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Rules and tips for submitting proposals

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Once registered in the SAU Online website, the user must click on “Submit a new Proposal” and follow the instructions therein. In addition to the filling out a general form online, the user must fill out three other forms:

  • Research Proposal Form, filled out from a template and attached as PDF;
  • Instrumentation Form, filled out from a template specific for each beamline,  and attached as PDF;
  • Sample and Security Form, filled out online;

For the process of analyzing proposals to occur more evenly, all proposals must follow the template provided. Proposals that do not follow this template will not be considered in the evaluation process.

Important: All proposals are required to be written in English.

Important: The inclusion of students (master’s, doctorate, etc.) in the proposals is encouraged. However, students may not submit a proposal without a senior researcher as principal investigator. If the proposal is submitted by a doctoral student, it must contain a senior researcher, preferably the student’s advisor.

 

 

RESEARCH PROPOSAL FORM


The Research Proposal Form is the main document describing the proposal (objectives and experiments). Available for download at SAU Online portal.

  • Always use the latest template;
  • Follow the instructions for format, content and template size limit (two pages A4, font size 10 as a minimum);
  • Use pictures frequently. They are always helpful to illustrate processes and previous data to define or support a problem etc. Figures should be included in the file.

 

Instructions for filling out the form
Is this a continuation of a previous proposal?If this proposal is a continuation of work done under a previous proposal, give the previous proposal number and indicate what changes have been made.
Scientific BackgroundGive the general and specific scientific background. State clearly the aim of the proposed experiment together with the motivation for the present proposal.
Expected resultsDescribe the expected results, their scientific or technical relevance, and how they relate to existing work on the topic.
Previous CharacterizationGive results of preliminary work carried out with synchrotron radiation and/or any other method. If you do not have any previous characterization, justify it.
Experimental MethodThis section must detail the type of measurements to be performed, the synchrotron technique to be used, including the required experimental setup and sample environment.If any specific instrumentation is going to be used, it also must be described in this section. Queries concerning the feasibility (technical or safety aspects) of an experiment should be clarified with LNLS staff before the proposal is submitted.In particular, the sample environment conditions must be described (e.g. temperature range, vacuum pressure, magnetic field or any other important parameter of the experiment) as well as the number of samples and standards to be measured. Safety concerns about the samples are given independently in the Sample and Safety form.
Justification of the requested BeamtimeBased on the number of samples and on strategy of the experiment, justify the amount the beam time needed.

INSTRUMENTATION FORM


For some beamlines, the proponent is asked to fill a specific Instrumentation Form. The Instrumentation Form is the document describing the instrumentation to be used and some experimental details. This form will help the staff to plan and schedule the experiments at LNLS beamlines. It is available for download in the SAU online website upon selecting the beamline.

  • List every piece of equipment requested;
  • Describe the sample environment necessary to perform the experiment;
  •  Verify the feasibility of the proposed experiment;
  •  In case of questions, contact the beamline coordinator.

SAMPLE AND SAFETY FORM


The Sample and Safety Form is the document describing your samples and safety concerns. Filled out online in the SAU online portal.

  • Give details about chemical formulas, sample presentation, MSDS files etc.;
  • Describe all samples, including standard reference samples;
  • Describe explicitly any danger concern associated to the sample;
  • Indicate all sample preparation needs;
  • In case of doubt, contact the beamline coordinator or safety manager.

Important: Foreign Users who want to bring samples or send them separately to the LNLS should contact the User Support Service by e-mail (sau@cnpem.br) at least two months before departure / dispatch to check the proper procedure.

Important: If, after approval of your research proposal, it becomes necessary to bring some sample other than the one informed in the proposal, fill in the specific security form and send it to sau@cnpem.br for a new safety evaluation.