Before You Arrive
Facility Specific Safety Orientation required upon arrival.
Reserve Lodging Accommodations
The GUEST HOUSE sets aside rooms for users during peak demand periods at Stanford. Use this USER LINK to access rooms and discounted rates for users. You must identify yourself as a user and include your proposal information when making reservations. If rooms are not available when you contact the Guest House, you should ask to be waitlisted for rooms that become avaiilable. If you do not find any availability, identify yourself as a user and ask to be waitlisted for rooms that become available. See information on other nearby accommodations.
Establish or Confirm User Agreement
Before you travel to SLAC, a user agreement must be executed by the authorized official at your institution. Please refer to the Non-Proprietary User Agreement and Proprietary Research user agreement page for the list of current user agreements.
Review Access Procedures
Prior to traveling to SLAC, review LCLS, SSRL or CryoEM procedures, and requirements for badging and proximity access. Ensure that the User Office knows who plans to visit SLAC to participate in your experiment at least a month in advance. PROVIDE and BRING ORIGINAL IDENTIFICATION DOCUMENTS FOR VERIFICATION WHEN VISITING SLAC. This is an annual requirement at the start of each fiscal year which usually coincides with the run year (October-September).
- New user registration requests and beam time/support requests listing proposal team members who plan to be on-site must be submitted at least 30 days before any planned visits.
- Anticipate that user check-in at the SLAC VUE Center/Badging Office can take several hours,so plan accordingly.
Advance Requirements for Foreign Nationals
There are additional requirements for Foreign Nationals. Advance approval is required for users who were born in, are citizens of, or have had affiliations with Iran, Cuba, North Korea, or Syria.
Review Safety of Scheduled Experiment
If you want to bring hazardous equipment or substances to SLAC and have not previously indicated this on either your proposal or beam time or support request (BTSR), contact the SSRL, CryoEM LCLS or FACET Safety Office immediately. Additionally, any changes you may wish to make to your proposal or BTSR must be reviewed and approved by the safety office in advance. Late changes that involve potential hazards may not be possible. The experiment information you provide is used by the Safety Office to review and coordinate potential hazards, mitigations, and appropriate training.
Need a Rental Car?
Stanford University and SLAC have agreements with a few rental car companies. If traveling to SLAC for business (including if SLAC is providing any reimbursement), we encourage you to consider these rental car agencies who may be able to offer discounts (with your SLAC ID badge or other proof of business purpose at SLAC):
- Enterprise Bay Area airport rate (SLAC ID code: L23J105; SLA)
- Enterprise other airport rate (SLAC ID code: L23J106; SLA)
- Avis (SLAC ID code: ADW A382311)
User Financial Accounts
Although the user facilities generally absorb the costs for commonly used chemicals, gases, and other supplies, users should complete this form to establish a user financial account if you plan to conduct proprietary research, anticipate the need for specialty services from Stanford or SLAC shops, want to procure specific items to support your experiments or to pay for shipping items to/from SLAC (if not using their home institution's shipping account). Although a user financial account may generally not be necessary, unusual requests or items that exceed a threshold may trigger the need for a user financial account. Contact the user office if you have questions; see instructions on the User Financial Account webpage.
Order Chemicals, Gases, or Cryogenics
All chemical orders must be placed through SLAC's chemical procurement and management system. Users cannot direct ship any chemicals from a supplier to SLAC. If you need to place a chemical order, contact your respective beam line staff or point of contact. There is a significant lead time on procuring many gases or chemicals. Depending on the hazard of the material, this lead time could be upwards of 30 business days. Please begin your chemical order as early as possible. For more information, see SSRL, CryoEM, LCLS, FACET.
Coordinate Shipments to/from SLAC
See instructions for shipping equipment and samples to or from SLAC. There are additional requirements for international shipments and exports. Please coordinate in advance.
All equipment that is brought to SLAC must meet accepted standards for good laboratory and electrical practices. Electrical equipment must be inspected before use.
For information on personally transporting equipment, samples or other potentially hazardous materials, contact the SSRL, LCLS, CryoEM or FACET Safety Officer.
Complete Training
Before traveling to SLAC, ensure you have completed required online training. You will need a SLAC ID # (SID) in order to complete training. Contact the user office for more information.
