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Center for High Resolution Neutron Scattering Proposal Review and Beam Time Allocation

The primary method of obtaining beamtime is through the CHRNS proposal system. Calls for Proposals are issued approximately twice a year.    (Other methods of obtaining beamtime are also available)
Statistics from previous proposal rounds

The system functions through written reviews of proposals by expert referees. Normally, several reviews are sought for each proposal, using referees chosen by NIST staff. In addition, CHRNS scientists carry out reviews for safety and technical feasibility.

After satisfactory reviews have been obtained, the CHRNS Beam Time Allocation Committee (BTAC) rank-orders the proposals and assigns the amount of beam time to be allocated to each successful proposal for each experimental station. The BTAC meets twice a year to do this. The actual scheduling of experiments is carried out by CHRNS staff. The BTAC has primary responsibility for proposal review, and provides advice to NIST and CHRNS management on all aspects of facility operation.

The current BTAC membership is:

  • Pinar Akcora    (Stevens Institute of Technology)
  • Andrew Allen    (NIST Materials Measurement Science Division)
  • Jeffrey Allen    (Michigan Technological University)
  • Collin Broholm    (Johns Hopkins University)
  • Les Butler    (Louisiana State University)
  • Sara Callori    (California State University, San Bernardino)
  • Mark Dadmun    (University of Tennessee)
  • Kendra Elk    (Purdue University)
  • Kushol Gupta    (University of Pennsylvania)
  • Hubert King    (Exxon Mobil - Retired)
  • Valery Kiryukhin    (Rutgers University)
  • John Heron    (University of Michigan)
  • Michael Hore    (Case Western Reserve University)
  • Olivier Soubias    (National Institute of Health)
  • Kai Liu    (Georgetown University)
  • Martin Mourigal    (Georgia Tech)
  • James Neilson    (Colorado State)
  • Stephen Wilson    (UCSB)

The instruments available to guest researchers through the CHRNS proposal system are as follows:

CHRNS Instruments* 
CHRNS High-Flux Backscattering Spectrometer (HFBS)
CHRNS Neutron Spin-Echo Spectrometer (NSE)
CHRNS Multi-Axis Crystal Spectrometer (MACS)
CHRNS Very Small-Angle Neutron Scattering (vSANS)
CHRNS White-Beam Reflectometer (CANDOR)
Other Instruments offered by NIST
Thermal Neutron Triple-Axis with Polarized Beam option (BT7)
Disk-Chopper Spectrometer (DCS)
MAGIK Off-Specular Reflectometer (MAGIK)

Small Angle Neutron Scattering with Polarized Beam option (SANS) - 30 m (NG7)

Small Angle Neutron Scattering (SANS) - 30 m (NGB)
Powder Diffractometer (BT1)

*These instruments are partially supported by the National Science Foundation through its Center for High Resolution Neutron Scattering (CHRNS)Center for High Resolution Neutron Scattering small logo at NIST.  Publications that result from work on these instruments should include an acknowledgment of CHRNS support (details here).
 

Contacts

Created October 17, 2017, Updated July 20, 2021