Neutron Sciences Directorate

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2025-B General User Proposal Call

The 2025-B proposal call will close on February 26, 2025. Proposals awarded beam time will be scheduled to run at HFIR and SNS from July to December 2025. 

Researchers should apply directly via the Integrated Proposal Tracking System (IPTS). For more information, contact the User Office.

Users are highly encouraged to discuss proposed research with an instrument scientist for feedback before submitting. New PIs may be interested in applying for beamtime through the New User Beamtime (NUBe) program.

 

2025-B General User Proposal Call Important Dates

Submission deadline: February 26, 2025 at Noon (12pm) Eastern

Award period: July to December 2025

• SNS: projected to run August to November 2025
• HFIR: projected to run July 5 to December 12, 2025 (HFIR fuel cycles 514 and 515)

Award notification by April 25, 2025

 

Instrument updates:

IMAGINE/CG-4D - IMAGINE will not be available in the 2025-B proposal call in preparation for the IMAGINE-X instrument build.

VENUS/BL-10 - The ORNL Neutron Sciences Directorate is thrilled to announce the SNS VENUS time-of-flight (TOF) imaging beamline will be available through the user program starting 2025-B. Epithermal/thermal TOF and white beam imaging capabilities across a field-of-view of 28 x 28 mm2. We recommend you contact VENUS imaging scientist Hassina Bilheux (bilheuxhn@ornl.gov) to discuss feasibility of your project(s) and to learn more about VENUS. Additional information about VENUS is available on the instrument webpage.

CNCS/BL-5 - For dilution refrigerator inserts, proposals must be discussed before submission with a beamline scientist and beamtime awards are subject to helium and personnel resources. For CCR experiments requesting more than 1 sample, proposals must be discussed before submission with a beamline scientist.

WAND²/HB-2C - A belt-driven automated sample changer, capable of measuring 23 powder samples from 2K-300K, will be available for GU proposals starting from the 2025-B cycle. New capabilities include an in operando battery cycling cell (for powder diffraction) and a uniaxial pressure stick (for single crystal diffraction).

 

New User Beamtime (NUBe) Program

In this call we are piloting the NUBe program aimed at growing the neutron scattering user community and increasing the scientific and institutional diversity of our user base. Time will be allocated for NUBe proposals on each instrument participating in this call. For eligibility in this program, the Principal Investigator must hold a permanent position at their institution (i.e., any rank of faculty member or staff). Undergraduates, graduate students, and post-docs are not eligible, but may participate as collaborators on the proposal. See the the New User Beamtime (NUBe) program webpage for more information.

 

New Experiment Lead Role and PI requirements

Effective February 11, 2025, the Principal Investigator (PI) listed on a proposal must be the team member who has overall responsibility for the research group and someone who holds a permanent position at their institution, such as Assistant Professor, Professor, Research Scientist or Professional Staff. The Principal Investigator (PI) role can only be assigned to an individual with an active IPTS account. See Step 5 on the How to Submit a Proposal webpage for instructions to create an account. 

A new Experiment Lead role is now available to indicate a co-primary contact on a proposal. A team member who is Undergraduate, Graduate or Post-doctoral Research Associate and who is serving as primary contact for experiment planning and/or conduct should be designated the Experiment Lead.  

The Experiment Lead has the same proposal access as the PI. The Experiment Lead can edit a proposal, confirm a proposal awarded beam time, add samples, and add team members. The Experiment Lead is copied on all proposal-related messages sent to the PI.  

Every proposal must have a PI. Experiment Lead is an optional role but, if used, there can be no more than one Experiment Lead designated.  

Remember that to submit a proposal, the PI listed must have an active IPTS account. See Step 5 on the How to Submit a Proposal webpage for instructions to create an account. 

 

Center for Nanophase Materials Science (CNMS) Resources Available

The Center for Nanophase Materials Science (CNMS) provides access to staff expertise and state-of-the-art equipment for a broad range of nanoscience research, including nanomaterials synthesis and deuteration, nanofabrication, imaging/microscopy/characterization, and theory/modeling/simulation. Users may request characterization time on their neutron proposal in IPTS or may submit a proposal directly to CNMS. NEW CAPABILITY ALERT - Eight Deuterated Monomers are available to be requested through a CNMS Rapid Access proposal in order to support neutron scattering studies at SNS and HFIR.