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Call for 2020L J-PARC MLF Long-Term Proposals and Application Guidelines

The Materials and Life Science Experimental Facility (MLF) of J-PARC is pleased to announce a call for Long-Term Proposals with beamtime allocations starting from 2020B term.

1. Long-Term Proposals

We are calling for Long-Term Proposals which have clear long-term strategy for research and development and hold the expectation of yielding outstanding results. The validity period is up to 3 years (or 6 proposal rounds); a yearly period of the Long-Term Proposals starts in the B term and ends in the following A term.

Use of Multiple Instruments and BT Requests

The use of multiple neutron instruments except BL03, BL20 and BL23 is allowed in a Long-Term Proposal, on the other hand, there are upper limits of the beamtime. In using multiple experimental instruments, the applicant is requested to designate Main Instruments that are indispensable to obtaining academic achievements (multiple choice possible). A Long-Term Proposal is approved when all the beamtime required for the Main Instruments is available after the review. The beamtime that can be requested in one year is up to 9 days for one instrument and up to 20 days for all the instruments in total.

Beamtime allocation to Long-Term Proposals is limited to approximately 5% of the total number of MLF operation days for users each year (standard yearly operation days is 176). The total number of MLF operation days can change largely depending on the budget and operational plan for each year. In the case when MLF operation period is much more limited than usual, we have to set lower maximum limits for both total beamtime and the beamtime for each instrument.

Liaison

A Liaison, who supports research groups to share the information with the facility and instrument staffs, to arrange sample environment apparatus and beamtime, and to analyze data, should be chosen from MLF staff (member of JAEA, KEK and CROSS). Please obtain his/her consent before filling out his/her name as a Liaison in the application. Pre-submission can be submitted without appointing a Liaison. The MLF may help with appointing a Liaison suitable for the experiment, after the acceptance.

Restriction of Duplicate Proposals

A principal applicant and his/her research group can submit only one Long-Term Proposal in its valid term. An applicant/research group with a Long-Term Proposal under review can apply for General-use Proposals (Short Term) for the same experiment, however, if the Long-Term Proposal is approved the General-use Proposal (Short Term) application should be withdrawn. An applicant/research group of an accepted Long-Term Proposal cannot submit General-use Proposals (Short Term) for a similar experiment.

A Long-Term Proposal is categorized as nonproprietary research. As a condition of performing nonproprietary research, the J-PARC MLF requires users to submit their Experiment Report, to publish the results of their research and to register their publication on the J-PARC Result Management System.

2.Application Period

[Pre-submission] from Thursday 12 December, 2019 to 17:00 (JST) Friday 10 January, 2020

[Final-submission] from Friday 17 January, 2020 to 17:00 (JST) Friday 28 February, 2020

Any proposals without pre-submission will not be accepted as a final proposal.

3.Period of use and expected beam power

[Period of use (expectation)]    November, 2020 - July, 2023

[Expected beam power (expectation)]    500 - 1000 kW

    Please estimate your beamtime with 500 kW.

4.Eligibility Criteria

Applicants are expected to be researchers affiliated with universities (domestic or international), public institutions or private companies, and graduate students (students of doctor’s course and master’s course). Researchers affiliated with or wishing to apply from the following entities should contact at "9. Contact" to determine whether there is any restriction on their applications for beamtime:

  • Companies or organizations named in the ENDLIST of the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry
  • Countries that are not signatories to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty

5. Submission Procedure

Please download pre-submission form and two types of final submission forms from the Web site below. And submit your proposal via e-mail as follows.

[Download]

(Including "Application Form for Long-Term Proposal at MLF" and "Application Form for Individual Experiments for Long-Term Proposal at MLF")

[File Format] PDF

[E-mail] proposal(at)cross.or.jp *Please replace "(at)" with "@"

   Subject : Long-Term Proposal Application

For the final submission, applicants are requested to submit both an "Application Form for Long-Term Proposal at MLF" and "Application Form for Individual Experiments for Long-Term Proposal at MLF" on each beamline that they plan to use.

6.Experimental instruments for the Proposal

Instruments for the Long-Term Proposals are as follows. The details of the instruments can be obtained here (click).

Neutron Instruments

[Neutron diffractometer]

  • BL08: Super HRPD Super High Resolution Powder Diffractometer (KEK)
  • BL09: SPICA Special Environment Powder Diffractometer (KEK)
  • BL11: PLANET High-Pressure Neutron Diffractometer (Public)
  • BL18: SENJU Extreme Environment Single Crystal Neutron Diffractometer (Public)
  • BL19: TAKUMI Engineering Materials Diffractometer (JAEA)
  • BL21: NOVA High Intensity Total Diffractometer (KEK)

[Neutron Inelastic Spectrometers]

  • BL01: 4SEASONS 4D-Space Access Neutron Spectrometer (Public)
  • BL02: DNA Biomolecular Dynamics Spectrometer (Public)
  • BL06: VIN ROSE Village of Neutron Resonance Spin Echo Spectrometers (KEK)
  • BL12: HRC High-Resolution Chopper Spectrometer (KEK)
  • BL14: AMATERAS Cold-Neutron Disk-Chopper Spectrometer (JAEA)

[Neutron Instruments for Nano-Structure]

  • BL15: TAIKAN Small and Wide Angle Neutron Scattering Instrument (Public)
  • BL16: SOFIA Soft Interface Analyzer (KEK)
  • BL17: SHARAKU Polarized Neutron Reflectometer (Public)

[Other Neutron Instruments]

  • BL04: ANNRI Accurate Neutron-Nucleus Reaction Measurement Instrument (JAEA)
  • BL05: NOP Neutron Optics and Fundamental Physics (KEK)
  • BL10: NOBORU NeutrOn Beam-line for Observation and Research Use (JAEA)
  • BL22: RADEN Energy Resolved Neutron Imaging System (Public)

Please contact the instrument scientist for the specifications of the instruments.

7. Important Points Related to Call for Proposals

Pre-submission

Applicants are requested to provide the information on their proposal title, abstract, required beamlines, collaborators list and a Liaison to the pre-submission application form. J-PARC MLF recommends to add collaborators who are experts on pulsed neutron experiments as well as those who are familiar with the Main Instruments.

Final-submission

Applicants are requested to submit a Final Proposal after careful deliberation with the Liaison.

Review

The Review Committee may hold hearings after documentation screening. The assessment of proposals will take into account whether Experiment Reports for previous beamtime allocations had been submitted and whether publications had been properly registered.

Elements Strategy Initiative & Complementary Use

Applicants will be asked to indicate if their research has affinity with the Elements Strategy Initiative. Similarly, applicants will be asked if their proposed research includes, or is likely to include in the future, the complementary use of other major research facilities such as, but not limited to, synchrotron radiation facilities (SPring-8, SACLA, KEK-PF, etc.), the K computer, or other quantum beam facilities. If either of the above applies to your proposal, please indicate by marking the relevant tick-box. (The marked proposals will not be given more benefits in review or in beamtime allocation than not marked proposals.)

Safety review, utilization and storage of the equipment users wish to bring in

Safety aspects of the experimental procedure, test sample(s) and the equipment users wish to bring in are reviewed at the time of proposal submission and at each renewal of the application.

If users wish to bring in equipment, they are requested to consult the MLF on the utilization and storage of it in advance. The MLF might permit it as permanent equipment if its use is open to all MLF users. When users wish to bring in large equipment, they may be required to make an agreement between their affiliated institute and the J-PARC Center.

When users are willing to develop new equipment, the MLF strongly recommends that they consult with the MLF at the design stage.

8. Execution of Accepted Long-Term Proposals

Yearly procedure

The principal investigator is requested to submit a research plan every year as well as renewal application(s) for each experiment on each beamline, which should show the current status of the research and the details of each experiment for the following year.

Presenting outcomes

The principal investigator is requested to present the outcome of the research at the Quantum Beam Science Festa (in a poster presentation) after conducting research for one year.

Interim evaluation

The Long-Term Project must be subjected to an Interim Evaluation in the second year. The principal investigator is requested to personally hold a workshop under consultation with the Liaison, where the reviewer can evaluate the achievements. J-PARC MLF will reject the third year of research plan for a Long-Term Project that has missed being evaluated or has been evaluated as a non-value project.

9. Contact

[Consultation of research planning]

   Dr. Yukinobu Kawakita: yukinobu.kawakita(at)j-parc.jp

   Prof. Toshiya Otomo: toshiya.otomo(at)j-parc.jp

   Dr. Jun-ichi Suzuki: j_suzuki(at)cross.or.jp

[General Questions:]

   J-PARC Center Users Office, LTP team: proposal(at)cross.or.jp

*Please replace "(at)" with "@"