As part of the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, one of the roles of the AMRIS Facility is to run a user program for the larger scientific community. A pilot study that falls within the goals of this program can receive support to pay for magnet time and any AMRIS Facility staff assistance needed. To apply for time through this user program to support pilot studies, there is an online User Portal where the proposal can be submitted.
The request process consists of creating a user profile and uploading a pdf file containing a description of the proposed experiments and an NSF- or NIH-style biosketch. Once submitted, the application takes about 1-2 weeks for external review. If reviewed favorably, an award will be made for up to $5000/year toward AMRIS services; this may be renewed for up to three years (a particular instrument can be specified in the proposal, but access will be given to any of the appropriate instruments that may be needed as the project progresses). In return for this support, the investigator will be asked to submit a one-page report on their progress each year, to report resulting publications or students trained through the project, and to acknowledge the NHMFL and AMRIS Facility in any resulting publications.
The example application shows the general format–please make sure to indicate whether there are under-represented minority or female participants in your study, since the NSF will track these demographics, as well as institutional affiliations. Any collaborators should be disclosed, along with additional sources of funding that cover project expenses beyond the magnet time.
We look forward to receiving your application. If you have any questions regarding the review process, please contact Joanna Long, the Director of the AMRIS Facility, at jrlong@mbi.ufl.edu, or Matthew Merritt, the Associate Director of the AMRIS Facility at matthewmerritt@ufl.edu.