Updates for the CFN User Community

inputs from the CFN User Office

September 20, 2022

Greetings from the CFN User Office! We hope that you and your families continue to stay safe and healthy. 

General Information 

The User Office is open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.  

CFN will continue to support user projects remotely by assisting with data analysis and other activities that can be done away from the lab. For more information, contact the User Office at cfnuser@bnl.gov or at 631-344-NANO (6266). 

To access FOM, you need BNL’s Virtual Private Network (VPN) and DUO Two Factor Authentication. To apply, please submit an account request form. Once you have your BNL domain account, you can follow the instructions on how to use VPN. If you need to create a new FOM account or experience any other FOM-related issues, contact the User Office. 

Upcoming Deadlines 

The next submission deadline for new CFN User proposals and requests for additional time for the January to April 2023 cycle is September 30. Please send your submissions through the online CFN Proposal Portal. 

COVID-19 Protocols on Testing, Quarantine, and Other Requirements  

Brookhaven Lab continues to be in “Normal Operations with Telework, the Community Level of COVID-19 in Suffolk County decreased from "High" to "Medium" as the weekly case rate moved below 200 cases per 100,000 population. 

As a result of this change—and in line with Brookhaven's updated workplace safety and re-entry plan (PDF)—the Lab is downgrading the following controls, effective immediately: 

  • Face coverings are optional on the Brookhaven Lab site or within Lab buildings, facilities, and vehicles. Anyone may continue to wear a face covering, and we encourage their continued use when traveling together with colleagues in vehicles or working with multiple people in small spaces. Please note that if the Community Level increases to "High" again, face coverings will be required within buildings for everyone on site. 
  • Social distancing is no longer required but is encouraged where practical to reduce the possibility for close contacts.  

For updates to the BNL COVID-19 protocols, please visit the Return-to-Site Guidance or Resumption of Operations websites.  

Physical On-site or Remote Access to CFN 

Before starting your experiment at CFN, users must complete the following steps: 

  • Registration: Every experimenter listed on the proposal, participating onsite or remotely, must have a valid BNL appointment. To obtain or renew a guest appointment, go to https://guest.bnl.gov. Users who mail in or receive samples from CFN must also have a valid guest appointment. 
  • Safety Approval Form (SAF): All projects must have an approved Safety Approval Form.  Onsite or remote work cannot start until a SAF has been submitted and approved. Note that failure to submit a SAF on time can result in delay or cancellation of your experiment. If you are allocated beamtime at one of the CFN Partner User Beamlines (11-BM, 12-ID, 21-ID), select NSLS-II as the user facility when creating the SAF. If you are allocated time for both beamlines and CFN tools, you will have to create two SAFs (one each for NSLS-II and CFN). 
  • Training: All experimenters must complete online training prior to a scheduled experiment. For a list of training requirements, please go to https://training.bnl.gov. 

User Science Publications and Highlights 

Thank you for continuing to send us high-resolution copies of publication covers that feature your papers or articles so that we can display them at the CFN. 

Keep us informed of your awards, honors, and publications. Publicizing your discoveries and professional achievements helps us raise the profile of the CFN, attract top scientists from around the world, and secure ongoing funding. 

Please note that there is a change to publication acknowledgements. When referencing work performed in whole or in part at the CFN, the acknowledgement must specify which CFN resource(s) were used. For example: “This research used the Electron Microscopy Facility of the Center for Functional Nanomaterials (CFN), which is a U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science User Facility, at Brookhaven National Laboratory under Contract No. DE-SC0012704.” 

General Reminders 

Send us an email if you have completed or refreshed a training so that we can update your badge access.

Access to CFN laboratories is through authorized badge access only. Piggybacking onto someone else’s access is a violation of CFN rules. If you lose access, contact the CFN User Office.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the CFN User Office or any of the CFN staff. We are here to help and ensure you are safe when conducting your work. 

On behalf of the entire CFN family, we thank you for your continued support of and engagement with the CFN. We hope to see you all soon!

— Grace Webster
User Program Administrator and Outreach Coordinator

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