EMSL offers opportunities for researchers to use resources on a pay-by-use basis. Read about opportunities.
Submitting a Proposal
Submission requirements and guidance vary year-to-year for each proposal call. Be sure to check the call announcement for details, including the review criteria.
In general, Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory (EMSL) proposal calls follow these steps:
Get Started
Create an account for the EMSL User Portal (NEXUS) and familiarize yourself with EMSL policies: User Agreements, Data Management Policy, and Terms and Conditions of EMSL Use.
Develop a Research Plan
Successful user projects must be aligned with EMSL’s scientific mission and capabilities. Learn about EMSL’s science areas: Functional and Systems Biology, Environmental Transformations and Interactions, and Computing, Analytics, and Modeling.
Browse the list of EMSL Instruments and Resources to inform your research plan.
Contact EMSL staff to discuss your research needs. Staff can help you develop and refine your research plan to best suit EMSL capabilities.
Submit a Letter of Intent (LOI)
Most calls require the submission of an LOI briefly describing the proposed research and its relevance to EMSL and Department of Energy (DOE) Biological and Environmental Research (BER) missions.
Your LOI will be reviewed for responsiveness to the call and alignment with EMSL and DOE BER missions. Feedback may be provided regarding the feasibility of the proposed research.
Submit a Full Proposal
If invited, full proposals must be submitted electronically through the EMSL User Portal. Your proposal should incorporate or respond to any feedback provided following your LOI. You are strongly encouraged to contact EMSL staff to discuss your project before submitting the full proposal. Any discussions with staff should be initiated at least two weeks before the submission deadline.
For questions about the proposal submission process, please contact User Program Services.
