General Instructions on format

• The case must be no longer than two sides of A4. 

• It will be reduced in size by 70% - we recommend that you use font size 11 or above so that your text is clear after reproduction.

• Please remember the 70% size reduction when producing your figures and their captions and axes labels. 

• Proposals are reproduced in black and white for FAP hardcopies – please bear this in mind when producing figures.

Structure of the Science Case

Please consider the headings listed below when writing your case. These headings are a guide to what is expected within the case; Facility Access Panels reject proposals which do not have sufficient information.

​ 1. Background and Context

You may wish to include:

• A short description of the general science area and why it is interesting and timely. What is the wider relevance or impact of your work? Keep in mind that not all review panel members are experts in the field

• How this proposal fits into your wider research programme

• How your wider research programme is supported (mention grants, students, links with industry, fellowships, etc. It is fine to refer back to information on grants, etc, which you have provided in the online proposal system)

• Say how this proposal relates to your grant funding described above

2. Proposed experiment

Please include:

• The aims of the experiment – what do you hope to learn, what outcomes and impacts you expect, why these are important

• Why neutrons or muons are needed – what unique information will they give you that you can't get from other techniques

• Results from any modelling or simulations you have performed

• How you will analyse your data to get the information which you need

3. Summary of previous beamtime or characterisation

• If this is a continuation experiment, or if you have had Xpress time to demonstrate the suitability of your samples, summarise your conclusions from your previous beamtime. Proposals should be self-contained – whilst you may have provided results from previous beamtime in an Experiment Report, there should be sufficient information with the proposal for panels to assess how previous beamtime has been used

• If you have used other techniques to characterise your samples, summarise these results. FAPs are keen to see use of other techniques to ensure sample quality and suitability

4. Justification of beamtime request​

• Say why you have requested the specific instrument

• Justify the length of time you have requested.  Break the experiment down into the measurements you expect to do, the samples you will study and any setup time required - a table or gantt chart is useful here