The grants which support SuperSTEM only provide direct funding for the projects originally proposed by the grantholders (Goodhew, Tatlock and Bleloch at Liverpool, Brydson at Leeds and Craven at Glasgow) and for short feasibility studies by other UK users. In this context “short feasibility study” signifies the first set of SuperSTEM experiments, taking no more than two days of instrument time, by a research group in a UK University. All other access to the instruments requires prior approval by EPSRC via a “ticket” system, described below. We will try to make decisions on the allocation of tickets as rapidly as possible but there is a refereeing stage which may take a few weeks.

Scientists wishing to use either SuperSTEM instrument must submit a short scientific/technical case to the small SuperSTEM applications group, as well as the EPSRC pro-forma which is available below. Before being submitted the case and pro-forma should be discussed with Dr. Andrew Bleloch who will be able to advise on the appropriate scale and detail of the application. In the absence of Dr. Bleloch another member of the team will be delegated to deal with such requests. The applications group will review applications within two weeks and will try to ensure that the pro-forma can be submitted to EPSRC without delay. The scientific/technical case will first be considered against the following criteria:

• The results likely to be obtained should lead to publication in an international journal (i.e. grade 5 research output, in UK terms) or to significant commercial benefit within UK.
• the project must need abberation correction provided by SuperSTEM and should not be achievable on any other instrument in the UK. Time is more likely to be allocated to a project which demonstrates (for example by attaching images and spectra) that it has been tried on another instrument which was unable to deliver the required performance.
• The project must, in the opinion of the allocation group, be feasible using SuperSTEM. Evidence that suitable specimens exist should be presented.
• The proposers must have the backing of an experienced microscopist (as attested, for example, by their publication record).

The allocation group will recommend a time requirement (in instrument-days) for each project.

Projects will usually fall into one of four categories:

1. Feasibility studies requiring one or two days' instrument time. Time slots for this category of application will be allocated locally by the allocation group and users will not be charged for their “tickets”.
2. Projects from UK academic users requiring up to ten days of instrument time. These small projects will be eligible for EPSRC funding outside the committee round. Applications, to which our agreed pro-forma must be attached, should be made electronically in the usual way to EPSRC. Eligible charges will include the tickets for instrument access, travel and accommodation costs associated with visits to Daresbury and small amounts of investigator time. EPSRC will endeavour to turn these applications round within a few weeks, although they will have to be subject to normal standards of refereeing. Applications in this category are unlikely to amount to more than £25k each, most of which would comprise the notional cost of the tickets, which will not be directly payable to the grantholder (see below).
3. Substantial research projects eligible for EPSRC funding, and which require SuperSTEM time, should be submitted in the usual way, with the agreed pro-forma indicating the number of tickets requested. The pro-forma must have been signed off by the SuperSTEM allocation group, so the same procedure of technical case submission and discussion with Dr Bleloch or others must be followed.
4. All other projects, from the UK or elsewhere in the world, must request tickets using the same procedure, although the pro-forma will not in these cases be submitted to EPSRC, but used for comparative record-keeping by the SuperSTEM team.

Every pro-forma will show a priority rating for the project, based on the scientific case, the feasibility/difficulty and whether any special instrumental configuration is required. In essence, projects prioritised as “A” should be scheduled at the earliest possible opportunity, while those with lower “B” or “C” priorities may have to wait until an appropriate instrumental configuration or block of time is available.

Time slots will be in the form of “tickets” for one day of instrument time, and will usually be “spendable” to a maximum of three days in any one booking period (currently one month). While every attempt will be made to ensure that useful microscopy can be done in the allocated time slot, it is not possible to guarantee this and time lost because of instrument malfunction (or for any other reason) may not be able to be replaced until the next booking period.

Ground rules for SuperSTEM operation:
Eventually it is planned that SuperSTEM will offer remote access (except for specimen loading!). However, initially users will be encouraged to visit the SuperSTEM laboratory at Daresbury with their specimens, and low-cost accommodation is available on site.

Users can expect technical support to load their specimen(s) into the microscope. Inexperienced users will be assisted at all times by an operator from among the SuperSTEM staff. Regular and more experienced STEM users will be encouraged to offer themselves for training by SuperSTEM staff and may, at the discretion of the management committee, be allowed to operate the instrument themselves at specified times.

• The EPSRC pro-forma download.
• The technical case for consideration by the allocation group should not usually need to be more than two pages long.