Information for proposal application
MLF invites research proposals using neutron/muon beams
MLF invites widely research proposals using neutron/muon instruments. Applied proposals will undergo a strict review process and beam time will be allocated to the approved proposals.
Points of proposal application
For conducting experiment at MLF, you need to submit application and pass the review(Click here for proposal review process). Please note the following points about writing the application.
- Submitted applications (except proprietary-use proposals) will be assessed based on the scientific significance and other evaluation criteria.
- Each of the applied proposals is reviewed by the review panel of its research field; however, please write your research plan in a manner that can be understood by reviewers from different fields.
- When you fill in each item of the research plan, please clearly mention the background of the proposed experiment, specific contents of the experiment, placement of the proposed experiment in relation to the final goal, etc.
- Unless concreteness of the experiment is provided, your proposal will not be evaluated highly, even if it has an excellent goal.
- In the case of a research conducted continually, please specifically describe the concrete points of difference compared to difference from the previous research.
- If the difference is not clear, the proposal may be poorly evaluated as a proposal having already been approved.
- For operating as an international user facility, international experts are included in the proposal reviewers at J-PARC, and proposal application is required to be made in English, except for P7 Industrial Application and P9 New User Promotion, which accept applications in Japanese, too.
Proposal types
General Use Proposals
| Type | Overview | When to apply | Effective period |
Available beamline |
Industrial application |
Proprietary use |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Short-term Proposal | For domestic and overseas users | Twice a year (April and October) | One operations period | All neutron and muon beamlines | Applicable (BL03 and BL20 are not applicable) | Applicable |
| One-year Proposal | Proposals involving development of experiment method | Twice a year (April and October) | One year or two operations periods | BL11 | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| New User Promotion | For novice users of J-PARC MLF neutron beamlines | Twice a year (Initial submission is accepted at any time by the beginning of each proposal round. Time of the final submission is the same as that of Short-term Proposal.) | One operations period | Public beamlines (BL01, BL02, BL11, BL15, BL17, BL18, BL22) | Applicable | Not applicable |
| Fast Track Proposal | Instrument scientists conduct experiment on behalf of the PI with samples sent in advance | At any time | By the end of the applied operations period (Depending on the availability of the beamtime, the experiment may not be conducted.) | BL01, BL08, BL11, BL17, BL18, BL21, BL22
Currently, BL16 does not accept application. |
Applicable | Not applicable |
| Long-term Proposal | For proposals needing the long-term use of the facility for making the most of its capacity | Once a year（Initial submission: December, Final submission: January） | 3 years or 6 operations periods（Depending on the result of an annual interim evaluation, beamtime for the following year(s) may be canceled.） | Public beamlines excluding BL03, BL20 and BL23（Application for multiple beamlines is available） | Applicable | Not applicable |
| P-type Proposal | Preliminary experiment for future application of proposal（including preliminary experiments by novice users） | Twice a year (April and October) | One operations period | Muon beamlines | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Urgent access | For proposals with academic/ social high importance and needing urgent implement | At any time | One operations period | All neutron and muon beamlines | Applicable | Applicable |
Acceptance of proposals is announced twice a year with proposal reviews following each announcement. Approved proposals are valid for one operations period. This is intended to encourage users who wish to conduct test experiments in preparation for general use and Project use (S-type use) proposal and/or have no experience in muon use.
The following terms are set for P-type proposals for muon use:
No more than two days of beamtime is allocated to each proposal. Only one proposal is approved per principal investigator per proposal review period. No more than three proposals are accepted for each muon instrument.
Ibaraki Prefecture Industrial Use Proposal
To apply for Ibaraki Neutron Beamlines for industrial use, please apply for the proposal call conducted by the Ibaraki Prefecture.
【Contact】IQBRC Ibaraki Prefecture Office
Email: info-neutronprefibaraki.lg.jp
Difference between Non-proprietary use and Proprietary use
Non-proprietary use proposals are exempted from paying the charge for use. On the other hand, Proprietary use proposals can keep the results obtained from the experiment private by paying the charge for use according to the hours used. The difference between Non-proprietary use and Proprietary use is as following.
Non-proprietary use proposals : Charge for use is waived by publishing the results.
- An Experimental Report is required to be submitted within 60 days after the end of the operations period. The report will be published on the J-PARC Web site.
- Please publish the results of the experiment within 3 years after the completion of the experiment as well as registering them in J-PARC Publication Database.
- Submission of the Experiment Reports of the past experiments and the registration of the results will be considered in the future proposal review.
Proprietary use proposals : The results obtained from the experiment can be kept private by paying the charge.
- While the proposals will undergo the safety review and technical review which J-PARC conducts to check the technical feasibility and appropriateness of the requested beamtime, they are not subject to the assessment by the proposal review committees.
- The charge for use is calculated from the viewpoint of collecting the full cost for the beam generation.
- The charge for use changes depending on the proposal round. For the specific figure, please refer to the guidelines for the proposal application.
- The charge for use is calculated by the hour.
Disclosure of information : The following information on the approved and completed experiment (Non-proprietary use and Proprietary use) will be published on the website.
- After the proposal was approved: Proposal number, PI’s name, Affiliation, Nationality of the PI’s affiliation, Beamline number, Allocated beamtime.
- After the experiment was implemented: Title of Proposal, Allocated beamtime.
Categories of Beamtime
The use of beamtime for the industrial application of Ibaraki Prefecture is especially categorized as “Third party exclusive use”. Also, there is the category of beamtime for “Project and Instrument use” in which JAEA/KEK/ the Registered Institution for Facility Use Promotion conducts their mission-oriented programs or joint research programs with universities or other organizations. (Click here for the details)
Contact information
- J-PARC Center Users’ Office
- For Non-Proprietary Use: j_proposalmlj-parc.jp
- For Proprietary Use: j_proposal_pmlj-parc.jp
- For General Questions: jimurisokumlj-parc.jp