Becoming an NCEM User
Step 1: Submit a proposal
Step 2: Before you begin your research
Step 3: Instrument qualification
Step 4: Accessing NCEM facilities and performing research
Step 1: Submit a proposal
Access to NCEM facilities is granted to researchers whose proposals are accepted by the NCEM proposal review committee. NCEM users are expected to have a strong background in transmission electron microscopy, and submitted proposals should include evidence of prior electron microscopy experience by the intended operator. Researchers who do not have sufficient experience in electron microscopy may be able to use NCEM facilities through a collaborative project.
The NCEM review committee meets quarterly to consider new proposals and evaluate the yearly renewal of existing ones (link to schedule). The review committee consists of members of the steering committee along with additional experts from the field. Proposals are evaluated according the following criteria:
- Are the proposal’s scientific goals sound and worthy of study at NCEM?
- Do the proposal’s goals require NCEM’s unique or advanced facilities?
- Does the primary researcher have the experience required to achieve the proposal’s goals?
- Are the NCEM resources available to support the proposed work?
Proposals are either accepted for a period of one year (to be renewed according to procedures listed below or they are rejected. You can download an example of a successfully-written proposal.
Complete the NCEM Proposal Form by clicking on this link: NCEM online proposal form.
Follow the instructions carefully and be sure to provide the information requested. If you have questions about a technical aspect of your proposed research please contact the appropriate staff member associated with your intended facility. For general questions please contact:
Jane Cavlina
National Center for Electron Microscopy, MS 72-150
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Berkeley, CA 94720
Tel.: (510) 486-6036 Fax: (510) 486-5888
Email: jlcavlina@lbl.gov
Step 2: Before you begin your research
Upon approval of your proposal, you must:
- Complete a Participating Guest Information Form, available in PDF or RTF format. Foreign visitors to LBNL should review Laboratory policies and send additional forms found here. (LBNL employees can skip this step.)
- Complete the Chemical Safety Form and Document.
- Obtain an LBNL badge, if you don’t already have one, by making a badging appointment with Jane Cavlina (jlcavlina@lbl.gov).
- Complete a jobs hazards questionnaire (JHQ) upon you first visit to NCEM. If you have questions please contact John Turner, who can help guide you through the questionnaire.
- Complete all required safety training as specified by the JHQ.
Step 3: Instrument qualification
After completing the required safety training, a new user should contact the staff member in charge of his or her proposal and arrange for the necessary instrument qualification sessions. Instrument instruction will include a demonstration of specific instrument characteristics and will depend on the experience of the user and the goals of the proposed work. Following instruction each user must take a “driving test” on the instrument to become a qualified user. Different levels of access apply for evening and weekend users, and some instruments might require a separate driving test for each instrument subcomponent (such as different in situ holders).
Instrument driving tests may be viewed here.
Step 4: Accessing facilities and performing research
The online scheduling website enables users to schedule for a given month beginning on the 15th day of the preceding month. This policy gives NCEM staff the flexibility to provide for training, out-of-town users, instrument development, and workshops. If you have special circumstances and need to schedule an instrument session prior to the 15th of the preceding month please contact the staff member in charge of your proposal.
Users may only schedule instrument sessions for instruments for which their proposal is approved for which they have passed the driving test. Users who have passed an instrument driving test for evening and weekend sessions must contact the staff member in charge of their proposal to obtain after-hours card-key access. Each instrument has sign-up rules and scheduled sessions as appropriate for that instrument and as determined by the staff member in charge.
All published work resulting from use of this facility must include an acknowledgement to NCEM and the DOE.
Please note the following 2 different types of REQUIRED acknowledgments to use when publishing-
1- Standard DOE acknowledgment for BES/MSED funding:
This work was supported by the Director, Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, Materials Sciences and Engineering Division, of the U.S. Department of Energy under Contract No. DE-AC02-05CH11231
2- NCEM or Foundry Internal Research acknowledgment:
This work was performed at the Molecular Foundry (or National Center for Electron Microscopy), Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and was supported by the Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, of the U.S. Department of Energy under Contract No. DE-AC02—05CH11231.
In addition, all published work resulting from use of NCEM must be added to the NCEM publication database.
All proposals expire after one year and must be renewed. Otherwise, they will be automatically terminated. The proposal renewal process is like the initial proposal review process, but presumably with greater information available about the merits of the proposal. The proposal review committee will decide at the end of each year whether to extend the proposal for an additional year of research or terminate it.
Directions to NCEM from the LBNL directions page
(The National Center for Electron Microscopy is Building 72 within the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab.)
Accommodations
You can find lodging in the Berkeley area at the above link.