download and submit a proposal for beam time if:
- You agree to the notice below;
- You agree that your proposed measurements are not proprietary;
- You agree that your proposal will be reviewed for scientific merit; and
- You agree to submit an experimental report within 6 months after the experiment.
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NoticeWhere beam time is provided on a no-fee basis there shall be no proprietary interest in the results obtained and the proposer shall make the results available in the public domain whether by way of publishing them in a journal or otherwise. For proprietary measurements, beam time can be obtained on a fee-for-service basis through the CNBC's Applied Neutron Diffraction for Industry (ANDI) service. |
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Proposal Review and Approval Procedure
Overview
Access to the Canadian Neutron Beam Centre by academic users is granted on the basis of the scientific merit of the proposals, which shall be reviewed by subject-oriented committees of scientists drawn from the user community. CINS coordinates the commitees.
The committee members shall consider such criteria as the prior literature by the proponent and other authors, prior knowledge about the subject material from other experimental methods, the reason that neutron scattering is required, scientific context of the proposed work and the expected impact of the knowledge that will be gained.
Decisions to accept or reject a proposal will be based on a simple majority of members of each review committee involved in the assessment of each proposal. CNBC staff are willing to work with applicant to refine and improve a research proposal to bring it to an acceptable condition.
Beam Time Allocation
When a proposal is accepted, beam time will be assigned at a scheduling meeting of the CNBC staff. Beam time allocations attempt to strike the best compromise between the dates requested by the proposer, competing requests for beam time on the same instrument and the availability of any ancillary equipment required by the experiment. CNBC staff will ensure that all necessary instrumentation is operational for the experiment and will assist with the measurement, if requested to do so.
Subject-oriented Review committees
There are presently five subject review committees:
- Quantum Materials: Zahra Yamani
- Soft Materials: Bruce Gaulin (McMaster University)
- Materials Science and Engineering: Ron Rogge
- Thin Films and Surfaces: Zin Tun
- Condensed-matter structures: Ian Swainson
The proposal review process is administered by Niki Schrie and is ultimately the responsibility of the CNBC Director, John Root.
Procedure for Review of Research Proposals
A delay of 8-12 weeks is to be expected from the time a Proposal is received to the time neutron beam measurements can begin.
- Upon receipt of a Proposal, the Director ensures that a Local Contact has been assigned, checks whether or not an on-site participant has been identified and verifies that a self-assessment of hazards has been completed by the Proponents.
- The Director forwards the proposal to the Review Administrator (cc Local Contact).
- The Review Administrator registers receipt of the Proposal, assigns a number (e.g. CNBC-123), and forwards it to the Local Contact.
- The Local Contact reviews the Proposal, in consultation with the primary Proponent to:
- ensure that the proposal is correct and complete
- ensure that the experiment is feasible with existing CNBC equipment
- ensure that foreseeable hazards have been described adequately
- Within one week from receipt, the Local Contact either sends a message of rejection (with reason) to the Review Administrator and primary Proponent, or forwards the correct and complete Proposal to the Safety Authority for safety review (cc Review Administrator).
- Safety Assessment:
- For proposals with an identified hazard, the Safety Authority evaluates and refines the safety-related aspects of the proposal, and secures approvals from relevant authorities (e.g. NRU senior radiation supervisor, NRU control systems section head…) if necessary. If satisfied, the Safety Authority signs to indicate that the experimental plan mitigates the foreseeable hazards adequately and that other applicable approvals have been secured, then informs the Local Contact, Director and Review Administrator that the proposal is ready for release to scientific review.1 If hazards cannot be mitigated adequately, the Safety Authority informs the Local Contact, Director and Review Administrator that the proposal is rejected on the grounds of safety.
- For proposals with no identified hazard, the Safety Authority approves the proposal and notifies the Local Contact, Director and Review Administrator within one week.
- The Director approves the proposal for scheduling, subject to the outcome of scientific peer review, and forwards the proposal to the Review Administrator (cc Local Contact).1
- The Review Administrator requests input from the relevant Subject Review Committee Coordinator on the composition of the Review Committee for the Proposal (cc Local Contact).
- The Local Contact may recommend which Subject Review Committee members are appropriate to review the Proposal.
- The Committee Coordinator decides on the composition of the Review Committee and informs the Review Administrator of the appropriate Reviewers,2 subject to the following conditions:
- There shall be three (3) Reviewers, one from the CNBC and two who are not employees of NRC.
- There shall be no Reviewer from the university / organization of the leading Proponent.
- There shall not be two Reviewers from the same university / organization.
- The Review Administrator distributes the Proposal to the appropriate Reviewers and the Committee Coordinator.
- Within two weeks from receipt of the proposal, the Committee Coordinator completes a confidential report that incorporates Reviewers' comments and conclusions, and sends it to the Review Administrator to be kept on file by the CNBC. The Committee Coordinator ensures that the report includes a decision, based on a majority opinion, that the Proposal is:
- Approved,
- Approved on the condition that additional details are provided by the Local Contact to the Committee Coordinator,
- Not approved, inviting a re-write and submission for a new review, or
- Rejected.
- The Review Administrator informs the Local Contact of the Committee's decision.
- In the event of a fully positive outcome 12a), the Local Contact communicates with the Proponent to schedule and plan the experimental project. Otherwise, the Local Contact consults with the Committee Coordinator to formulate a suitable followup action.
- Only Proposals which are approved unconditionally (clause (12a)) or whose outstanding condition has been fulfilled (clause (12b)) will be entitled to scheduled beam time.
- For proposals that are not approved by a majority of reviewers, and an invitation for a rewritten submission is recommended (Clause 12(c)), the Committee coordinator shall prepare a Special Report incorporating the reviewers' comments and recommendations, then transmit this report to the Local Contact to share with the leading Proponent. The leading Proponent may choose to submit a revised proposal for evaluation. This revision should be accompanied by a cover letter detailing how the reviewers' comments have been addressed. The revised proposal, the cover letter and a copy of the Coordinator's Special Report will then be sent to the original reviewers for re-evaluation.
- Scheduling of approved experiments is made by a committee of all Local Contacts, meeting biweekly, and planning on a time horizon of 8 weeks, accounting for availability of staff, equipment, planned reactor shutdowns and the stated preferences of proponents for specific times, where possible.
1 If there are no hazards identified on the Proposal, a signature by either the Safety Authority or the Director will suffice to initiate scientific peer review.
2 The Committee Coordinator need not necessarily be one of the three reviewers.
Preparing for Your Visit
Apply for a Travel Grant
CINS will reimburse travel to Canadian Neutron Beam Centre (CNBC) for experiments. Reimbursement will be up to $400 per person per trip or actual costs, whichever is less, subject to the availability of CINS funds.
Eligibility
Only graduate students and post-doctoral fellows are eligible for reimbursement. Preference will be given to graduate students and especially to graduate students conducting their first experiment at the CNBC.
Claims
The traveller must personally submit a reimbursement claim. The claim must include:
- Original receipts in order to justify the amount being claimed ($400 or less).
- A letter of explanation outlining the claim and the purpose of the travel.
- Boarding passes if the claim includes airfare.
Original receipts will not be returned.
Claims should be mailed to the CINS Treasurer:
Prof. Thad Harroun
Dept. of Physics
Brock University
500 Glenridge Ave
St. Catharines, ON
L2S 3A1
Review Security Requirements and Get a Visitor's Pass
The CNBC welcomes you to carry out your experiment or visit with our staff. We hope that your visit to the CNBC will be both productive and enjoyable. However, since the CNBC is located within Chalk River Laboratories, a nuclear establishment, access to the laboratory is strictly controlled.
This section describes procedures required for working visits to the CNBC.
General Notes
On each day of your visit, you must stop at the Security Outer Gate to register with security and provide identification. You will not be allowed to use a camera while on site and will not be permitted to carry a cell phone with a camera. If you will visit the reactor or the spectrometers, your feet and legs must be adequately covered, to minimize the potential for skin contamination. For this reason, long pants must be worn, and sandals are not permitted.
If this is your first visit, or if it has been more than six months since your last visit, you will be required to take a one-hour computer-based safety training session. In addition to the computer based training, you will be given safety training at the reactor. This will cover general information such as alarms and their responses, as well as specific information on working at the spectrometers.
Procedures for short and long term visits are different.
Short Visits
The CNBC administrative manager will arrange a Visitor's Pass Request (VPR) for the days you will visit the laboratory. You will need to provide your work address, home address, citizenship and arrival/departure dates to the administrative manager. These passes are issued only for short periods, typically no longer than two weeks. The visitor must be accompanied by an CNBC staff member at all times. The visitor must report to the Security Outer Gate each day to sign the VPR and show photo identification (e.g., passport, driver's licence). The visitor will then be issued a Visitor's Badge, which must be worn at all times when in the laboratory.
Long Term Visits
If you will be at Chalk River for an extended period, wish to work at the NRU reactor without a CNBC staff member present or wish to enter the laboratory unaccompanied and outside normal working hours, then you must have an appropriate level of security clearance (Site Access Clearance). The requirements for obtaining a security clearance are different for Canadian and Non-Canadian applicants.
Canadian Visitors (Long-term)
The National Research Council's Canadian Neutron Beam Centre operates inside Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL), Chalk River Laboratories, Chalk River, Ontario. AECL's security policy, in accordance with the Government of Canada guidelines states that all persons requiring unescorted access to the NRU reactor be security cleared to the Site Access level. If you and your local contact agree this freedom of access to the NRU is necessary to carry out your research, we will need your cooperation and assistance to arrange the paperwork. Prior to your visit on site, please provide ORIGINALS or CERTIFIED COPIES (must be certified by a Notary Public or in the case of transcripts, the Registrar Seal) of the following documents. Uncertified photocopies are not acceptable.
- Birth certificate or Baptismal Certificate or Passport
- Canadian Citizenship Card or Record of Landing/Work Permit/Student Visa (if you are not a Canadian citizen)
- Educational Documents: Transcript or Diploma for Highest Level Obtained
- Two (2) Letters of Reference/Reliability:
One reference letter to confirm your employment history and reliability for the past five years. If you are representing a university, a letter from the university confirming your education will be acceptable instead of producing the educational document mentioned above. One personal reference letter from an individual (not a relative) who has known you for the past five years. Please Note: Documents 1-4 listed above are mandatory. Access will be denied if all the documents listed above are not presented to Security. A Criminal Records Name Check (CNRC) for Canada will be conducted by AECL Corporate Security prior to your arrival. If your CRNC comes back incomplete, you will be requested to obtain and submit a CRNC prior to visiting. This check can be obtained through most local and provincial police agencies. It is also the responsibility of the individual to obtain a CRNC from every country outside of Canada where the individual has resided in the past five years. These can be obtained through the consulate or embassy of each country. You will also be required to sign a consent form(s) which gives AECL your permission to conduct the security check. Individuals who refuse to sign the consent form will not be considered for site access and therefore, will not be allowed to go unescorted. Please contact us for these forms. These requirements are subject to change. Contact us before your visit to confirm current situation.
Non-Canadian CNBC Visitors (Long-term)
For NON-CANADIAN VISITORS, please contact the CNBC for the current Security policies/instructions.
Plan Your Trip
Airports
The most convenient point to fly into is Ottawa. Rental cars are available at the airport and there is also bus and airport limousine service to the Chalk River area. For distances from other major centres see the chart below.
| City | km | miles |
| Ottawa | 203 | 125 |
| Montreal | 417 | 258 |
| Kingston (USA Bridge) | 349 | 216 |
| Toronto | 448 | 277 |
| North Bay | 173 | 107 |
| Sudbury (SNOlab) | 290 | 179 |
| Sault Ste. Marie | 578 | 358 |
Driving Directions
Driving directions to the NRC-CNBC at Chalk River are provided by the NRC.
Accomodations and Places to Eat
There is a wide range of accommodation available in the upper Ottawa Valley, which is a popular tourist area. The nearest town to the Chalk River Laboratories is Deep River, which is approximately 16 km from the labs.
To find accomodations and restaurants, you can visit these web-sites:
- Accomodations listing provided by Lachlan Cranswick
- Restaurant listing provided by Lachlan Cranswick
- Deep River (6 km from the labs, population 4,000)
- Petawawa (9 km from the labs, population 9,000)
- Pembroke (25 km from the labs, population 20,000)
- Where to stay in Deep River
- Trip Advisor
What to do around Deep River and Area
Below are some starting points for you to look at for planning things to do in the area.
- Check the Weather in Deep River
- Valley Explore is an online guide to walking, biking, driving, cross-country skiing, canoeing and waterfalls in the Ottawa Valley, Ontario
- Things to do in the Ottawa Valley
- Algonquin Park
- Recreation listing provided by Lachlan Cranswick
During Your Beamtime
Connecting Your Laptop
CNBC visitors wanting to connect their personal laptop to the spectrometer computer network to retrieve data files, must connect to the .5 segment. AECL IT policy requires only company authorized laptops can be connected to the CRL private network. We have five dedicated IP addresses for this purpose.
Node name IP Address
NRC1 132.225.5.73
NRC2 132.225.5.74
NRC3 132.225.5.75
NRC4 132.225.5.76
NRC5 132.225.5.77
Procedure for connecting to public side of firewall:
1) From any network computer, open MSDOS prompt:Start\Programs\Command prompt
2) Refer to Table 1 for IP address and node names
3) Enter at command prompt: H:\> ping 132.225.5.73
a. If a timeout message occurs, then this node is available for use
b. If a response is returned, then node is in use: please try another IP address
4) Once an available IP address is found, connect laptop to any red (public) jack in B459
5) Open network settings application Start\Settings\Control panel\Network\Protocols (path may vary depending on operating system)
Enter the following:
Gateway = 132.225.5.224
Subnet mask = 255.255.255.0
DNS (Domain Name Server) = 132.225.33.28
IP address as found above.
XP users: Disable the network bridging feature
Printing
Printing can be performed on any of four printers:
1) CRP514, located in B459, room 143 (IP = 132.225.5.89) HP LaserJet 4M
2) CRP513, located in B150, room 402 (IP = 132.225.5.63) HP LaserJet 4M
3) CRP527, located in B150, room 442A (IP = 132.225.5.95) HP LaserJet 4M Plus
4) CRP515, located in B459, room 108, (IP = 132.225.5.91) HP LaserJet 2300N
Note: Gateway = 132.225.5.224
To install a network printer: (Note procedure may vary depending on the operating system)
1) Start\Settings\Printers
2) Click on Add Printer Following the wizard instructions:
- Select Local Port
- Select Create New Port
- Select Standard TCP/IP Port type
- Enter IP address and Gateway information
- Select printer model to install the appropriate drivers
Technical Support for Beam Time
The CNBC has a strong group of technical support staff who specialize in the various equipment and techniques used at the laboratory. Because the technicians are organized by their specialization, not by neutron-beam instrument nor by association with specific research officers, there is a significant flexibility in assigning technical personnel to assist with individual experiments. Some experiments may demand several areas of expertise simultaneously, such as cryogenics and computer control, and a number of technicians can be working in parallel to ensure that experiments get underway as promptly as possible.
After Your Beamtime
Experimental Reports
A requirement of the Neutron Beam User Program is that a short experimental report is written within 6 months of the experiment being conducted. The experimental reports should be considered extended abstracts rather than short papers. It should provide a brief description of the project with the main results. Experimental reports will be collated together for the CNBC annual report and may be posted online.
The guidelines for reports may be downloaded with an example report.
Report Length
We suggest that the following two options for the length of the report:
- Approximately 700 words with 1 figure; or
- Approximately 1,300 words with 2 or 3 figures.
File Format
Text is preferred in a commercial word processing format (e.g. Word or pdf), but we will try to accommodate other formats if necessary.
Text Format
Do not use any unnecessary formatting, because the text will be copied into a pre-existing template. Please use a standard font such as Times New Roman. An example manuscript is provided in the guidelines as an example of the desired format for manuscript submissions. The final version of the report after we have applied our formatting is also included below.
Figures
Figures will be printed in greyscale. You must provide original files used to create figures in the manuscript. We usually cannot rely on figures extracted from the manuscript.
We need high-resolution figures (300dpi is preferred). However, if your file is lower resolution, do not manipulate it with Photoshop to get nominally higher resolution, because that doesn't actually increase the information in the file. Instead, provide original the files used to create the figure and let us do the necessary manipulating. For example, if you created a figure using Excel, you can send us the spreadsheet file as well.
If your plotting software has the option to export or save the file in an encapsulated postscript format (*.eps), please use it. We can use the .eps file to achieve the required resolution because it is vector-based. Note: Origen has an export to .eps function.
Submission
Electronic submission is strongly preferred over hardcopy. You may send the reports to Daniel.Banks@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca by email attachment.
