Overview

Background

The User Services Online (USO) is an information management system developed at the Canadian Light Source which manages information related to the use of a large-scale research facility, such as a synchrotron.

Purpose

The purpose of the USO system is to provide a comprehensive platform for managing the lifecycle of user interactions with a research facility, from initial registration and proposal submission through to experiment execution and publication tracking. It aims to streamline processes, enhance user experience, and ensure compliance with safety ethical standards for research. The system is designed to be flexible and extensible, allowing for customization and adaptation to the specific needs of different facilities.

Scope

The system provides the following feature sets:

• Registration of new users

• Proposal creation and management: composition, submission, clarification, multi-beamline proposals

• Beamline/Facility Management: configuration of available techniques

• Reviewer profiles: subject areas, techniques, automated reviewer assignment

• Review Tracks: Configurable review stages, review criteria, and review workflow steps

• Reviews: Scientific, Technical, Safety, Ethics, Equipment

• Allocation of shifts: allocation pools, automatic decision bands

• Projects: team members, materials, amendments

• Scheduling: facility modes, beam time, user support

• Electronic Permits: beamline sessions, lab sessions, permission verification at sign-on

• User Feedback collection and reporting

• Publications: submission, tracking and metrics reporting

• User/Institutional agreements