Industrial Liaison Office | FAQsQ: I'd prefer to have an NDA in place before any detailed discussions. Is this easy to arrange?
A: Yes. Please contact us on industry@diamond.ac.uk and we can arrange for a non-disclosure agreement to be sent to you.
Q: I'm new to synchrotrons. How much technical support will I get during my experiment?
A: The Industrial Liaison Office is staffed by a team of scientists dedicated to helping industry access Diamond. If you have a question about any stage of the process, please give us a call on 01235 778797 or e-mail us at industry@diamond.ac.uk.
When you arrive at Diamond, you will collect your access badge from the User Office and complete the safety test if you have not already done so. If this is your first experiment at Diamond, you will then be met by a member of the Industrial Liaison Office, or your local contact, who will take you to the beamline. Your local contact will then help "set up" the beamline to optimise the instruments for your experiment. The amount of time this takes will vary by technique and according to the complexity of your experiment. Your local contact will make sure that you are familiar with the safety procedures and will train you to use the beamline. Your local contact will stay with you until you are confident in operating the beamline by yourself. He/she can be easily contacted by phone during the day to answer any questions. There is an on-call system for out-of-hours technical support.
We can also offer additional scientific support, please contact us for more information.
Q: What types of companies use Diamond?
A: All types. Our industrial users range from large multinationals through to SMEs and represent industrial sectors ranging from pharmaceuticals and personal care products through to chemicals, advanced materials, energy, catalysis and engineering.
Q: What is Diamond’s policy on payment for beamtime?
A: For companies doing peer reviewed research (i.e. results are open for publication) Diamond will be ‘free at the point of access’. In order to get beamtime through this route the user must submit a proposal which will assessed by a peer review panel and will be graded according to its scientific merit. The Industrial Liaison Office can advise on the preparation of proposals for beamtime.
Commercial companies wishing to undertake proprietary research (i.e. results are confidential) need to purchase beamtime. Discussions on individual user requirements can be undertaken with the Industrial Liaison Office.
Q: How can I obtain additional technical / scientific support with my project?
A: During an experiment, technical support is available throughout the day from your local contact and via an on call scheme out-of-hours. For more advanced scientific support, the Industrial Liaison Office provides a full data collection and analysis service. For longer term support for projects, it may be possible to arrange a collaboration. Please contact us (industry@diamond.ac.uk) to discuss any of these possibilities.
Q: Will I have to take the Health and Safety test every time I come?
A: The Health & Safety test will be valid for 6 months unless there have been significant changes at Diamond Light Source. If users return to Diamond Light Source before 6 months has passed then they will not be required to undertake the Health & Safety test.
Q: How do I complete the H&S test online?
A: You can log in to the usernet using your FedID and password to watch the Safety Video and take the Safety Test online using the following link http://usernet.diamond.ac.uk/UserOffice/Safety-Video.html.
Q: How do I get a FedID and password?
A: When your experiment date has been confirmed by the Industrial Liaison Office, the User Office will issue each experimental team member with a FedID and password.
Q: Are the rooms at Ridgeway House en-suite?
A: Yes, all rooms are en-suite (all have showers no baths). All the rooms are identical apart from the three which are designed for wheelchair access.
Q: Is it possible to book in to Ridgeway House if you don't have beamtime?
A: Ridgeway House is a shared facility for STFC & Diamond users. Rooms will be available for Diamond users and those with beamtime will have priority over any other requests. However, these will be on a first-come first-served basis.
Q: What about car parking? Is there any at Ridgeway House? Is there dedicated parking anywhere?
A: There is some car parking for guests staying at Ridgeway House. Guests may unload their luggage next to Ridgeway House and may park their cars if space is available. If not, they will be asked to park their car in the parking spaces around the ring with closest access to the beamlines. Please note that parking spaces are limited.
Q: There’s no information about sample handling - what are the options?
A: The details on sample handling are specific for each technique and beamline. For further information on your proposed experiment, please contact the Industrial Liaison Office who will be able to advise.
Q: Can we arrange for remote access?
A: Remote access is available on a limited range of beamlines at present. Please contact us at industry@diamond.ac.uk for the latest information.
Q: What happens if you don't get the beamtime allocated to you because there is no beam?
A: If you have been significantly affected by lost beamtime due to malfunction of the machine, we will try and reschedule your experiment as soon as possible. No charge will be made for time in which there was no beam availability.
