Obtaining Access to the GeoForschungsZentrum Ion Microprobe (SIMS) Laboratory

General Information:
The GeoForschungsZentrum's ion probe laboratory provides SIMS (Cameca ims 6f) access to a broad spectrum of earth scientists. Applications are welcome from both GFZ staff members as well as external researchers. Machine time is granted through a competitive process in which submitted proposals are evaluated by the facility's steering committee; proposals are judged for both scientific value and technical feasibility. Investigators whose submissions are found to be of the highest caliber will be offered the necessary machine time in order to conduct the proposed analyses.
With the exception of small projects, researchers invited to work in the GFZ SIMS lab are expected to conduct their own analyses; those with past SIMS analytical experience will receive help in optimizing analytical protocols as well as assistance with the daily machine set-up. Guest researchers with little or no prior SIMS experience may be required to attend a short course which will expose them to the basic principles of microbeam technology. Such courses will be conducted occasionally in Potsdam on an as-needed basis.

Access Requirements:
(1) All data collected from the GFZ's SIMS lab should be intended for publication in peer reviewed international scientific journals.  All manuscripts shall be provided to the head of the facility (Michael Wiedenbeck; michawi@gfz-potsdam.de) for comment prior to submission to a journal.
(2) Typically, all projects conducted in the lab shall involve at least one GFZ staff member as a collaborative investigator. This GFZ staff member will participate in subsequent SIMS-related publications. In those cases where a guest researcher works for a prolonged period in the lab, the GFZ shall be included in his/her address on any resulting publications.
(3) No fees or charges are assessed to collaborative geoscience projects conducted by outside users.
(4) As laboratory time is in high demand, all users need to focus only on data collection and evaluation. If it becomes necessary for a user to undertake other work concurrently with SIMS analyses then the users should inform the SIMS lab at least one week in advance so that their session can be rescheduled to eliminate the conflict.

Procedure for Requesting Access:
(1) Informal contact should be made with a research scientist from the SIMS laboratory's staff. This initial contact will assess the technical feasibility of the proposed analyses; research plans will also be assessed for their calibration requirements in light of the available reference materials. At this time it will also be necessary for outside users to identify one or more GFZ staff members who agree to act as scientific collaborators.
(2) Researchers whose projects appear technically feasible will be required to submit a formal research proposal. This form can be submitted at any time, though the review process will generally occur only around the date when the laboratory's steering committee meets. The Research Proposal Form is available from this web site and may be submitted either as an attachment to an E-mail file (preferred) or may be sent to the GFZ by post.
(3) The principal investigator will be kept informed of her/his proposal's status as the review process progresses. Should additional information or material be deemed necessary then the principal investigator will be contacted directly.

Additional Information for Outside Applicants:
Unless otherwise agreed to in writing prior to time of analyses, all reference standards used in the GFZ SIMS lab are to remain in Potsdam and will become the property of this facility. In those cases where new standards are required, the GFZ will work with approved users to identify and characterize appropriate reference materials. It should be kept in mind that standards development can be a lengthy procedure and may represent a significant proportion of the entire research project.
All publications containing data from the GFZ SIMS laboratory, including conference abstracts, must be submitted to this facility well prior to publication. The staff of the laboratory will review both the SIMS technique description and data presentation for soundness and will recommend changes where appropriate. Subsequent to publication a reprint of the article is to be lodged with the SIMS lab -- it is also requested that an electronic copy of the abstract be provided for publication on this web page.
Doctoral candidates interested in SIMS technology are invited to submit proposals for laboratory access; such work must be in conjunction with their thesis supervisor. If SIMS data are to represent a large portion of their thesis work then a more in-depth exposure to SIMS technology will be arranged.

Researchers wishing to initiate this application process should contact one of the following members of the GeoForschungsZentrum Section 4.2 (FAX: ++49-331-288-1474):