User Guide
Get Started as an NSLS-II User
The NSLS-II User Guide is a step-by-step manual to help you apply for beam time, and—once accepted—how to get ready for your experiment, what to do when you get here, and how to report when you leave.
1Determine proposal type
All beam time at NSLS-II is allocated based on a peer-reviewed proposal process. To start, you need to identify the type of proposal that fits your needs. You'll need to know either the technique required, the beamline name/number, or the name of the beamline primary contact to use the Beamlines Available for Proposals page (below) to determine the appropriate proposal type.
If you need additional details on proposal types, review the Guide to Proposal Types or contact the User Services Office.
2Download your proposal template
Based on the proposal type that you'll be making, download the appropriate proposal template below and fill it out. (All templates are in Microsoft Word format.)
3Obtain login credentials
Authentication to the Proposal Allocation, Safety, and Scheduling System (PASS) system requires either a BNL domain account, an InCommon Federation account, or a Google account. For users that do not have a BNL domain account, we recommend login through the InCommon Federation if your home institution is a participant. It’s very likely that your home institution participates in InCommon; check and see here. If not, use your existing Google account to log into PASS or sign up for a free Google account before continuing.
If you already use your Google account to log into PASS and would like to transfer to an InCommon login through your home institution, then follow these instructions.
Transferring Your Gmail Login in PASS to an InCommon Login Through Your Home Institution
A new log-in option called InCommon is now available in the PASS system. InCommon is a federated identity management system, and if your home institution is part of the InCommon Federation, you may be able to use your home institution credentials to log into PASS instead of using a Gmail account.
If you currently use Gmail to log into PASS, below you will find the process to transfer your current PASS login account from Gmail to your home institution credentials using InCommon.
***IMPORTANT: DO NOT try to sign into PASS using InCommon until you have followed all of these steps carefully. ***
- Verify that your home institution is part of the InCommon Federation. You can view the list of institutions that are currently available here.
- Once you have verified that your home institution is part of InCommon, sign into PASS using your existing Gmail account as you usually do.
- Go to the “My Account” tab.
- If your home institution account is not already listed as an alias in the “My Email Addresses” section, you must add it there first by following the on-screen instructions to add (and verify) that email address.
- Once you see the home institution email address in the “My Email Addresses” section, click the “Transfer My Account” link. You will be automatically logged out of PASS.
- Sign in to PASS again using your existing Gmail account.
- You will be brought to the transfer page where you will see the email addresses available for transfer. Click the radio button next to your home institution account and click the “Transfer” button. Again you will be automatically logged out of PASS.
- You can now sign in to PASS with your home institution account using InCommon.
For questions please contact Nancye Wright at 631-344-USER or wright@bnl.gov.
4Login to PASS
Once you log in with your authenticated account, you will be able to view a list of your proposals and submit new proposals using the information from your proposal template. Login to PASS.
Proposal Review Calendar
Full details of the proposal review process are available in the NSLS-II User Access Policy.
| Run Cycle | Run Dates | Proposal Submission Deadline | PRP* Meeting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Summer 2025 (2025-2) | May - Aug 2025 | Jan 31, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. (ET) | Feb 27, 2025 |
| Fall 2025 (2025-3) | Sep - Dec 2025 | May 31, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. (ET) | Jun 26, 2025 |
| Spring 2026 (2026-1) | May - Aug 2026 | Sep 30, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. (ET) | Oct 23, 2025 |
