Proposal Types
Beam time on the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) and the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) instruments is granted through a proposal submission process. HFIR and SNS offer five types of proposals to meet research needs and best utilize instruments and resources. Please review the description for each proposal type to determine which is best suited for your research.
For Industrial research, visit the Industrial Applications Program webpage.
| Proposal Type | Submission deadline | Who can apply | Duration | Available Instruments | Who reviews and approves? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General User (GU) | Proposal Call deadline - see Proposal Call webpage for specific date | All | Single cycle | All | External Peer Review and Internal Science Management |
| Collaborative Development (CD) | Proposal Call deadline - see Proposal Call webpage for specific date | All | Up to three years | All | External Peer Review and Internal Science Management |
| Mail-In (MI) | Anytime | All | Up to 24 hours |
See the Mail-In webpage for a list of available instruments |
Internal Science Management |
| Proof-of-Principle (PoP) | Anytime | All | One day | All | Internal Science Management |
| Discretionary Time (DT) | Anytime | Neutron Sciences Staff (external collaborators may participate) | Single cycle | All | Internal Science Management |
Proposal Call Access
HFIR and SNS offer two proposals calls each year. Proposals selected during each call will be allocated beam time during the next run cycles at HFIR or SNS.
General User Proposals
General User proposals provide access to individuals and groups who require the HFIR and/or SNS instruments to carry out their research in a single cycle.
General User proposals are peer reviewed and recommended for beam time by an external peer review, a team of external scientists with expertise in various research fields related to neutron scattering. Internal science management designates final beam time allocations for the selected proposals.
Download the General User Statement of Research template.
Collaborative Development Proposals
Collaborative Development Proposals will be reserved for projects that will bring new resources or capabilities that are of benefit to the HFIR and SNS user communities, such as a new technique or sample environment. The work may be done over several cycles and will require a progress report between each cycle. A Collaborative Development proposal must include the involvement of at least one SNS or HFIR Instrument scientist.
Download the Collaborative Development Statement of Research template.
Download the Collaborative Development Progress Report template.
Year Round Access
These proposals are granted beam time outside of the periodic proposal calls. They are reviewed and allocated beam time by internal science management.
Mail-In Proposals
Mail-In proposals are limited to one day experiments, in which users send samples by mail for instrument staff to collect data on the user's behalf. It is anticipated Mail-In experiments will lead to a publication. Visit the Mail-In webpage for additional information.
Proof-of-Principle Proposals
Proof-of-Principle proposals are available for testing the feasibility of a potential experiment prior to submitting a full proposal. The experiment is limited to one day and cannot require a complex sample environment.
Download the Proof-of-Principle Proposal Statement of Research template.
Discretionary Time Proposals
Discretionary Time proposals are reserved for research with the potential to further national scientific agenda, industrial partnerships, collaborations, and development of the instrument, sample environment, or technique.
External scientists interested in submitting a proposal for Discretionary beam time must submit in partnership with an ORNL Neutron Sciences staff member. After discussing the experiment with an instrument scientist, users can create a proposal in IPTS, which the partnering staff member will submit.
