About

About EMSL

The Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory (EMSL) is a Department of Energy, Office of Science user facility at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. 

At EMSL, our scientists focus on advancing basic science by supporting fundamental biological and environmental research, as well as computing sciences. We grow American scientific leadership by collaborating on projects with researchers from academia, other government laboratories, and industry. 

Scientists can partner with us to use our world-class laboratory space, expertise, and equipment—for free—if their research proposal is accepted through our peer-review process and they intend to publish their results and findings. Opportunities to work with us are available throughout the year. Visit the proposals page. 

Strategy and Operations

The EMSL 2021 Strategic Plan is a 5-year plan to accelerate the scientific discovery of biological and environmental processes across temporal and spatial scales. 

The EMSL Operations Manual (version 11.0, July 22, 2024) is a general resource tool to assist laboratory staff and EMSL users with locating official EMSL policy, practice, guidance, and associated subject matter experts. 

EMSL expects staff, users, and visitors to follow the Code of Conduct expectations to provide a safe and healthy working environment. 

User and Project Statistics

In addition to tracking utilization and operating hours, the user services office provides quarterly data about active users and project statistics by proposal type. 

Data Management Resources and Release Policy

EMSL’s Data Management policies provide information to help researchers understand the data resources and data management available at EMSL. This information can be used by researchers to meet data management requirements as they prepare funding proposals for other agencies. See the Department of Energy data policies. 

See the Full EMSL Leadership Team

Advisory Committees

User Executive Committee

The User Executive Committee (UEC) provides advice and recommendations to EMSL's management team on matters affecting the EMSL User Organization (EMSLUO). The user organization includes investigators or participants of an approved user project in the current fiscal year, or in either of the two preceding fiscal years.

The UEC's responsibilities include:

• Providing recommendations about EMSL operating policies, operating hours for specific instruments, and needs for the facilities, infrastructure, and instrumentation.
• Recommending participants for proposal review panels.
• Annually assisting in planning activities for the EMSL User Meeting.
• Providing timely reports to users at the EMSL User Meeting and other times, if needed.
• Advising on other matters affecting EMSL, if requested by the EMSL director.
• Forming, as appropriate, ad hoc committees to assist EMSL management or users with any special needs. Ad hoc committee members include EMSLUO members.
• Meeting with the EMSL ombudsperson during the annual UEC meeting to discuss interactions between users and staff.

Read the UEC Charter for a full description of their purpose and responsibilities. Your comments, concerns, and suggestions about EMSL operations or science are welcome. See below for our list of UEC members and their contact information. To contact the UEC, send an email to emsl.uec@pnnl.gov.

Science and Technology Advisory Committee

The Science and Technology Advisory Committee (STAC) serves as the director's external advisory committee providing advice, guidance, and counsel, on EMSL's scientific objectives and strategy. Formed in January 2020, the STAC has 12 active members who meet annually to discuss strategy, scientific direction, and quality. In 2021 the STAC will include an additional seat for a former UEC ex-officio.

Read the STAC Charter for a full description of their purpose and responsibilities.

History

EMSL opened its doors on October 1, 1997, to provide fundamental science researchers a state-of-the-art facility with expertise in molecular-level chemistry, advanced computing resources, and world-class instrumentation. It is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Biological and Environmental Research (BER) program.

EMSL is dedicated in honor of Dr. William R. Wiley, former director of the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Wiley was the original advocate for the creation of a center that would bring together theoreticians with experience in computing modeling of molecular processes and researchers from the physical and life sciences.

To read more about EMSL's history visit our Wikipedia page.