Proprietary Research

Proprietary Research is defined as that for which users request confidentiality of proposal, data and results for a certain period of time. This research follows the guidelines for implementation by the Stanford University Faculty Senate and is executed through a Proprietary User Agreement. Proprietary Research is subject to the Department of Energy's full-cost recovery requirement for facility charges for the use of user facilities and advance payment of those charges. The facility charges are established as a dollar rate for each shift of beam time.

See proprietary user agreement

Beam time usage at FACET & Test Facilities (FACET, NLCTA, ESTB and ASTA) can be either non-proprietary or proprietary. The majority of FACET&TF beam time is used for non-proprietary research.

FACET&TF can accommodate proprietary users who have scientific projects for which they wish to maintain confidentiality of proposal, data or results for a certain period of time (as needed for patent or other reasons).

Proprietary research proposals are subject to the same safety review and approval process as nonproprietary use proposals. However, the proposals will not be made available to anyone apart from the proposal review panel and FACET Division or SLAC staff necessary for the safety review of the experiment. The proposals at FACET&TF are all given as oral presentations in front of the proposal review panel. The oral presentation for proprietary research will be a closed session without a public audience.

Proprietary research proposals are peer reviewed in accordance with criteria described. Proprietary research proposals must provide sufficient information to enable peer review; however, confidential details of specific composition of a sample can, for example, be withheld if it will not compromise the ability to review the proposals. Confidence is maintained on these proposals during the review process.

Question: Can nonproprietary research take advantage of some of the confidentiality benefits of proprietary research? Example: restrictions on access to proposals and limited audience at the oral presentation of the proposal?

Answer: Yes. Contact the FACET Division Director to set things up.

Proprietary research follows the guidelines for implementation by the Stanford University Faculty Senate and is executed through the DOE’s Proprietary User Agreement template. Proprietary Research is subject to the DOE full-cost recovery advance payment of facility charges. The facility charges are established as a dollar rate for each shift of beam time and are updated based on the annual facility budget and available shifts. In accordance with the DOE accounting policies, proprietary research experiments performed at FACET&TF shall neither start nor continue without advance payment.

Consistent with Stanford University and SLAC policy, other conditions related to proprietary research include:

  • Stanford faculty, students, or research staff will not be directly involved;
  • Sufficient information on the experiment needs to be provided so that the FACET Division Safety Officer can assure that all ES&H guidelines are met and that there is no risk to people, the facility, or the environment;
  • Proprietary time is limited to no more than 15% of total available beam time; and
  • Disclosure of the intellectually significant results of the experimental work will be made public within five years from the time of completion of the analysis of the data.

Experimenters interested in conducting Proprietary Research should contact the FACET Division Director well in advance of the anticipated need for beam time as the legal and financial procedures involved may take up to several months to finalize.