Writing a General User Proposal for the ALS
Guidelines
from the Proposal Study Panels
The following criteria, endorsed by the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP) in the IUPAP Recommendations for the Use of Major Physics Users Facilities, will be used by the ALS Proposal Study Panels (PSPs) to evaluate beamtime proposals for general users:
- Scientific merit
- Technical feasibility
- Capability of the experimental group
- Availability of the resources required
Scientific Merit
Not all members of the ALS Proposal Study Panels are specialists in the field of the research proposed; thus, what seems obvious to the proposer might be worth stating clearly. The discussion of scientific motivation should be brief, but should address the proposed research specifically, for example:
"The conductivity of thin-oxide films is not understood and cannot be explained by standard theories. We plan to measure the electronic structure of some of these materials by using angle-resolved photoemission."
Avoid statements that are too general, for example:
"We plan to measure the electronic structure of thin-oxide films to advance materials science."
State clearly the goals and scope of the experiment. It is important
that realistic goals for the proposed beamtime be clearly stated and that
the amount of beamtime requested is consistent with these goals. It is
not necessary to inflate the amount of beamtime required for an experiment.
Technical Feasibility
Details of the experimental method should be provided, along with a discussion of the endstation to be used. Please state whether the endstation is already in place, in use elsewhere, in the design phase, or under construction.
The ALS is a high-brightness facility. Proposals for undulator beamlines must address the need for high brightness, including spot size, spectral resolution, and flux requirements. The proposal should also be consistent with the performance of the requested beamline. Include estimates of signal rate and noise where appropriate. Information about beamlines can be obtained at Beamlines at the ALS, from the Advanced Light Source Compendium of User Abstracts and Technical Reports, and from discussions with the ALS beamline scientist.
Fully address all safety aspects of the experiment.
Capability of the Experimental Group
State the names of all members of the group, including ALS collaborators. Reference previous work elsewhere, showing sample spectra when available. All submissions should include references to at least five publications relating to proposal. It is especially important to include, if applicable, a discussion of accomplishments with previous ALS beamtime and resulting publications.Availability of Resources Required
The resources required for a specific experiment must be considered when submitting a proposal. Investigators should take into account the availability and capability of a beamline, as well as any specialized equipment or technical support requirements when writing their proposal.
Additional Guidelines
Consolidation of Proposals
To speed up the proposal submission and review process, consider consolidating
several experiment proposals into one or two detailed proposals.