ALS Access - FAQs
I was allocated beamtime for an in-person experiment. What do I need to do?
Please refer to the ALS User Guide for general information. Please make sure that you update your profile on ALSHub immediately to let the User Office know when you are planning to travel to the ALS. The On-site Access page has additional information about how to get a badge and access LBNL and how to provide the mandatory COVID information. Please start the process early, ideally 4-8 weeks before your scheduled beamtime. It is critical that all PIs or Experiment Leads complete the Experiment Safety Assessment Form (ESAF) as early as possible. All prospective experiment participants should be included on the ESAF. Do not travel to Berkeley Lab before you are approved to come on-site. Please also take all required training before you travel.
I was allocated beamtime for a remote experiment. What do I need to do?
Please refer to the ALS User Guide for general information. An Experiment Safety Assessment Form (ESAF) is needed for on-site and remote experiments and should list all on-site and remote participants. Some beamlines provide remote access to beamline computers via a portal on ALSHub. Please discuss how to participate in a remote experiment with the beamline staff. Refer to our Shipping and Receiving web page for information about shipping your samples to the ALS.
Do I need training to conduct experiments at the ALS?
All on-site users need to take several online safety training classes which are listed on the ALS Safety Training page. Some work may require additional training, for example chemical safety or laser training. Remote users currently do not need to take any safety training. Check with your beamline scientists for any beamline-specific training requirements for remote and on-site work. Please make sure that you take your required training classes before traveling to the ALS, especially if you have been a remote user and are coming to the ALS for your first on-site experiment.
I can’t use my beamtime. What should I do? Can I move my time to the next cycle?
Please let the beamline staff and the User Office know that you cannot come for your scheduled beamtime. The ALS generally does not move beamtime between cycles. Please either extend your proposal by submitting a beamtime request or submit a new proposal for beamtime the next cycle by the next deadline.
How do I get access to Berkeley Lab to conduct an experiment at an ALS beamline?
Please make sure that you update your profile on ALSHub immediately to let the User Office know when you are planning to travel to the ALS. The User Office will send your updated profile to the Berkeley Lab Shared Services Office for processing if you have never been to the ALS or your badge has expired. If you have an active badge, you still need to provide your vaccination documentation before arriving at LBNL, and the User Office will assist you in providing your documentation. The On-site Access page has additional information about how to get access to LBNL.
How do I get a badge for Berkeley Lab?
Your access to LBNL needs to be approved first. The onboarding process to get approval to come on-site is described on the On-site Access page and you start by letting the User Office know when you are planning to travel to the ALS by updating your profile on ALSHub. Once your access is approved, please contact the Berkeley Lab Badge Office at siteaccess@lbl.gov for an appointment to print and pick up your badge.
My badge is expired. What should I do?
Your access status is likely “inactive” and you will need to let the User Office know when you are planning to travel to the ALS by updating your profile on ALSHub. Once your access is approved after the onboarding process, please contact the Berkeley Lab Badge Office at siteaccess@lbl.gov for an appointment to print and pick up your badge. If your access status is active and you just need a new badge, directly contact the Badge Office.
Will my LBNL badge give me access to the ALS experiment floor?
Yes, ALS users with valid training will be automatically granted access to the ALS buildings and the experiment floor. Please contact your host (usually the beamline scientist you are working with) to find out how to get access to additional access-controlled labs, like the Chem Lab. The lab owner will authorize your badge to provide access to the lab. Additional training may be required.
What do I need to do to get access to other ALS labs, for example the Chem Lab?
Please contact your host (usually the beamline scientist you are working with) to find out how to get access to access-controlled labs, like the Chem Lab. The lab owner will authorize your badge to provide access to the lab. Additional training may be required.
How do I get a badge when I arrive outside normal business hours?
Let the User Office know that you are arriving outside normal business hours or on a weekend and need to come on-site. The User Office will arrange the pick-up of a temporary badge at the Site Security Office next to the fire station close to the ALS, which is staffed at all times. You will need to return the temporary badge when leaving LBNL or when picking up your personalized badge during business hours. The temporary badge will give you access to the ALS building and the experiment floor but not to additional access-controlled rooms.
I have scheduled beamtime for a RAPIDD experiment. Can the User Office help me get access to LBNL on short notice?
There is no abbreviated or accelerated process to come on-site. Please let the User Office know immediately that you will need access and provide all requested information as quickly as possible. You can start your access request before receiving approval of your RAPIDD proposal or even submitting a proposal. If you don’t have an active badge, we recommend that you reach out to the beamline scientist before submitting a RAPIDD proposal to determine when your proposal might receive beamtime and start the process to get access immediately, if the beamline scientist indicates that beamtime could be available on short notice.
I am lost. Who can help me navigate the process to get access to the ALS?
Please contact the User Office. We are happy to assist.
Do I need to be vaccinated to run an experiment at the ALS?
Berkeley Lab requires that all staff, on-site affiliates, and facility users be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and have a booster shot unless they have an approved medical, disability, or religious exception or pregnancy deferment in place. If you do not have an active badge, you will be asked to provide your COVID vaccination documentation during the onboarding process. If you have an active badge, you still need to provide your vaccination documentation before arriving at LBNL. Please review the On-site Access page to learn how to provide this documentation. On-site personnel with an approved exception need to follow a strict protocol that includes regular testing and physical distancing.
Do I need to provide a COVID test to run an experiment at the ALS?
Fully vaccinated users do not need to get tested. Please review the testing options and requirements here.
Can I get a COVID test at LBNL?
Weekly on-site testing is available once access has been approved.
Can I conduct experiments at the ALS if I am not vaccinated?
Berkeley lab requires on-site users to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 unless they have an approved exception in place.
Which vaccines are accepted by Berkeley Lab?
Please review the LBNL vaccination policy.
What are the COVID rules for users from outside the US?
Please review the LBNL travel policy.
Are there physical distancing requirements at ALS beamlines?
There are no physical distancing requirements.
Do I need to wear a mask at the ALS?
No face coverings are required inside or outside buildings, including the ALS experimental floor. Face coverings are required on the shuttle buses.
What do the “masks preferred if more than 1 person present” signs I see some places around the ALS mean?
Berkeley Lab no longer requires masks on-site, regardless of vaccination status. That said, many ALS staff and users want to continue to wear masks, and we should be supportive of individuals’ decisions to wear or not wear a mask. You may encounter signage on a workstation that indicates a preference for masks to be worn when more than one person is present. We ask that you be respectful of individuals’ preferences and also of one another’s decisions to ultimately wear or not wear a mask.
What is the ALS doing to keep me safe?
LBNL requires all staff, on-site affiliates, and facility users to be vaccinated unless an approved exception is in place. LBNL also offers testing. The most up-to-date details on the Lab’s COVID rules can be found here.
Where can I find more information about COVID policies at LBNL?
The most up-to-date details on the Lab’s COVID status can be found here.
What are the U.S. COVID rules for international travellers?
The rules are constantly changing and may also depend on your origin of travel. Please review your carrier’s and the CDC and Department of State information for travelers.
Does Berkeley Lab have additional travel restrictions for users who come from abroad?
Please review the LBNL travel policy.
Is the LBNL Guest House open?
Yes! The Guest House reopened on March 7, 2022. More information can be found on their website.
Where else can I stay in Berkeley, besides the LBNL Guest House?
The UC Berkeley Visitor Services and the Visit Berkeley web pages list some options. Hotels near the UC campus have good access to the lab via the LBNL shuttle service during weekdays between 6:00 a.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Are the shuttle buses between the ALS and downtown Berkeley running?
Yes, the shuttle buses are operating on weekdays between 6:00 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. on their normal schedule. More information can be found here. Face coverings need to be worn on the shuttle.
How do I get to the ALS when the shuttle is not running?
Local taxis and ride-shares (e.g., Uber and Lyft) are generally available 24 hours.
Is the cafeteria open?
The cafeteria is closed for renovations. Food truck service is available in the cafeteria parking lot from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. each weekday. The food truck schedule, menus, and online ordering instructions are available here.