Additional information is available here.
General Users are individuals or groups who need access to the CINT Facilities to carry out their research using one or more CINT capabilities. Access is requested through a biannual, peer-reviewed proposal process. The proposal is a two-page statement of work that succinctly describes the scientific problem, research tasks to be conducted, and expected impact. One proposal may include multiple users, from one or more institutions, and may request access to multiple CINT capabilities and staff scientists. The scope of a user proposal can vary from a single interaction to several visits utilizing a range of capabilities.
Upon acceptance of the user proposal, CINT users make arrangements to conduct their project via on- or off-site interactions. For Foreign National visitors from DOE-identified sensitive countries, the visit approval process may require several months before your visit is approved by the DOE. Each approved user project is valid for 18 months, after which the results should be submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed technical journal (for non-proprietary projects). Continuation of a productive project is encouraged via submission of a renewal user proposal. CINT does not operate a fee-for-service facility but rather as a nanoscale science research center where users and staff engage in cutting-edge research. CINT cannot provide funding to users.
Partner Users are individuals, groups, or institutions who not only carry out research at CINT but also enhance the capabilities or contribute to the operation of the center through new facility instrumentation or the support of personnel. These contributions must be made available to General Users and therefore benefit the overall user program as well as the facility. In recognition of their investment, Partner Users are provided negotiated access to one or more capabilities over a period of several years. Those interested in becoming a Partner User should contact the CINT User Program Manager.Approved CINT users may conduct either non-proprietary (i.e., research to be published) or proprietary research. Prospective users must designate if any or all of their user proposal involves proprietary information and if any of the user project, if accepted, would be proprietary work. User proposals containing proprietary information will be reviewed via a separate process to maintain confidentiality under protection of an executed Non-Disclosure Agreement between CINT (Los Alamos National Laboratory and Sandia National Laboratories) and the prospective user’s institution(s).
Upon acceptance of a user proposal for non-proprietary research, the user’s institution is required to execute a CINT user agreement. In addition to defining the terms and conditions for intellectual property created during the user project, the agreement confirms that the user will publish the results in the open technical literature in return for no-fee access to CINT. The user is responsible for his/her own costs to conduct the approved project at CINT but will not be charged for instrument use, CINT personnel time, or temporary office space while at CINT.
For proprietary work at CINT, federal law requires full-cost recovery from the user’s institution. The CINT Proprietary User Agreement (PUA) contains the terms and conditions, including intellectual property rights for proprietary users. For further information about proprietary research at CINT, please contact Adam Rondinone (LANL) or Heather Brown (Sandia).
Acknowledgement statement for CINT Users — If none of the authors are a Los Alamos or Sandia employee, use this statement:
This work was performed, in part, at the Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies, an Office of Science User Facility operated for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science by Los Alamos National Laboratory (Contract 89233218CNA000001) and Sandia National Laboratories (Contract DE-NA-0003525).
Acknowledgement statement for CINT SNL Staff Research — If any of the authors are affiliated with Sandia National Laboratories, use this statement:
This work was performed, in part, at the Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies, an Office of Science User Facility operated for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science. Sandia National Laboratories is a multimission laboratory managed and operated by National Technology & Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Honeywell International, Inc., for the U.S. DOE’s National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-NA-0003525. The views expressed in the article do not necessarily represent the views of the U.S. DOE or the United States Government.
Acknowledgement statement for CINT LANL Staff Research — If any of the authors are affiliated with Los Alamos National Laboratory, use this statement:
This work was performed, in part, at the Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies, an Office of Science User Facility operated for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science. Los Alamos National Laboratory, an affirmative action equal opportunity employer, is managed by Triad National Security, LLC for the U.S. Department of Energy’s NNSA, under contract 89233218CNA000001.
Individuals and teams from industry, academia, and government institutions are invited to submit proposals to conduct research at CINT. Foreign national users can work at CINT if their visit is planned with sufficient leadtime. Collaborations with CINT scientists are encouraged but not required. CINT cannot provide financial support to users.
During an open Call for Proposals, log onto the website, provide the user information requested, and insert text in the required fields that contains the proposed research to be performed at CINT and its potential impact.
Approved proposals will have an 18-month duration. Results of non-proprietary research must be published in peer-reviewed technical publications in order to comply with federal requirements for no-fee access to CINT. Continuation proposals will be considered if prior progress is satisfactory.
As a national user facility, CINT provides access to its staff and capabilities for nanoscale science research at no fee to approved users for non‑proprietary research.
Proprietary research may be conducted under a full-cost recovery agreement.