- Home
- Users & Science
- Apply for beamtime
- Proposal Submission - Guidelines & Templates
- Structural Biology Rolling Proposal - Crystallography and BioSAXS beamtime
Useful links:
Find a Beamline
Status of the beamlines for the 1st March 2022 deadline
For Applications for beamtime on OTHER BEAMLINES than the Structural Biology beamlines mentioned above:
For Rolling applications for beamtime to use the cryo-electron microscope CM01 (CryoEM beamtime):
In order to improve access to the complementary techniques of SAXS and SANS, users submitting a SANS proposal to the ILL have the option to ask (on the proposal form) for complementary SAXS measurements on the instrument BM29 through the PSB SANS Platform. If the proposal is awarded beam time at the ILL, the proposers are invited to submit a "Rolling Access" proposal to the ESRF for Bio-SAXS time and the related ILL proposal number is given on the proposal form and in the email notification of submission, thereby identifying it as a "Joint Proposal
If the proposals are awarded beam time at both the ILL and the ESRF, every effort will be made to schedule the experiments in such a way that SAXS and SANS data can be collected on the same samples during one visit to the EPN site.
Consult our document "Advice on writing a good proposal"
An Application for beam-time for a Rolling Proposal has two parts:
Important:
State clearly the aim of the proposed experiment together with the general and specific scientific background; give results of preliminary work carried out with synchrotron radiation and/or other methods.
Describe the arrangements which will be made for the reception, preparation, use and disposal of the sample.
Describe the experimental set-up and requirements, in some detail. Queries concerning the feasibility (technical or safety aspects) of an experiment should be clarified with ESRF staff before the proposal is submitted. The User Office can assist you to find the most appropriate person.
Describe the results expected from the measurements, their scientific (or technical) relevance, and how they relate to existing work on the topic.
Justify the beam time you request and give technical reasons which make the ESRF necessary for your experiment.
Include REFERENCES where these are relevant, but do not assume that they will be systematically consulted for essential details.
Full details of the sample(s) contained in all structural biology proposals should also be provided to the ESRF at the time of submission of the beamtime application form. For each new structural biology proposal submitted, the main proposer (or one of the co-proposers) should complete and submit one Sample Sheet per sample mentioned in the proposal. The electronic Sample Sheet is accessible via the ESRF User Portal (SMIS).
Failure to provide this information in the correct format will mean an application will NOT be accepted.
Further to the completion and submission of Sample Sheets per proposal, a list of Sample Sheets is created for each submitted proposal.
The information is communicated to the Joint Safety Officer for Biology and the Beamline Operation Managers in order to provide them with the maximum of information on new proposals. This will help the Safety Group to define the level of risk associated to each sample, and will aid the Beamline Operation Managers in calculating the amount of beam-time each proposal requires.
The Electronic Submission is done through the ESRF User Portal (SMIS). You will require your ESRF login (last name) and personal password to login to the application. If you are registered in the ESRF data base but you have forgotten your personal password, kindly contact the User Office by e-mail (user office). If you are not yet in the ESRF data base, you will be able to create your own user account and to access the proposal submission application.
IMPORTANT: Should you run into difficulties submitting your proposal electronically contact the User Office who will give you instructions to proceed with the electronic submission of your proposal.
Access to the electronic application form for beam time:
Via the ESRF User Portal (SMIS) (tab "Proposals/Experiments" -> "Proposals" -> "Proposals in Progress")
COMPLETE and SUBMIT the "Sample Information and Safety Sheet" for your new proposal
The submission of AT LEAST one Sample Sheet is MANDATORY to allow the validation of the proposal by the main proposer
The proposal can be modified by the main proposer ONLY BEFORE the validation of the proposal by the main proposer (next step). Once validated by the main proposer the proposal is automatically given a final number and it is not anymore possible to modify it.
VALIDATE the PROPOSAL and ASSIGN A FINAL NUMBER
The submission of your new proposal will NOT be complete unless you validate it.
WARNING!
Once validated by the main proposer and registered with its FINAL NUMBER, a proposal cannot be anymore modified by the main proposer
The User Office acknowledges the submission of the proposal by e-mail. The proposal is reviewed by the MX committee members.