Block Allocated Access (BAG) at MAX IV provides beamtime to research groups rather than individual users. It promotes collaboration and supports recurring, small-scale experiments with shared scientific goals and infrastructure. The group manages scheduling within their allocated block, ensuring flexibility and efficiency.
Available at: BioMAX, CoSAXS and MicroMAX
Research Areas:
Structural Biology – All beamlines
Soft Matter – CoSAXS
We run an annual call for BAG proposals, the beamtime you apply for starts in the Fall of that year. Proposals should be submitted during the Fall Cycle call for proposals, which typically opens in February.
You should submit your proposal in the DUO system, to check our next available call and which beamlines will offer BAG proposals please check our Call for Proposals page.
BAG proposals are granted 2-year access to MAX IV, which is the equivalent to 4 cycles. To extend your BAG proposal, you should send us a resubmission before your 2 years is up, this would need to be submitted in the Fall call of your 2nd year.
Users are granted beamtime through open access in accordance with MAX IV Terms & Conditions.
- No charge for beamtime.
- Users pay for consumables exceeding a predefined amount.
Not all beamlines offer BAG Access, please see the Call for proposals page for participating beamlines.
BAG proposals are peer-reviewed by the relevant MAX IV Programme Advisory Committee (PAC), based on scientific excellence.
Continuation of ongoing BAGs are evaluated based on the performance and results of ongoing or previous BAGs.
- Anyone wanting to be on the proposal should create a DUO account. If you are unsure if you have an account or need to update your details, please contact useroffice@maxiv.lu.se.
- It is strongly encouraged that you contact the beamline staff before submitting your proposal.
- Submit your proposal in DUO.
- Use the correct proposal template, do not exceed the page limitations: Download BAG template.
You should send a period report for your bag proposal at the end of each cycle. We will request this report is submitted during the open call for proposals. The proposal will be reviewed during each review period in the call, giving the PAC the opportunity to indicate if the current shift allocation should be revised.
Period Report Template (3 period reports should be submitted throughout the duration of the proposal) Download BAG half year report template.
Final Report Template (1 Final report should be submitted at the end of the proposal) Download BAG Final report template.
Reporting example for a BAG proposal submitted in the Fall25 call:
First schedulable beamtime will run September 2025 – February 2026.
