Grants for New Science and Technology Ideas Exploiting the Capabilities of X-ray Lasers

Background

The LCLS X-ray Free Electron laser at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory is a world-leading facility to investigate the structure and dynamics of matter. LCLS provides resolution down to the atomic spatial scale, on timescales from attoseconds to seconds, with chemical/elemental specificity. It enables research into a very diverse set of topics including material science, chemistry, structural biology, atomic and molecular physics, quantum information, laboratory astrophysics, and more. LCLS is currently undergoing a billion-dollar upgrade to transform its capabilities for precision measurements in these science areas, see: LCLS-II and LCLS-II-HE.

Objectives of this call

Seed funding is available to kickstart the development of strategic new research directions to identify areas where use of LCLS over the next few years could provide transformational insight into long-standing scientific and engineering questions. These proposals will be used to guide the creation of new long-term partnerships.

Examples of the type of seed grant that could be funded include:

Introduction of new research groups to LCLS to perform exploratory analysis of new ideas;
Feasibility studies and design of compelling new experiments or methods that have the potential to open important new research areas;
Development and topical application of theory, modeling and data analysis techniques to inform the next generation of research campaigns at the facility;
Development or adaptation of enabling technologies and engineering solutions for improved precision, automation, throughput and novel capabilities (e.g. sample delivery and environmental control, opto-mechanical alignment, thermo-mechanical stability, etc).

Amount and time period

Multiple awards of up to $100,000 each (including applicable SLAC overhead) will be made for scoping studies by faculty, staff, grad students or postdocs for up to 1 year.
Projects are sought for the period from July 2020 onwards.

Selection Criteria

Overarching objectives:

Potential for significant impact in an important area of science
Potential for expansion of the LCLS user community in a new area

Science Impact:

To what extent will seed funding catalyze the development of new LCLS-related science and science teams?
How will seed funding support critical research planning steps to determine the feasibility/utility of new scientific ideas, technical concepts, methods, or devices?
Will proposed theoretical or computational efforts lead to significantly deeper scientific insight and/or greater scientific throughput for LCLS?

Context and Urgency:

How does the proposed activity relate to (or leverage) existing programs, infrastructure, or expertise at SLAC, Stanford, or elsewhere?
Why seed funding, why now? Are other sources of funding readily available to support the proposed activity, or is the activity likely to proceed in the absence of seed funding?
Is the proposal just an incremental expansion of existing programs, or an activity that could be supported within an existing program?

Next Steps and Outlook:

What are the key subsequent steps (and funding) if the proposed effort is successful?
How will the proposed effort (and potential subsequent steps) lead to:
- A full proposal to a funding agency
- The opening and development of a new field of research
- The development of a new research team or cultivation of a new user community
- An enabling advance in scientific insight or facility capability

Application process

Please complete the online application process (see above). This includes uploading a two-page narrative (and corresponding budget) of your proposed idea outlining how this would represent a step-change in approach compared to work to date. Please use the provided narrative and budget templates (see below under Additional Resources, and in the online application process).

We strongly encourage potential applicants to discuss your ideas with us beforehand, to refine prior to submission (LCLS email contacts).

Assessment

Proposals will be evaluated by a panel from SLAC, consulting subject-matter experts as needed, with final decisions at the discretion of the LCLS Director.