Verify a User Agreement is in place. If you are not an Argonne National Laboratory employee, a user agreement signed by your home institution is a prerequisite for work at any of Argonne’s user facilities. The U.S. Dept. of Energy provides master agreements that cover liability, intellectual property and financial issues. The names of institutions with master agreements are available online. If no User Agreement is in place then complete the User Agreement Questionnaire.

Fill out a User Work Submittal form. This defines all research participants and work equipment and materials needed for your research at CNM. You will receive instructions on how to complete this step in your CNM user proposal acceptance email. If you have questions, contact the CNM User Office.

Plan your visit

Contact your Scientific Contact (SciCon) to schedule your equipment time and plan the details of your experiment. Your SciCon is the CNM staff scientist who has been assigned to oversee your experiment. Your SciCon will have been identified in your CNM User Proposal Acceptance email. 

Notify the CNM User Office of your visit at least four weeks in advance. This starts site access clearance procedures and scheduling for pertinent safety and orientation classes.

Gather acceptable forms of identification. You must present acceptable forms of identification to enter Argonne National Laboratory. Acceptable forms of identification for U.S. and non-U.S. citizens are available online.

ALL research collaborators associated with your CNM proposal must register through the User Registration Portal prior to your visit. Non-U.S. citizens may need four to eight weeks for clearance.

Plan for chemical usage including shipping samples. Plan for your use, shipping and disposal of chemicals, and for shipping samples if your desired capability is approved for mail-in. Detailed information is available online. 

Take mandatory training online. Before performing work at the CNM, you must take orientation and safety training courses. We encourage you to take these courses remotely before you arrive at Argonne. 

Gather manuals. Please bring copies of operations manuals for all equipment brought to the CNM.

Plan your lodging accommodations. Information about on-campus and local lodging is available online. 

Locate the main CNM building on the Argonne site map. The main CNM building, including the CNM User Office, is located in Building 440. This building is attached to the Advanced Photon Source around the ring to the west. A map of Argonne’s user facilities, including the CNM, is available online for download.