PROPOSAL REVIEW AND BEAM TIME ALLOCATION

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The system functions primarily through written reviews of proposals by expert referees. Normally, several reviews are sought for each proposal, using referees chosen by NIST staff. In addition, NCNR scientists carry out reviews for safety and technical feasibility.

After satisfactory reviews have been obtained, the Beam Time Allocation Committee (BTAC) of the NCNR rank-orders the proposals and assigns the amount of beam time to be allocated to each successful proposal for each experimental station. The BTAC meets twice a year to do this. The actual scheduling of experiments is carried out by NCNR staff. The BTAC has primary responsibility for proposal review, and provides advice to NIST and NCNR management on all aspects of the NCNR operation.

The current BTAC membership is:

• Ramanan Krishnamoorti (University of Houston)
• Andrew Allen (NIST Ceramics Division)
• Collin Broholm (Johns Hopkins University)
• Ken Chen (Sandia National Laboratories)
• Michael Kent (Sandia National Laboratories)
• Robert Leheny (Johns Hopkins University)
• Raul Lobo (University of Delaware)
• Young Lee (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)
• Lee Magid (University of Tennesssee, Knoxville)
• Janna Maranas (The Pennsylvania State University)
• Dawn Sumner (University of California at Davis)
• Stephan Rosenkranz (Argonne National Laboratory)
• Michael Toney (Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory)
• Lynn Walker (Carnegie-Mellon University)
• David Worcester (University of Missouri)

The percentages of the total amount of beam time available to guest researchers through the proposal system are as follows.

30-m small angle neutron scattering (SANS) instrument*	75
ultra-small angle neutron scattering (USANS) instrument*	67
cold neutron spin-polarized triple-axis spectrometer (SPINS)*	67
disk-chopper spectrometer (DCS)*	67
backscattering spectrometer (HFBS)*	67
thermal neutron spin-polarized triple-axis spectrometer (BT7)	50
neutron spin-echo spectrometer (NSE)*	67
vertical-sample reflectometer	67
neutron imaging facility (NIF)	25
AND/R reflectometer/diffractometer	25
30-m NIST/Exxon/Texaco/U.Minnesota SANS instrument	35
horizontal-sample reflectometer (NIST/U.Minnesota)	67
high-resolution powder diffractometer	25

*These instruments are partially supported by the National Science Foundation through its Center for High Resolution Neutron Scattering (CHRNS) at NIST.

The relatively low percentages for some instruments reflect the fact that they were constructed by and are operated by research consortia.

Continuation proposals may or may not be sent out for external mail review. They are always evaluated critically by the BTAC and NCNR staff, and must be accompanied by a report on the results of the previous beam time allotment. They will only be accepted to complete the work originally proposed and approved.

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Last modified 12-September-2008