Using the MEG Core Facility

Currently, the MEG Core Facility is a shared resource between NIMH (70%) and NINDS (30%). Researchers from these institutes may use the facility free of charge. Outside collaborations are possible with researchers from one of these two institutes.

Becoming a New User

The following steps are required to gain initial access to the facility.

Obtain Protocol Approval

Users are required to have an NIH IRB-approved protocol describing the intended MEG research.

Request a User Account

A Facility Access Request form must be filled out to establish a user account. Accounts are given on an individual basis; every member of a lab or group who needs access must fill out this form.

The account will give you access to the scheduling calendar and also provide access to the MEG Core Facility data storage system.

The account ID information will be emailed to the email address provided in the Facility Access Request Form generally within 24 hours, if not please contact the MEG Core Facility at 301/402–2362 or 402–2445.

Established users with new protocols will be required to complete a "new" Facility Access Request for each new protocol indicating the new protocol number and intended research.

Attend MEG Orientation

New users will be given a tour of the facility, at which time the operation of the scanner, facility rules, etc., will be discussed. Issues related to experimental design, data analysis, etc., are also open for discussion, and generally the staff will schedule a further meeting where these issues can be discussed in more detail.

Returning Users

Returning users with established accounts and protocols who wish to carry out a new study, are requested to fill out the Facility Access Request form again, so that we can keep track of the studies being performed.

Setting Up Your Experiment

The MEG Core Facility Staff can assist you in task design, programming, and other aspects of actually running your experiment and analyzing the data. Please see the Design?, Programming, Pilot, and other pages of this section, as well as the MEG Information section, for more details.