Overview of Canadian Access to Beam Time
Overview of Canadian Access to Beam Time
Limited amounts of beam time are available in Canada and through short-term international partnerships with leading neutron sources abroad. Access is allocated through competitive proposal processes by, or in coordination with, the host facilities. This page summarizes access to the neutron sources needed by the Canadian community as prioritized in the Canadian Neutron Long-Range Plan.
Sources with Canadian Access Programs
Canadian Neutron Beam Laboratory
The CNBL offers powder diffraction and other diffraction techniques at one beamline, and is adding further beamlines in coming years.
More infoSpallation Neutron Source
The SNS offers limited Canadian access to 5 neutron spectrometers in addition to its general user competition. Further access to a set of neutron diffractometers is proposed in the Canadian Neutron Long-Range Plan.
Sources with Proposed Canadian Access Programs
NIST Center for Neutron Research
Access to NCNR awaits completion of its extended maintenance outage. Access is available only through its regular access routes, including its general user competition. CFI awarded funds to McMaster for a partnership that will leverage Canadian access to NCNR’s large suite of beamlines. A further partnership to increase the beam time available to Canadians is proposed in the Canadian Neutron Long-Range Plan.
ISIS Neutron and Muon Source
Access is available through its regular access routes only, such as its “Direct Access” which is a general user competition. In 2025, CFI awarded funds to McMaster for a partnership that will leverage Canadian access to ISIS’s large suite of beamlines. Neutrons Canada completed a two-year partnership with ISIS in 2025, funded by UK International Science Partnerships Fund. A further partnership to increase the beam time available to Canadians is proposed in the Canadian Neutron Long-Range Plan.
Institut Laue-Langevin
Access is available only through its regular access routes only. Its general user competition requires two-thirds of its proponents to be from ILL’s member countries. A Canadian membership that will subscribe to 1.5% of ILL’s beam time is proposed in the Canadian Neutron Long-Range Plan.
Los Alamos Neutron Scattering Center
Access to LANSCE is limited to research aligned with its operator’s research priorities. A partnership to gain Canadian access its PDF beamline is proposed in the Canadian Neutron Long-Range Plan.
FRM-II Research Neutron Source
Access to FRM-II awaits completion of its extended maintenance outage. Access to the FRM-II neutron source is available through its regular access routes only. Access is managed via the Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Zentrum (MLZ). A partnership to gain limited Canadian access through the Jülich Centre for Neutron Science is proposed in the Canadian Neutron Long-Range Plan.