Before your experiment

1. Experiment Authorisation

Prior to the commencement of beamtime, the Experiment Authorisation (EA) must be submitted through the portal. The EA allows the user office to assess the details and safety requirements of all experiments prior to a scheduled beamtime. The submission and subsequent approval of an EA is a significant step in allowing the AS to fulfill its legal obligations to provide a safe work space for staff and visitors. 

2. Safety training

Once a user is added to the EA by the principal investigator, they will need to complete their offsite safety training on the Portal 6 business days prior to the EA submission deadline. New users who have not previously signed in to the portal will need to create a password.

3. Beamline induction

A beamline induction is a mandatory safety requirement for all users participating in beamtime at the Australian Synchrotron.

The induction will commence at the start of beamtime and once completed, will carry a one year validity.

You will be notified at time of EA submission if an induction is required.

Please note: users who do not have a valid beamline induction will be unable to participate in beamtime.

Should you require further information, please contact the user office or your assigned beamline scientist.

4. Visa Support

International users are required to obtain a visa in order to come to Australia to perform experiment(s). Researchers can generate an invitation letter to support their visa application in the Australian Synchrotron User Portal, once they have been listed as attending on the Experiment Authorisation. The most common visa types for beamline visits are the Temporary Work (Short Stay Specialist) visa (Subclass 400) for staff, and the Temporary Activity visa (subclass 408) for students based overseas. Users should check with the Department of Home Affairs to determine the most appropriate visa type and their eligibility.

5. Bringing Samples Onsite

In order to maintain a safe workplace the Australian Synchrotron requires that all samples, chemicals or electrical equipment (excluding laptops and phones) are pre-approved for use on site via the Experiment Authorisation (EA) form.

You must include all samples, chemicals and equipment you will bring with you or use at the Synchrotron in your EA for approval. If you wish to send samples, chemicals or equipment to the Synchrotron in advance of your beamtime you must obtain prior approval. 

The Australian Synchrotron is able to assist Australian and New Zealand based Synchrotron users to send samples in dry shippers (dewars) for remote access experiments at the MX beamlines.

6. Travel and Accommodation

The Australian Synchrotron provides funding support for successful beamtime applicants in the form of travel funding and/or onsite accommodation. Travel funds granted are to be used solely to cover the majority of the cost to travel to the AS facility. On-site accommodation at the guesthouse is available for users and guests. 

7. Terms and conditions

If a user loses more than 50% of their beamtime to a machine failure, beamtime will be rescheduled in the same round where possible and in the next available round if the current round is fully committed.

For MX CAP beamtime, the 50% loss of beamtime is calculated as a proportion of shifts allocated to the CAP across either the MX1 or the MX2 beamline for the current proposal round.

If a user loses all of their beamtime due to a beamline equipment/software failure, beamtime will be rescheduled in the same round where possible and in the next available round if the current round is fully committed.

The Australian Synchrotron will cover the costs of interstate users travelling to use their rescheduled time.

If a user is able to use 50% or more of their scheduled beamtime, beamtime will not be rescheduled, but the program advisory committee will be advised of large losses of beamtime and will be asked to take this into consideration when evaluating future beamtime allocations.

If a user loses significant beamtime due to their own equipment failure, or poor pre-experiment preparation further beamtime can only be secured with a successful proposal on a later round.