What's the process? - Prospective User Guide
Planning Your Experiment and Understanding Beamline Capabilities
Look at the Beamline capabilities webpage. Determine which beamline and technique best fits your experimental needs. If you have questions contact a Staff Scientist to discuss your research (the CHESS User Office will also get you in touch with the appropriate Staff Scientist):
- What is the research problem?
- Which station(s) are appropriate?
- How mature is the research project (risk, size)? Has this been tried on a home source?
- What is the material - sample composition, form, size, availability?
- What are the experimental conditions (temperature, pressure, etc.)?
- What will be measured?
- Probability of success? Impact? Significance?
- How will results be presented and to whom?
- What is the timeline?
What is on the Proposal form?
Specifically, the proposal form will cover these areas:
- PI and collaborators (name, email, affiliation)
- Available run cycles, request dates, and estimated number of 8-hour shifts (We run 24/7, please ensure you have enough collaborators to support beam time around the clock if awarded)
- Beamline(s) available for proposed experiment (dependant on the Run cycle selected, see the Deadlines page for more information)
- Funding
- Itemize the sample and briefly describe each material and its state. Consider the following for each sample:
- Space group
- Unit Cell Size (Angstrom)
- Prior Diffraction Resolution (Angstrom)
- Physical Size of Largest Crystals Grown (millimeter)
- Declare Hazardous Materials including but not limited to chemicals, nanoscale, and radioactive materials.
- Be prepared to describe procedures in case of any emergency, including spill or accidental release of toxic materials, personnel injury, fires, etc.
- Scientific Justification
- Experimental plan
- Please state explicitly the experiments that you plan to perform in pursuit of the answers to your scientific abstract.
- Be explicit with the techniques you will employ, the experience level of your group and the results you might expect. It may be appropriate to comment on how you would respond to difficulties encountered.
- Beam requirements (size, energy, energy resolution) and instrumentation to be provided by CHESS (hardware, software, detectors, etc.) if not already checked elsewhere
Please upload any relevant reference material including figures, chemical safety forms, etc.
Run Cycle Types - Regular and Rapid Access
Regular Proposal Submission
Applicable Beamlines:
- CHEXS: PIPOXS (2A), FAST (3A), QM2 (4B)
- MacCHESS: HP BioSAXS & BioSAXS (7A), HPBio MX & FlexX (7B2)
- MSN-C: SMB (1A3), FMB (3B)
Submission: Proposals and beam time requests (BTRs) are submitted for three proposal cycles each year (refer to “Deadlines”).
Beam Time Request: Any amount of beam time can be requested, with typical allocations ranging from 9 to 18 shifts.
Proposed Research: Experiments should align with the research focus of the beamlines.
Review Process:
- Proposals are evaluated for scientific merit by external reviewers.
- Feasibility and safety are reviewed by CHESS staff.
Beam Time Allocation: Decisions made by the beam time allocation committee based on proposal scores.
Rapid Access Proposal Submission
Applicable Beamlines:
- MacCHESS: HP BioSAXS & BioSAXS (7A), HPBio MX & FlexX (7B2)
- MSN-C: SMB (1A3), FMB (3B)
- Note: CHEXS beamlines do not accept rapid access proposals.
Submission: Proposals and beamtime requests (BTRs) can be submitted at any time.
Beam Time Request: Short beam times, typically 3-6 shifts.
Proposed Research:
- Samples must be available or can be prepared on short notice.
- Experiments should align with the research focus of the beamlines.
Review Process:
- Proposals are evaluated for scientific merit by external reviewers.
- Feasibility and safety are reviewed by CHESS staff.
- Reviews are completed within 2 weeks of submission.
Beam Time Allocation: Decided by the beam time allocation committee based on proposal scores.
Scheduling: Beam time is continuously available for Rapid Access Proposals every month during a run cycle.
How to Submit a Proposal in BeamPASS
Beginning the Proposal Process
Once you’ve determined the details of your experiment and the beamline you wish to use, follow these steps to start the proposal process:
- Register and Create a Profile:
- Go to BeamPASS, register as a new user, and create your profile.
- Once registered and person record is completed, you will see the main dashboard of BeamPASS.
- Creating a Proposal:
- Select "Create Proposal" on the right.
- There are 9 tabs to complete before submission. (see above What is on the Proposal form?)
- Proposal Submission and Beam Time Requests (BTRs):
- Once submitted, the proposal is active for 2 years.
- The first BTR will be automatically created based on the run cycle selected in the proposal.
- Subsequent BTRs must be submitted by you or a collaborator listed on the proposal to be eligible for beam time in future run cycles.
- Example: If your proposal is for the first run cycle of the year (2024_1), we will automatically create the BTR for 2024_1. You need to log into BeamPASS and create BTRs (denoted by letter -b, -c, etc) for 2024_2 onward for beam time eligibility.
- Note: Unscheduled BTRs are not saved for future cycles.
Additional Information:
- Deadlines: Check our deadlines page to learn more.
- Assistance: If you need help, contact the CHESS User Office at CHESSUserOffice@cornell.edu.
Proposal Submission Information by Beamline
Submitting a proposal is the first step to accessing the CHEXS (Center for High Energy X-ray Sciences at CHESS), MacCHESS (Macromolecular X-ray science at CHESS), and MSN-C (Materials Solutions Network at CHESS) beamlines. Please read the details below for information about the proposal process. If you need assistance with any of these steps, please reach out to the CHESS User Office at CHESSUserOffice@cornell.edu.
Proposal deadlines can be found here.
CHEXS & MacCHESS
- To schedule in-person, remote, or mail-in access to a beamline you must first submit a proposal using the BeamPASS.
- Once your proposal has been reviewed by safety and peers, we will submit a Beam Time Request (BTR) to the beamline you have indicated in your proposal.
Available Beamlines (Beamline capabilities can be found on the CHESS Beamline Directory.)
- PIPOXS beamline (ID2A) - CHEXS
- FAST beamline (ID3A) - CHEXS †
- QM2 beamline (ID4B) - CHEXS
- HPBioSAXS and BioSAXS beamline (ID7A1) - CHEXS and MacCHESS
- Rapid Access Submissions are available for BioSAXS
- HPBio-MX and FlexX beamline (ID7B2) - CHEXS and MacCHESS
- Rapid Access Submissions are available for FlexX
MSN-C
If this is your first time submitting a proposal to an MSN-C beamline, please discuss your project prior to submission by contacting:
- SMB - Kelly Nygren (k.nygren@cornell.edu)
- FMB - Peter Ko (peter.ko@cornell.edu), or Arthur Woll (aw30@cornell.edu)
Available Beamlines (Beamline capabilities can be found on the CHESS Beamline Directory.)
- SMB beamline (1A2,1A3) - MSN-C * †
- FMB beamline (3B) - MSN-C *
* These beamlines are prioritized for Department of Defense researchers and their affiliates.
† The Forming and Shaping Technologies (FAST) beamline at CHEXS also services the structural materials community and has an open, peer review proposal system. Depending on demand and proposal scores, we often honor a “hutch swap” with FAST to give users full access to the suite of experiments possible across both beamlines.
You can find more information for prospective and current users on our website.
For questions, please contact the CHESS User Office at CHESSUserOffice@cornell.edu.
"We are planning to welcome in-person users during this run and will continue to provide and expand remote and mail-in capabilities at our facility. Please indicate in your proposal how you plan to access your experiment (remote, in-person, mail-in, or joint venture). As always, we will update users on our current Covid-related restrictions. "
Proposal Review and Scoring (Beamlines 2A,3A, 4B, 7A1, 7B2 ONLY)
Depending on the funding stakeholder associated with specific beamlines, proposals for the following beamlines will undergo a peer review process: PIPOXS (2A) , FAST (3A), QM2 (4B), HPBioSAXS and BioSAXS (7A1), and HPBio-MX and FlexX (7B2).
However, proposals for Beamlines SMB beamline (1A2,1A3) and FMB beamline (3B) are exempt from peer review.
How is my proposal peer-reviewed?
- A peer review is conducted on your proposal by outside reviewers (2-3) and an average final score will be assigned to the proposal upon completion of the review(s). Your average score will be on a scale of 1-4, 1 being excellent and 4 being poor. The areas in which your proposal will be scored are:
- Scientific and or Technical Merit
- Need for CHESS Capabilities
- Experimental Plan Details
- Expertise of Group (in both x-ray methods and science subject areas)
Please use the below as a rubric for writing proposals:
Scientific and/or Technical Merit
- Excellent - Results will be considered impactful and important - ambitious and innovative
- Very Good - Will advance scientific knowledge, methods, and/or address critical questions
- Good - Research contributes to scientific and/or technical knowledge base
- Poor - Proposed research has no clear importance or originality
Need for CHESS Capabilities
- Excellent - CHESS facilities and capabilities essential to obtain experimental results
- Very Good - Well documented need for existing facilities and capabilities
- Good - Appropriate use of existing facilities and capabilities
- Poor - Routine use of existing facilities and methods or poorly demonstrated need
Experimental Plan Details
- Thorough - Uses established facilities/methods or addresses all phases of a successful experiment (preparation, data collection/analysis, theory/calculations, etc.)
- Detailed - Provides a detailed description of most aspects of the experiment
- Adequate - Reasonable outline of experimental needs provided
- Insufficient - Too little detail to evaluate needs and/or predict successful completion
Expertise of Group (in both x-ray methods and science subject area)
- Extensive - Very experienced group with extensive history of successful outcomes
- Experienced - Group with proven track record of successes
- Gaining - Group has experience and demonstrated competence
- Novice - Group lacks experience or did not provide evidence of outcomes
My proposal was rated poorly. Now what?
Low Proposal Rating Guidance
If your proposal was rated poorly (with 1 being the best and 4 being the worst), please:
- Review the Criteria:
- Ensure all necessary details are included.
- Confirm that the selected beamline(s) are the best fit for your research.
- Seek Feedback:
- Contact the CHESS User Office to request any comments left by reviewers.
- Reach out to the beamline scientist to discuss potential improvements or capabilities.
Important Notes:
- Proposals ranked poorly will not receive beam time.
- Beam Time Requests (BTRs) are not peer-reviewed and retain the same score as the proposal.
- If your proposal was rated poorly, we recommend making the necessary improvements and submitting a new proposal for review.
Beam Time Request (BTR)
Initiating a Beam Time Request (BTR)
Valid Proposal Requirement:
- A valid proposal is required to initiate a BTR.
- Accepted proposals remain valid for two years from the date of submission.
- The first BTR is automatically generated upon proposal submission.
- Users are responsible for creating BTRs for subsequent run cycles.
Updating Proposal Details:
- Review and update details such as sample information, buffers, solutions, and equipment needs.
- Updates will undergo a safety review.
Experimental Plan:
- While the proposal may cover a 2-year plan, the BTR should clearly state the specific activities planned for the current run cycle if granted beam time.
Submitting a BTR:
- Log into BeamPASS.
- Navigate to "My Beamtime Requests".
- Click on "Start a New Beam Time Request".
- Select the active proposal from the drop-down menu and complete the necessary information.
For additional guidance or assistance, please contact the CHESS User Office at CHESSUserOffice@cornell.edu.
Beam time Allocation and Scheduling
Beam Time Availability:
- The total beam time each cycle is a combination of time for commissioning, maintenance, upgrades, and user experiments.
- Each cycle, beamlines may allocate a fraction of their time for specific technique experiments. Schedulers allocate appropriate proposals accordingly.
Scheduling Process:
- After the proposal and BTR submission deadline, scheduling begins in earnest by the Beamline Scientist and schedulers.
- Each beamline scientist is responsible for scheduling their respective beamline.
- Users are notified of scheduling confirmation through BeamPASS and emails from the CHESS User Office and/or Beamline Scientists.