
User Guide
What to do before your beam time
Once your proposal has been accepted, get ready for your beam time at NSLS-II.
1Register for a user appointment
All facility users performing experiments at NSLS-II are required to have an active appointment with Brookhaven National Laboratory. Requests are submitted through our online Guest Information System. Users who have previously registered and have an active BNL appointment may skip this step. You must register through the Guest Information System at least 30 days prior to your beam time.
When registering, please use the following guideline:
Question | Response |
---|---|
Purpose of Visit | User |
Visit Justification | [Example] “I have beam time on beamline 3-ID on proposal #123456, entitled: X-ray imaging of a battery. The experiments that I will be performing include... My role in this project is…” |
Name of host | Beamline Contact Person |
BNL Department | .NSLS 2 Facility Users (LTU) |
Research Facility | NSLS2 |
Proposal Number | Enter your active proposal number for the experiment you will be running |
2Complete required training
Once your guest appointment has been approved, you must complete the online training modules before experiments may begin. The User training modules described in this section must be completed online prior to the start of beam time. Please complete the following training courses. For returning users, you can check your training status online.
- Cyber Security Training (GE-CYBERSEC)
- Computer Use Agreement (GE-COMPUSE-AGREE)
- General Employee Radiation Training* (TQ-GERT)
- NSLS-II Safety Module* (PS-NSLS-II-USER-MOD)
- Guest Site Orientation* (TQ-GSO)
*Not required for remote-access users
Note: If you have completed BNL GERT training in the past, then you may take the GERT Challenge Exam to renew your GERT training. If you have valid GERT training from another DOE light source facility (APS, ALS, SSRL, or LCLS), we accept GERT reciprocity.
3Submit Safety Approval Forms
All materials, equipment, and researchers involved in the experiments are listed on the Safety Approval Form (SAF), which includes an explanation and risk analysis for the tasks to be completed during the beam time (at the beamline and within the set-up laboratories). SAFs must be submitted at least 14 days prior to the start of beam time. Failure to submit a SAF at least 14 days in advance can result in cancellation of your beam time and reallocation to another user. All SAFs are valid for one year except Rapid Access, which are valid for one beam time cycle. Risks outside the standard hazard envelope (e.g. work with biohazards, transuranics, pressure systems, electrical equipment, etc.) require more processing time. If electrical equipment is brought to the facility, it may require additional inspections; therefore, users should review the electrical safety instructions and reach out for inspection if appropriate. In all cases outside the standard hazard envelop, users should contact the Experiment Review Coordinator as early as practical during experiment planning.
SAFs are submitted via the Proposal Allocation, Safety, and Scheduling System (PASS) once a proposal is allocated beam time. For more details and guidance on completing your SAF, consult this guidance document (PDF).
4Request user account and data access
To run beamline experiments and access data at NSLS-II, all active users are being issued a computer account, which is also known as a "BNL domain account." These accounts follow a single sign-on strategy and replace the “controls” accounts that some users have used in the past. Additionally, to ensure that your BNL domain account is ready for you, you also need to be prepared to use two-factor authentication (2FA) through DUO before you can use any computer or log onto any system. Currently, due to the upcoming changes to in the sign-on strategy, NSLS-II users need two different services "Duo Commercial" and "Duo Federal."
Please read more details about how to get an BNL domain account and how to set up your two-factor authentication (2FA) on our user accounts and data access website.
5Prepare for your beam time
Reserve accommodations
If you will be coming to
NSLS-II for beam time, there are a number of hotels near BNL and the
Laboratory also offers inexpensive onsite housing. See hotels
near BNL and onsite
housing options.
Ship materials to NSLS-II
Please ship materials
to and from NSLS-II in coordination with your home institution or via
Federal Express. If this is not possible, or if you have any questions,
please contact the beamline scientist responsible for your beam time.
See NSLS-II
shipping instructions for more details.
Bring required identification
If you will be
traveling to NSLS-II, bring the required identification to finalize (or
renew) your appointment and receive a BNL photo badge. The photo badge
is required for each visit. Expired documents will result in delays in
accessing the BNL site and may prevent entry. Foreign nationals are
strongly encouraged to bring their valid passport and all visa documents
during every visit, which are required to be on file with the GUV Center
and current at all times. Users are also encouraged to carry medical
insurance and prescription cards. Additional
details.