A FORM (to prepare experiment)

• the A Form must be submitted as soon as possible after the invitation letter is received and ideally not less than 6 weeks before onsite arrivals.

Important - Travel arrangements for subsidised users will be more flexible for trips that are organised early. No reimbursement or contribution to travel expenses will be made for travel requests made less than 2 weeks (10 working days) before the arrival date. It is therefore important to organise the user visits well in advance of the experiment.

• for MX experiments (Structural Biology) only:

Sample sheets can be added through the A Form up to 3 calendar days before the experiment.

• It is possible to add as users, scientists who were not registered as proposers on the original proposal.
   
• The number of users per experimental session is not limited but should be restricted to a safe number of people working together in a control cabin.
   
• The number of users receiving financial support from the ESRF or parcels of samples reimbursed, per session, is limited:
   
  • to 3 persons/parcels per standard experiment, MX BAG experiment and MX Rolling experiment,
  • to 4 persons/parcels for the following categories of proposals: Long Term Project proposals, HUB proposals, non-MX BAG proposals and standard proposals classified as 'red experiments' by the Safety Group, when the presence of more than three users is necessary to ensure the effective use of the beamline,
  • to 2  persons/parcels for CryoEM MX Rolling experiments
  • to one person or parcel for an offline experiment.
     
• Users who should receive a financial support from ESRF (to be registered as "reimbursed" in the A Form) must complete, in their user account, the information requested in the tab "Reimbursement data", otherwise the Main Proposer will not be able to tick the "reimbursed" box;
   
  • Requests for travel arrangements can be requested ONLY for "reimbursed" users: the "Travel Office" box must be checked.

Prerequisites for the registration of users via an A Form
 

The working language of the ESRF is English: therefore IT IS MANDATORY that at least one fluent English-speaking scientist participates in the experiment onsite.

• only scientists already registered in our data base (who have a user account) can be added to an A Form:
   
  • The Main-Proposer cannot create the user account of another scientist, as personal information is required.
  • the Main-Proposer must contact all the members of the experimental team to ask them to create their personal "user account" if not already done, so that he will be able to add them to the A Form,

• each user must validate his/her electronic and personal "User & Safety Declaration Form" relevant to the experimental session,

• each user must have followed and validated his/her Online Safety Training Course.
   

Both the "User & Safety Declaration Form" and the online Safety Training can be accessed via the ESRF User Portal

Note:

The ESRF is notified about a user, through the submission of the A Form, ONLY IF the user has completed all required actions (i.e. the on line Safety Training and validation of the personal 'User & Safety Declaration Form' specific to the session).

A scientist can consult/check the A Form completed by the main proposer only once he/she has been added to the A Form as a user (each registered user receives an automatic notification informing him/her that he/she has been added to an A Form).

Experiment

The information necessary to prepare the experiment must be provided in:

• the "Samples tab: this tab concerns ONLY the Structural Biology experiments (see point 5 concerning the Structural Biology Experiments).
• the "Sample environment" tab
  The request for support laboratories must be made in this tab.

Save the A Form

• Once the A Form has been completed (list of users, requests for arrangements), the first step is to SAVE it;
  At that stage the information registered in the A Form is saved in the Main-Proposer's account but is NOT communicated to the ESRF.
   
• The scientists registered as users on the A Form can consult the A Form and check the arrangements requested, through their user account (tab "Proposals/Experiments -> "A Form). They cannot edit the A Form.

To allow the submission of the A Form by the Main-Proposer, ear user registered on it must:

• validate his/her personal "User & Safety Declaration Form"
   
• perform their Safety Training if necessary

Submission of the A Form

At the submission of the A Form the all the information concerning the users and the experiment is communicated to the ESRF.

An A Form can be updated and re-submitted when necessary, but should be avoided when it is closed to the starting date of the experiment.

Reminder: only the Main-Proposer can complete and submit an A Form. The Users can only consult the A Form.

BEFORE STARTING THE A FORM

The Main Proposer should:

• Ask each team member either to create a user account or to update their existing account, if relevant. 
• Ask team members who should receive financial support from the ESRF, to complete or update the 'Reimbursement data' (private address and bank details) section in their user account.
• Ask each team member to make sure their appropriate safety training is still valid (tab 'Safety' in the user account).

Completing the A Form

Information to provide about each user

"Users" tab

Structural Biology (MX) Experiments:  see point 5 in this page

- For each user selected from the ESRF data base, the Main Proposer needs to indicate:

• the arrival and departure dates: all the arrangements (site entrance authorisation, accommodation, travel) will be made on the basis of the these dates
• whether the user will receive financial support from the ESRF for travel, accommodation and subsistence expenses -> tick the box 'Reimbursed'
• whether the user needs:
  • a room at the Guesthouse -> tick the box "Guesthouse"
  • assistance with travel arrangements -> tick the box 'Travel Office'
    Note: This option is only available for users receiving financial support from the ESRF (registered as 'reimbursed'),
  • a form for Customs enabling them to transport samples in person back to their home institution -> tick the box 'Airport Form'

REMINDER:
1. The box 'reimbursed' in the A Form is available ONLY if the user has completed the tab 'reimbursement data' in his/her user account.
2. The box "Travel Office" in the A Form is available ONLY for a user registered as "reimbursed"

Note: there is no need to request a 'canteen card'. The site entrance badge given to all users carries the canteen credit during the stay on site. It will be either charged by the ESRF (reimbursed users) or empty for the non-reimbursed users who have to charge it themselves.

- The Main Proposer selects the number of reimbursed parcels to be sent using the available pull-down menu in the section “Reimbursed parcels”. This information is then exported to the Data Portal and allows user to send parcels using the ESRF FedEx account.
Note: the number of “reimbursed dewars” proposed is linked to the number of reimbursed users previously selected in the section "added users".
The “reimbursed” checkboxes are disabled when the maximum number of "reimbursed" users and/or reimbursed dewars is reached.

Information to provide about experiment

"Sample" tab

Register the sample sheet describing the sample to be studied during your experiment.

"Sample environment" tab

For all categories of experiments you are asked to provide specific information on the sample such as:

• the volume of deuterium, if any
• the use of dry ice

Specific information is required for the Structural Biology experiments.

The request for support labs is also made through this tab with links to the appropriate request forms to be completed and to be sent to the scientists in charge of the laboratories.

"Comments" box

A “COMMENTS” box is available at the bottom of the A Form where the Main-Proposer can add any type of complementary information regarding accommodation or travel requests.

Saving the A Form

Once completed the necessary information in all tabs:

1. Choose the option 'Temporarily Save A Form' (button at the top left of the page). 

"Temporarily Save A Form" -> At this point, the A Form cannot be submitted

2. Each user listed receives an automatic notification asking him/her to validate his/her personal electronic 'User & Safety Declaration'.

3. Via the User Portal and his/her user account, each user validates his/her individual "User & Safety Declaration Form" for the appropriate session and should notify you (in view to submitting the A Form).

Submitting the A Form

4. At least one user is in good standing (i.e. he/she has both a validated 'User & Safety Declaration Form' and a validated safety training course): you may submit the form:

• click "Check and submit A Form"
• click "Submit" AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE

At this point, only the names of users in good standing for the session are communicated to the ESRF through the submission of the A Form.

5. Once all users are in good standing, resubmit the A Form a final time, at least 2 weeks before the start of the experiment.

The main proposer should ensure that the final submission of the A Form is made once all listed users have validated their declaration form and performed their Safety Training.

Please consult the previous points as they give general information for the completion and submission of an A Form which are common to all types of experiments. Only specificities to Structural Biology experiments are indicated in this section.

However user operation modes specific to the Structural Biology beamlines exist and each one determines specific requirements for the registration of the users.

The various options of completion of an A Form for an MX experiment are all described below: please read carefully.

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User Operation Modes on the Structural Biology beamlines
Mail-in experiment: how to complete the A Form
Registration of SANS-SAXS Users
Safety Trainings
Samples: registration
Travel with samples
Submission of the A Form

User Operation Modes on the Structural Biology beamlines

Normal operation mode
 

• All users coming to the beamline MUST be registered on the A-form ("Users" tab)
• All users MUST have done the Standard User Safety Training,
• Reimbursed users/dewars are selected,
• Requests for arrangements are made: travel & accommodation arrangements for reimbursed users, accommodation arrangement only for non-reimbursed users.

Remote Access experiment

This mode is available on all Structural Biology beamlines except MASSIF-1 (ID30A-1), CM01 and BM29.

The experiment may be “complete” Remote Access (no users physically present, all are collecting data remotely) or “hybrid” remote access (some users physically present and others collecting data remotely).

• All users who wish to use the beamline, either locally or remotely, MUST be registered on the A-form ("Users" tab)
• Users present on site:
  • MUST have done the Standard User Safety Training
  • Reimbursed users are registered
  • requests for arrangements are made; travel & accommodation for reimbursed users, accommodation only for non-reimbursed users
• Remote Users:
  • The "remote" box must be ticked for the corresponding user(s)
  • MUST have done the Remote Access Safety Training

Mail-in experiment - ONLY on ID30A-1 (MASSIF1) and CM01 (Cryo-EM)

This operation mode concerns ONLY experiments on beamline ID30A-1 (MASSIF-1) and CM01: no user present on site, the samples are sent.

• ONLY the name of the Main Proposer must be entered in the A-form ("Users" tab)
• the “Mail-in samples” box must be ticked.
• The Main Proposer MUST carry out the Mail-In User Safety Training and
• The Main Proposer must ensure that any members of the BAG who will prepare and send samples for Mail-In experiments have also done the Mail-In User Safety Training.

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MAIL-IN experiment: how to complete the A Form

General instructions

The Main Proposer must complete the A-form as follows:

"Users" tab

• the name of the Main Proposer must be registered as the sole user on the A-form and
• the “Mail-in samples” checkbox must be checked - no other option must be checked
• in the appropriate section (under the "users" section), the number of reimbursed dewars to be sent must be registered, at a level of:
  • 1 dewar per shift of beam time to be used for ID30A-1
  • 2 dewars for CMO1

Mail-in Safety Training

• the Main Proposer MUST carry out the specific Mail-In safety training (valid for 1 year) and sign the "User and Safety Declaration form" as usual.

• The Main Proposer must ensure that any members of the BAG who will prepare and send samples for Mail-In experiments have also done the Mail-In User Safety Training.

Sending of sample dewars

Instructions on how to send your samples are provided here.

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ILL/ESRF Joint Proposals (registration of SANS-SAXS Users)

The users should be registered through A Form for their whole stay (covering the full duration of the two experiments) through the ESRF A Form, where all requests for travel, accommodation and reimbursement for the full period of the two experiments should be made. When requested by the users, the ESRF will arrange the travel and book the accommodation (Guesthouse).

Consult also information on reimbursement regulations for SANS-SAXS Users.

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Safety trainings

All safety trainings are available through the User Portal, tab "Safety".

• users who participate in the experiment on site must perform the Standard User Safety Training
• an MX user identified as 'remote user' must perform the specific "Remote Access Training"
• if the "mail-in sample" option is selected on the A Form, the user (Main Proposer) as well as the scientists who send dewars must complete the "mail-in access training".

The course must be taken and validated before the A Form is submitted.

The "Remote Access Training" and "Mail-in Access Training" do NOT replace the Standard Safety Training Course; the standard course should be completed if the user intends to visit the ESRF at any point for an experiment.

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Samples

Registration of Samples through A Form - Tab "Samples"
 

For a Structural Biology experiment, at least ONE SAMPLE SHEET must be selected through the "Sample tab" to allow the submission of the A Form

Normal, Remote Access and Mail-in

The main proposer must specify in A Form which sample(s) will be studied during that specific session: the sample(s) are declared in the "Sample" tab:

1. On the A Form, open the 'Samples' tab: a table 'All Samples defined for the Proposal' is displayed, listing all sample sheets previously submitted for the corresponding proposal.
    
2. Select the samples to be 'attached' to the A Form (i.e. the samples to be studied in this session).

Adding samples - specific situations

If a list of sample sheets is shown but  a new sample sheet is needed:

•  On  the 'Samples' tab of the A Form click on the quick link 'manage samples' to access the sample sheet submission utility.

If the A Form has already been submitted and a sample has changed:

• In this case, the sample sheet cannot be edited: it must be removed from the A Form.

A new sample sheet must be created: go to the 'Samples' tab of the A Form, click on the quick link 'manage samples'.

Sample Environment

Information on the sample environment is provided by the users in the "Sample Environment" tab in which the users can also request the use of support facilities.

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Travel with samples

Please refer to these instructions.

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Sending Samples

Please refer to these instructions.

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Submission of the A Form

Once all requested actions are done for the completion of the A Form, the A-form must then be submitted.

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