Users
LANSCE User Program
LANSCE's User Program ensures the research it oversees represents the cutting edge of nuclear and materials science and technology. The User Program plays a key role in training the next
generation of top scientists, attracting the best graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and
early-career scientists (defined as those less than 40-years old).
The User Program typically begins the first week of May and continues through December 23.
The User-Program Advisory Committee (PAC) members have the difficult task of reviewing, ranking, and recommending the best research proposals. Researchers from universities, industries, and federal laboratories worldwide submit proposals in a tight, competitive review process. The demand for beam time far outstrips LANSCE's ability to accommodate all of the proposals received.
User Demographics
The User Program's demographics count user visits and unique-user visits. User visits are the
total number of visits by all users. A unique-user visit is defined as counting a user only once—
the first time they come to LANSCE during a calendar year. The largest segment of unique-users at
the Lujan Center came from the academic community; at WNR the majority of the WNR industry users are from firms that produce or use semiconductor devices. The semiconductor industry relies on WNR's unique capabilities to test their latest generation of chips for resistance to neutron induced upsets.
The annual LANSCE Neutron Scattering School began in 2004. The main goal of the school is to
provide in-depth neutron-scattering training to graduate students, in their early stage of thesis
research, and to postdocs. A particular emphasis is put on selecting a diverse student body to
foster a cross-institutional, cross-disciplinary, and multicultural learning environment. The school
provides a combination of classroom lectures by subject matter experts from around the world,
and hands-on experience in conducting neutron scattering experiments.
The Louis Rosen Prize honors the student with the most outstanding Ph.D. or M.S. thesis based upon experimental or theoretical research performed at LANSCE. Criteria include the originality and scientific impact of the research and the student's contribution to the research. The prize is $1000 anda commemorative plaque. For more information contact the LANSCE User Office.
Communicating with Our Users
Input from the user community is vital to continue to improve the user program. The LANSCE User Satisfaction Survey provides users the opportunity to comment about their User Program experience and to suggest ways to improve the user experience. All users are given the opportunity to complete the survey after completing their visit.
The LANSCE User Group (LUG) is comprised of current users. LUG provides direct input to LANSCE management, primarily through LUG's Executive Committee. The LUG Executive Committee is typically comprised of twelve members; one member is a student or postdoctoral researcher. The new members will serve three-year terms and the graduate student or postdoctoral researcher will serve a one-year term. Membership terms are staggered to maintain continuity. The members are elected by the vote of the LUG membership, with candidates chosen to refl ect the principle scientific activities at LANSCE.
The LUG Executive Committee and LANSCE management have monthly conference calls. These calls provide an opportunity for management to keep the Executive Committee apprised of the status of LANSCE activities and for the Executive Committee to bring user issues to management's attention. The calls are
also used to discuss strategies for the future of LANSCE facilities.
