General Lab Information

User Proposal and Renewal Proposal Deadlines

The CFN has three deadlines annually for the submission of a New User Proposal or a Renewal Proposal: January 31, May 31, and September 30.

If Users need prompt access to CFN to conduct time-critical, high-impact research, Users may submit Rapid Access Proposals outside the normal cycle submission deadlines. This provides limited access to CFN capabilities. The prospective User must provide compelling justification to establish a time-critical need. A request to conduct simple measurements, preliminary or exploratory research alone is insufficient justification for Rapid Access. Approval is contingent on a favorable review by an external reviewer and on the availability of the requested facility or facilities. If approved, Rapid Access is a one-time privilege that cannot be renewed. Rapid Access Proposals can be submitted at any point during the year.

To continue the research initiated under an approved Rapid Access Proposal, the User must submit a General User Proposal for full peer review in the next proposal deadline. Users are encouraged to include relevant results obtained via a Rapid Access Proposal as supporting documentation.