Information for users

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This page contains all you need to know about academic access to the CLF.

For industry access, please follow the link below.

Industry

Access routes

The access routes to apply for experimental time are:

Artemis facility
High Power Laser (HPL) Facility, which covers access to Gemini
Lasers for Science Facility (LSF), which covers access to Octopus or Ultra
Vulcan dark period: experimental support

Call information

Click to view the call information for each access route.

For specific tips and FAQs for each laser facility, see the links at the top of each section.

〉Calls for access are currently closed

For tips and FAQs surrounding Artemis, visit: Info for Artemis users

Artemis is closed to users from August 2025 while we install a new laser system and end-stations as part of our HiLUX project. We aim to have some user access in 2026, but the timing of our next call is not yet fixed.

If you have an idea for an experiment, please contact Artemis facility staff to discuss feasibility.

If you would like to receive email notifications about access calls, please register with our user office via the User Portal.

HPL calls currently offer access to the CLF’s Gemini laser and AWE’s Orion laser.

〉Calls for access are currently closed

For tips and FAQs surrounding Gemini, visit: Info for Gemini users

Direct Access

up to eight weeks of access
calls for access are typically held every 6-9 months, with scheduling in the 6-9 month period thereafter

Vulcan dark period: support

Calls for travel and subsistence, diagnostic and target fabrication support during the Vulcan 20-20 upgrade dark period.

Vulcan 20-20 dark period: support

Latest updates

We have now closed our call for proposals for access to Gemini TA3 target areas for the period September 2026 – April 2027.

The Vulcan laser facility is undergoing a major upgrade of its capabilities as part of the Vulcan 20-20 project and there will be no access offered to Vulcan.

More info on Vulcan 20-20

Vulcan dark period

HPL user access: Orion

During Vulcan’s dark period, academic users are being offered access to the Orion laser. More information on how to apply will be posted here when the call re-opens.

More info on Orion

Support

During Vulcan’s dark period, we are offering support for travel and subsistence, diagnostic and target fabrication for campaigns within the areas of science done at Vulcan to be carried out on external facilities.

More info on Vulcan 20-20 dark period: support

HPL user access: Gemini

Who can apply

The majority of access to Gemini is STFC funded, and proposals must have at least one co-investigator who is a permanent member of staff at a UK academic institution. However, access to Gemini TA3 may be available for EU access via funding through Lasers4EU

Future access calls

We would like to advise you that the level of operation that the CLF will be able to undertake in late 2026 and early 2027 is unclear at present due to potential funding constraints. This may result in a reduced operating schedule in the second half of next year, and the potential cancellation of the next proposal call in mid to late 2026.

We are doing all we can to maximise operations in 2026-2027. We will continue to update the community with information on the next 12 months of CLF operations as this becomes clearer.

Submitting a proposal

All proposals should be submitted electronically via the following website:

User Portal

For information on Lasers 4EU Direct Access, go to:

Lasers4EU Direct Access

For access to the Gemini facility of the CLF we require the completion of the CLF technical pack.

This is used by the facility to provide us with sufficient detail to assess the implementation of the experiment if scheduled. This should be submitted via the proposal system alongside your science case.

Click to view and download the following documents:

HPL Call for access 26-27 (PDF)

CLF HPL technical pack 26-27 (PDF)

Gemini TA3 call for access facility description 26-27 (PDF)

Target Fabrication facility details (PDF)

Please contact the User Office (clf@stfc.ac.uk) or the Panel Co-ordinator, David Carroll (david.carroll@stfc.ac.uk), if you have any difficulty during the submission process.

〉Calls for access are currently closed

〉Xpress access is open year round

For tips and FAQs surrounding Octopus and Ultra, visit: Info for Octopus users Info for Ultra users

Bi-annual UK and international access routes

The information in the following sections is for regular access to Octopus and Ultra, reviewed by the Lasers for Science Facility (LSF) access panel.

A rough outline of the call schedule is in the table below, subject to change:

Call opening	Call closing	Results	Access period
May	July	October/November	January to June
November	January	April/May	July to December

Direct Access

up to four weeks of access
calls for access are typically held every 6 months, with scheduling in the 6 month period thereafter

New Programme Access

Longer-term access (1-4 weeks each six-month scheduling period for 2-5 years) to the Octopus or Ultra facilities for a coherent body of work over its duration
calls issued simultaneously with Direct Access calls

Continuation of approved programmes

For PIs who have an approved programme. Calls issued simultaneously with Direct Access calls.

LSF Xpress Access

Rapid access to an LSF facility for 1-2 days, typically for sample “proof-of-concept” or additional data collection subsequent to a previous experiment at the facility.

More about LSF Xpress Access

(Programme calls are currently for access to Octopus or Ultra only)

Eligibility

Main applicant (Principal Investigator) eligibility for the call:

UK academic (including postdoctoral researchers) for Direct Access or New Programmes
must hold a position that lasts for the duration of the scheduling period
PhD students can be Co-Investigator, but not the main applicant (Principal Investigator)
applications involving industry collaborators must be led by a non-STFC academic

Facility Access Panel

Follow the link below to find out more about CLF Facility Access Panels.

Our governance

Before you apply

Please carefully read all the information in the call guidelines:

LSF submission guidelines

Please use the formatted template documents (automatically downloads):

LSF Direct access template.docx

LSF Programme approved template.docx

LSF New programme template.docx

If you fail to follow the correct guidelines your application may be rejected without review.

It is recommended to contact an appropriate facility staff member ahead of time to help strengthen your application (for example, obtaining proof-of-concept data or technical feasibility).

Submission

Please submit all applications to the user portal:

User portal

If it is the first time you’ve used the online submission system, you may find it useful to read the documentation here:

CLF User Documentation for Proposals

For any queries about using the proposal system that are not answered by the documentation above, or if you require a different format, please contact: fase-support@stfc.ac.uk

Important

Submission includes completion of multiple pages of questions relating to your access, as well as the attachment of a scientific case. It is recommended to start early, as progress can be saved for completion at a later time before the deadline.

Alternative Access Routes

For UK and EU academics, here are some schemes that may be active and can provide access to the facilities.

Lasers4EU

During an open call, some access time may be funded by through Laserlab Europe and is for a single visit to use the LSF facilities. This gives access to groups or researchers from non-UK EU and specific non-EU countries.

Learn out more about Lasers4EU

RIANA

Research Infrastructure Access in Nanoscience & Nanotechnology (RIANA) is for multi-facility projects (including CLF facilities e.g. Octopus and Ultra) to study materials which have a functional component in the nanometer scale (<200 nm).

Visit the RIANA website for user access guidelines

Please contact Andy Ward to discuss access options: andy.ward@stfc.ac.uk

CanSERV

canSerV through the Euro-Bioimaging UK node, which offers access for UK and EU academics to Octopus for specific support in the framework of cancer research.

Euro-Bioimaging UK node

Find the specific support on the canSERV website

(currently listed as provided by King’s College London, who are the leader of the UK node)

Industry

For industry, or academics collaborating with industry, please visit our industry pages:

Industry

Before you submit

Before submitting a proposal, we highly recommend you contact someone from within your facility of interest to discuss your research proposal, the feasibility of the experiment, anything you might need, and more.

Learn more about our laser facilities, including staff members, in the links below.