The Industrial Applications Program assists industry with all aspects of neutron scattering experiments – from experiment design to measurements to data interpretation - at both the SNS and HFIR. Several access modes that accommodate time-critical needs to non-time-sensitive collaboration are available to industry. Time-critical rapid access requests for beam time can be made at any time and are considered outside the normal academic peer-reviewed proposal process.

Industrial users may access neutron facilities under ORNL's standard user agreement https://www.ornl.gov/partnerships/user-agreement.

Access Modes

• Rapid Access – Users may contact the Industrial Liaison for rapid access. Users can send a team to perform the experiment, or use the “remote data collection” service (described below) to have the data collected without the user traveling to ORNL. Mail-In access is also available on the POWGEN and NOMAD instruments, when standard powder diffraction is proposed.

• General User Program (GUP) – Two proposal calls are held each year. This mode of access is a competitive peer review process of proposals. Users will send a team to perform the experiment and analyze the data.

Cost

There is no cost for using neutrons via the GUP for non-proprietary publishable work. Procedures and contractual mechanisms are established for full cost recovery access for both proprietary and non-proprietary work. These include:

• Full or "concierge" service –includes experimental design, data collection and data analysis. 

• Remote data collection – a full cost recovery data collection service that offers increased scope with sample environment options. 

For more information please contact the Industrial Liaison.