Technical Services

Argonne National Laboratory offers a number of advanced technical capabilities to support its own research staff and researchers at other federally funded laboratories and agencies. Services that cannot be duplicated elsewhere are also made available to universities and the private sector. Three Argonne organizations are noteworthy for their unique technical capabilities:

• The Central Shops facility performs welding and brazing for high-vacuum applications; machining of radioactive materials; and a wide variety of custom fabrication techniques.
• The Glassblowing Facility makes custom-designed laboratory apparatus in a wide range of materials including quartz and synthetic quartz.
• The Analytical Chemistry Laboratory specializes in nonroutine analytical services, such as samples requiring unusual sample preparation or samples containing both chemical and radiological constituents.

Because these facilities are government-owned resources, certain restrictions apply, so the next step is to consider the four questions below.

1. Does your job utilize a capability that is unique to Argonne?
2. Will Argonne staff have to do research and development or create intellectual property to do your job?
3. Will the job require more than six months of effort to complete?
4. Will the cost exceed $10,000?

If you’re not sure how to answer these questions, you can get guidance from the contacts listed at the above sites or from Argonne’s Work-for-Others Manager, Dick Combs, at 630-252-6797.

If the answer to Question 1 is YES, read on!

If the answers to Questions 2, 3, and 4 are all NO, and your home institution is the University of Chicago, you can proceed with a Basic Ordering Technical Service Agreement.

If the answers to Questions 2, 3, and 4 are all NO, and your home institution is not the University of Chicago, contact the person in your organization who handles procurements and arrange for a purchase order. This person can then arrange for the execution of a Technical Service Agreement (30kb pdf), which incorporates a Statement of Work and price quote. (The contact in Argonne's Procurement Department is Bill Walsh, at 630-252-7030.) You must approve the Statement of Work and the price quote, but your procurement person must ensure that the Technical Service Agreement is signed by the appropriate institutional official and returned to Argonne in a timely manner. Once that happens, the work can begin.

If the answers to Questions 2, 3, and 4 are YES or MAYBE, your job can still be done at Argonne, but a Technical Service Agreement may not be the right vehicle. Contact Argonne’s Work-for-Others Manager, Dick Combs, at 630-252-6797.