Rapid Access Mail-In Program

Purpose 🎯

Enable short, fast-turnaround experiments with minimal overhead, giving users the ability to test feasibility, collect pilot data, or resolve urgent questions outside standard proposal-based beamtime.

Access Frequency 📅

• Two Rapid Access Days per Cycle

• Scheduled one day each half-cycle (about 6-8 weeks apart).

Experiment Allocation ⚙️

• RA time will come from facility time; proposals will not be sent to PAC (as per Powder Diffraction model): Powder Diffraction Beamline- Rapid Access Framework

• 4 slots per Rapid Access Day: One experiment per allocated slot

• Maximum duration per slot: 5 hours

• Sample submission: One ruler per experiment (cap ensures fairness and fast throughput).

Eligibility & Scope 🔍

• Suitable for:

  • Pilot studies

  • Proof-of-principle measurements

  • Troubleshooting or resolving urgent questions for imminent manuscript submission

• Not intended for:

  • Large-scale or data-intensive studies

  • Complex scans requiring extensive setup and detector optimisation

Application Process 📝

• Short form Application (Portal submission)

  • Scientific rationale (brief, < 200 words)

  • Sample details & safety info

• Review: Beamline scientists review the proposal as soon as users submit, confirm feasibility, and schedule. Feasibility: Determined by sufficient technical detail of the sample/measurement 

• “First come first access” model as used by Powder Diffraction Beamline.

• Call for applications will open 2 months before each Rapid Access day and will remain open for 2 weeks (or until the 4 slots are full, whichever comes first).

Operational Rules 📘

·         Strict 5-hour limit per group

·         Only one proposal per group per RA round is allowed per Cycle.

·         Rapid Access experiments are purely Mail-in experiments; Rapid Access users cannot come on-site

·         Experimental Authorization (EA) form must be submitted no later than 1 week after the group has been contacted by the User Office advising of successful application

·         Users are responsible for sample mounting on rulers and generating the scan controlling file. All samples are required to be mounted onto a single sample ruler.

·         Only low-hazard-risk samples will be accepted. All hazards must be declared in the EA form; undeclared risks will result in cancellation.

·         Samples that outgas strongly or air-sensitive samples that need loading via glovebox cannot be run via Rapid Access time

·         Carefully plan your scan controlling file; scanning will commence and will not be interrupted/aborted at any time to optimise scan parameters or repeat scans for users

·         User support will not be guaranteed during the RA time period

·         If an RA experiment is not completed due to loss of facility beam, issues with controlling file, problems with software/beamline, then it will not be automatically rescheduled in the next RA round

·         Rapid Access samples should be received in the mail, and the scan controlling file created and emailed to the beamline (as-sxr@ansto.gov.au) , no later than 1 week before the Rapid Access experiment starts; late arrival of samples and/or controlling file will result in automatic cancellation of the experiment

·         Sample rulers for all Rapid Access experiments will be loaded into the system at the same time on the Monday of the scheduled week.

·         The service is not available to commercial users, who must discuss their needs directly with SXR staff.

Deliverables 📄

• Users must acknowledge the SXR beamline in any publication/theses/patent resulting data collected during RA times.

Please download the sample table and complete it when preparing your proposal. All proposals submitted for RA access MUST include the completed sample table.