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Guide to Using Our Facilities

Before applying to use the equipment or support services of the Division of Analytical Electron Microscopy, IMR, please read the following. See the detailed guide.

1. A usage application is required

To use our equipment or services, submit the prescribed application form and obtain approval from the Director of the Analytical Research Core for Advanced Materials (ARCAM). Operational decisions for this division, including acceptance and conditions of use, are made by the person in charge; final approval is made by the ARCAM Director.

2. Agreement to the guidelines is required

Your application must include agreement to the items in our Usage Guidelines. They are an important basis for deciding whether use can be approved under ARCAM rules.

• Purpose of use
• Fees and cancellation charges
• Points to note when using external funding
• Safety and response to accidents
• Conditions for sample handling, return, and storage
• Disclaimers concerning data quality and reproducibility
• Reporting outcomes and acknowledging the facility

These items appear as checkboxes on the application form. Agreement to every item is a prerequisite for approval. Details are available on the agreement page.

3. Applications currently accepted directly

We currently accept only the following analysis-facility applications directly.

Affiliation	Members of Tohoku University
Mode	User facility (self-use) Required training and licensing apply.
Purpose	Academic research or education only
Fee category	Internal rates only Uses subject to external rates are not accepted directly.

We may decline use if these conditions are not met or the application is incomplete. Typical cases include equipment limitations; applications in the analysis-facility category when technical support is needed; inadequate research or sample information; commercial or non-publication use contrary to the guidelines; or possible conflict with external-sharing-rate restrictions. See the Guidelines and FAQ; an amended application may be accepted, so please consult us in advance.

4. Other types of use

Although the rules allow the following, we do not currently accept them directly, temporarily because of limited staffing: direct applications from external institutions; use with technical support (internal or external); contract research or non-publication use; and uses subject to external rates.

For these types of use, please apply through the CINTS (ARIM) framework. See CINTS application information.

5. Research support services

Our services are classified as self-use (users operate equipment), technical consultation, technical assistance, analysis support, analysis service, technical service/contract experiments, advanced technical or analysis service, and collaborative research. Because of staffing constraints, self-use is currently the basic mode and other support is generally suspended. Please consider the CINTS (ARIM) framework if you need support.

6. Application navigator

If you are unsure which framework applies, use the Application Navigator (beta).

7. Process from application to billing

1. Prior consultation (may be omitted for continuing use)
2. Usage application (per fiscal year, laboratory, and funding source)
3. Licensing through training where required
4. Machine-time reservation
5. Equipment use
6. Monthly aggregation and billing in the following month
7. Charge transfer, normally quarterly
8. Publication of outcomes
9. Usage report

8. Fees

Equipment use and technical support incur prescribed fees. Payment requires a funding source administered within Tohoku University.

Fees consist of usage fees (equipment and experimental consumables) and technical support fees (staff assistance, such as operational support or measurement service). Rates depend on use type, including internal/external affiliation and publication of outcomes. Directly accepted analysis-facility use is charged only at internal rates; external rates 1 and 2 apply through CINTS (ARIM).

Use is normally aggregated at month-end and billed the following month; transfers are normally quarterly, although arrangements may differ by funding source. See the AEM fee schedule, the CINTS fee schedule, and the Usage Guidelines.

9. Documents describing the overall system

The internal ARCAM rules, the Division of Analytical Electron Microscopy usage rules, the agreement on applications and fees, and the agreement on delegated management of equipment describe the basic institutional framework. These documents are for Tohoku University members only. Actual operation is adjusted to our current staffing; this page states the current operating policy. Please contact us if you have questions.

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