User Agreement

CHESS

Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source (CHESS)

Non-Proprietary User Agreement

I. Preamble

  • The Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source (CHESS), as part of the Cornell Lab for Accelerator-Based ScienceS and Education (CLASSE), provides User(s) with state-of-the-art synchrotron radiation facilities for the study of Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and Environmental & Materials Science. 
  • The following Terms and Conditions shall be incorporated by reference and apply to all experiments conducted at the designated facilities. User(s) refers to any person not employed by Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source accessing CHESS resources including website, data, equipment, etc. All Users must sign/acknowledge this agreement prior to accessing such facilities, periodic review may be required. 

II. Facility and Scope of Work

  1. CHESS will make available to the User its facilities for the purpose of performing experiments, which may include research assistance, technical support, equipment, services, information, and other material, with or without an onsite scientist collaboration.
  2. Other facilities operated by Cornell University onsite are not part of these Terms and Conditions.

III. Admission to Experimental Facilities

  1. CHESS facilities are supported by our partners; therefore, each beamline has specific processes and procedures for requesting/awarding beam time and for the required acknowledgment should publication occur. Should you, as the user, have questions please reach out to the CHESS User Office at CHESSUserOffice@cornell.edu.
  2. Access to CHESS facilities (beamlines and/or other laboratory infrastructure) is based on research proposals submitted by the User. Accepted proposals will have been favorably reviewed by our CHESS Safety Committee, and one or more CHESS Staff Scientists based on technical feasibility and available resources at the laboratory. In addition, proposals submitted to Sponsored Programs apart from the Materials Solutions Network at CHESS (MSN-C) require favorable review by an external scientific panel. External review is not required for proposals submitted to the MSN-C program typically associated with beamlines known as the Structural Materials Beamline (1A3) and the Functional Materials Beamline (3B).
  3. Should the proposals under (2), or parts of it, be funded by a commercially driven company or institution, the User shall inform CHESS of the details of their agreement with the company or institution prior to research. In such case, CHESS reserves the right to charge the User in accordance with the currently valid fees. CHESS and the User shall decide on a case-to-case basis whether a separate agreement beyond these Terms and Conditions is required for commercial access.
  4. CHESS in collaboration with Cornell University, adheres to
    1. Policy 6.4 – Prohibited Bias, Discrimination, Harassment, and Sexual and Related Misconduct
    2. Policy 8.7 – Smoking and Using Electronic Cigarettes
    3. Policy 4.8 – Alcohol and Other Drugs 
    4. Policy 1.7 – Financial Conflict of Interest Related to Research

IV. CHESS Safety Committee and Hazardous Materials

  1. All proposals submitted to CHESS are reviewed by the CHESS Safety Committee. The CHESS Safety Committee makes the final decision to declare a proposal hazardous or non-hazardous, as well as whether the proposal is approved for scheduling. This designation does not impact the likelihood of scheduling beam time. Users must list ALL materials (concentrations and amounts, when applicable) and equipment they are bringing to CHESS, whether they are hazardous or not. Accurate information is crucial to ensure the safety of everyone in the lab. Some examples of hazardous materials and equipment commonly used include (but are not limited to):
    1. Lasers
    2. Solvents and chemicals
    3. Nanoparticles
    4. Heavy atoms 
    5. Heating stages
    6. Any electrical/home-made equipment brought to CHESS from another institution
    7. Any equipment containing beryllium
    8. Biohazards
    9. Use of the glovebox
    10. Any work requiring a fume hood or chem. lab
  2. Users bringing hazardous materials to CHESS must provide the Safety Data Sheet (SDS) for those materials, be knowledgeable about safe handling procedures, and supply a standard operating procedure upon request. Proposals involving hazardous materials will be assigned a Safety Officer from the CHESS Safety Committee. The Safety Officer will conduct a safety check-in with the group upon arrival and a safety check-out upon departure. They will ensure all equipment is safe to use, review detailed safety information related to the experiment, and arrange for the disposal of any hazardous waste.
  3. Users are encouraged to bring the minimum necessary quantities of hazardous materials to CHESS.
  4. Users must notify the CHESS User Office as soon as possible if they plan to bring or have delivered samples that differ in any way from those listed on the approved proposal. This includes changes in quantity, chemical composition, and storage requirements. Failure to notify CHESS may result in delays or cancellation of beam time.
  5. The User must communicate any and all experimental needs no later than 2 weeks prior to arrival at CHESS. Exceptions may be made at the discretion of the CHESS personnel, possibly requiring approval by the CHESS Safety Committee and/or CLASSE Leadership.
  6. More information regarding Safety at CHESS can be found here in the In-Person User Orientation and Safety Training.
  7. Stop Work Authority: At CHESS, all personnel have the authority and obligation to stop any activity that appears to pose an immediate safety hazard. Likewise, all persons at CHESS must cease their work if asked to do so for safety reasons. It is also an obligation of anyone stopping work to immediately bring such conditions to the attention of the supervisor(s) of those involved and the Safety Director. Work may resume only after a satisfactory resolution is established with all parties.
  8. Contact the CHESS Safety Committee at chess-safety@cornell.edu with any questions regarding hazardous materials and safety concerns.
  9. As part of Cornell University, CHESS observes the requirements of University Policy 8.6 from Cornell Environment, Health, and Safety. 

V. Conduction of Experiments, Local Contact

  1. Before submitting proposals, Users should thoroughly review the Prospective User Guide and the User Guide.
  2. After the proposal/beam time request (BTR) is accepted for review, a beam time access schedule will be prepared and a CHESS Staff Scientist (heretofore may be referred to as a Local Contact) will be assigned to the project. For efficient and successful use of laboratory resources, Users are requested to discuss the preparation of their experiment with the Local Contact well before the scheduled experiment.
  3. The Local Contact(s) will:
    1. Offer guidance and/or support in the technical planning of the experiment including the use of onsite laboratories. This guidance includes approval and arrangements for the use and support of any outside equipment the User proposes to bring to the beamline as part of the experiment. 
    2. Endeavor to ensure that CHESS-owned instruments required for the proposed work are properly set up and functional at the time of the experiment,
    3. Provide adequate and/or required training and support for the User to efficiently and safely operate CHESS-owned equipment,
    4. Offer support and training for data processing utilizing existing software that is currently supported at the beam line. Any needs beyond existing workflows and data collection should be discussed ahead of time and are the sole responsibility of the user except by mutual agreement. 
    5. Often provide significant intellectual contributions—such as developing experimental methods, providing substantial data analysis, or interpreting results—which are consistent with co-authorship on the publication. Co-authorship should be discussed and agreed upon with the relevant staff members prior to manuscript submission. Proper acknowledgment or co-authorship not only recognizes their hard work but also helps ensure continued funding and development of the facility.
  4. The User must communicate any and all experimental needs no later than 2 weeks prior to arrival at CHESS. Exceptions may be made at the discretion of the Local Contact, possibly requiring approval by the CHESS Safety Committee and/or CLASSE Leadership

VI.  Scheduling

  1. CHESS will inform the User in due time about the acceptance of their proposal and the access time allocated. An operations schedule/deadline(s) will be published on the CHESS deadline web page. CHESS retains sole responsibility and discretion for allocating and scheduling the use of facilities and equipment for experiments. If scheduled beam time is lost for any reason, CHESS does not guarantee compensation of beam time in the future.
  2. Users must inform the CHESS User Office and their Local Contact as soon as possible if the scheduled beam time needs to be canceled. CHESS will notify Users promptly if beam time is canceled due to technical difficulties, inclement weather, or other issues. Users are not permitted to access the building during university closure events.

VII.  Property and Materials

  1. After consulting with Safety and the Local Contact, CHESS may permit Users to provide equipment, tooling, test apparatus, or materials necessary for their experiments. These items will remain the property of the User and must comply with CHESS Safety guidelines. 

    Unless otherwise agreed, all such property must be removed by the User immediately after the experiment or within fourteen (14) days from CHESS premises. If not otherwise agreed upon, the User will be responsible for the disposal of these items at their own expense. Samples and consumables must be taken home or disposed of properly according to safety regulations unless prior arrangements have been approved. Heavy equipment must be delivered and retrieved during normal business hours (Monday - Friday, 8 am – 4 pm EST).

  2. The User must provide CHESS with all information concerning the materials for the experiments. Samples, chemicals, and equipment brought or sent to CHESS must match those listed in the accepted proposal and declaration forms. Before the experiment begins, a CHESS Safety Officer and/or Local Contact must approve any changes. Upon completion of the experiment, the User must restore all used facilities and areas to their original condition.
  3. CHESS is not responsible for the User's property in its possession, except in cases of loss or damage caused by willful misconduct or gross negligence by CHESS or its employees.

VIII.  Information Technology

  1. The Campus Code of Conduct and the Code of Academic Integrity provide guidelines pertaining to computer and network abuse and use while on the Cornell campus. For example, the use of software that pirates music, videos, or movies is strictly forbidden on Cornell networks. 
  2. CHESS Users are also expected to adhere to the IT security and computer use policies of Cornell Lab for Accelerator-Based ScienceS and Education (CLASSE):  https://wiki.classe.cornell.edu/Computing/VisitingResearcherComputerUsePolicy.  
  3. CHESS as part of Cornell University is in observation of Policy 5.1 Responsible Use of Information Technology Resources and all relevant policies referenced therein.
  4. By agreement of these Terms and Conditions, the User consents to email updates on deadlines and CHESS-related information. The User's contact details will be treated confidentially and used solely for this purpose. The User can unsubscribe from these updates at any point but understands they may miss out on important information regarding deadlines, events, etc. at CHESS.

 IX. Publication

  1. In case of publication the User shall acknowledge the support of CHESS, including the beamline(s) and experimental station(s) used, supporting staff, or any other assistance, in all published material (including conference contributions and press releases) arising from work carried out wholly or partially at CHESS by using the guidance found here: https://www.chess.cornell.edu/users/acknowledgment. 
  2. Following the principle of providing open access to information, the User may strive to publish the results of experiments under these Terms and Conditions in peer-reviewed scientific journals.
  3. Staff make significant intellectual contributions—such as developing experimental methods, providing substantial data analysis, or interpreting results—which are consistent with co-authorship on the publication. Co-authorship should be discussed and agreed upon with the relevant staff members prior to manuscript submission. Proper acknowledgment or co-authorship not only recognizes their hard work but also helps ensure continued funding and development of the facility.
  4. The User shall notify CHESS of the title, authors, and complete reference of any scientific publication resulting from the use of the CHESS facilities for submission to the CHESS Library online database.
  5. If you, the User, are performing biological work at CHESS, you are likely to use MacCHESS resources as part of that work. As the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is the funding source of MacCHESS, you understand that you are obligated to deposit any publications resulting from research carried out, in whole or in part using MacCHESS resources at CHESS to PubMed Central for public access. The authors must deposit for public access in PubMed no later than 12 months after publication.

X.  Personnel Relationship

  1. The User shall remain employed by their institution at all times during the conduction of the experiments and shall not be considered an employee of CHESS for any purpose.
  2. The User is required to have appropriate health, accident insurance, and general liability insurance coverage during their travel to and from as well as their stay at the CHESS premises, which provides coverage while the User is engaged in research activities related to the conduction of experiments under these Terms and Conditions. Any salary, benefits, or insurance related to their research activities are provided by their home institution or others, and the User must understand that Cornell does not provide any salary, benefits, or insurance for their activities under this Agreement.  The User shall hold CHESS free and harmless from any liability in this respect, including as may arise in case of failure to keep any part of the insurance coverage defined above in place.

XI.  Access requirements

  1. Access to the experimental facilities is granted in accordance with CHESS procedures and regulations. The access systems at CHESS require the collection and processing of personally identifiable information. As a precondition to using the experimental facilities, the User and their authorized personnel must complete all access documents and meet all CHESS requirements.
  2. The User and their authorized personnel must complete necessary safety training courses and participate in all required on-site instructions before starting the experiment.
  3. The User and their authorized personnel are subject to the administrative and technical supervision and control of CHESS. They must comply with all applicable CHESS rules regarding admission to and use of the experimental facility, including safety, operating and health physics procedures, environmental protection, access to information, cybersecurity, conduct, and specific requirements of the experimental facilities. CHESS reserves the right to withdraw access if the User, institution, or their authorized personnel do not use the facilities safely or fail to comply with these regulations and requirements or other reasonable instructions from CHESS and Cornell University.

XII.  Warranty, Liability

  1. CHESS makes no express or implied warranty as to the conditions of the facility furnished hereunder. In addition, CHESS and the User make no express or implied warranty as to the research or any intellectual property, generated information, or product made or developed under these Terms and Conditions; or the ownership, merchantability, or fitness for a particular purpose of the research or resulting product; that the goods, services, materials, products, processes, information, or data to be furnished hereunder will accomplish intended results or are safe for any purpose including the intended purpose; or that any of the above will not interfere with privately owned rights of third parties.
  2. Except in cases of gross negligence or willful misconduct, CHESS shall not be liable for any loss or damage in connection with the experiment. In addition, CHESS shall not be liable to the User for any indirect or consequential loss or damage attributed to the use of the experimental facilities, research or resulting products, intellectual property, or generated information. 
  3. The User must notify CHESS of any damages to equipment caused by its employees or persons acting on its authority.
  4. The User is understood to be responsible for any and all damages and/or injuries that are caused due to improper or negligent actions taken by the User.

XIII. Concluding Provisions 

  1. By signing these Terms and Conditions, parties agree any salary, benefits, or insurance related to research activities are provided by the User’s home institution or others, and the User understands that Cornell does not provide any salary, benefits, or insurance for their activities under this Agreement.
  2. This Agreement provides access to the CHESS research facilities but does not provide the User with access to other Cornell facilities beyond access available to the general public. 
  3. In exchange for use of the facility, I, the User, agree to release, indemnify, and hold harmless Cornell University for any and all claims or damages I may suffer related to my activities on campus, other than those damages that occur as a direct result of the negligence of Cornell.
  4. CHESS, in collaboration with Cornell University, adheres to Policy 1.2 – Research Integrity. This policy requires all CHESS users to conduct, their scholarly and scientific activities with honesty, uphold the highest ethical standards, and respect the contributions of others. CHESS users acknowledge and agree to these principles, understanding that any allegations of research misconduct, as federally defined, will be thoroughly investigated in accordance with federal guidelines and university procedures.