The Facilities Integrating Collaborations for User Science (FICUS) program was created in 2014 to accelerate ambitious user research projects. The program, spearheaded by the Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory (EMSL) and the Joint Genome Institute, provides researchers with access to the world-class resources of multiple user facilities through a single proposal. The program has expanded to include several other user facilities and holds two annual calls for proposals.
Through various FICUS calls, users have access to EMSL, JGI, the National Ecological Observatory Network, the Bio-SANS beamline through the Center for Structural Molecular Biology at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and the eBERlight program offered by Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Laboratory, and the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) user facility. Projects generally last two years and begin in October.
User facilities interested in partnering with EMSL through a FICUS call are encouraged to email EMSL User Program Services.
