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Policies and Guidelines

The Emory Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Research Center is committed to providing high‑quality service to all users. To promote efficient operation and minimize instrument downtime, users are expected to follow the guidelines outlined below.

If you have questions or suggestions, please contact the NMR Research Center Director.

Center Policy

  • No Food, Drinks, or Smoking

    Consumption of food, drinks, and smoking are strictly prohibited in the NMR laboratory.

  • Prohibited Adjustments:

    Users are not permitted to make non-routine adjustments or repairs to the instruments. Only authorized personnel may perform adjustments or repairs.

  • Sample Preparation:

    NMR samples should not be prepared in the NMR Lab. Samples must be placed in assigned tube racks on each instrument. Any items left in the lab will be discarded.

  • Reporting Issues:

    Users must report any problems, malfunctions, or damages to NMR Research Center Director or leave appropriate notes on the console.

  • Grace Period:

    A five-minute grace period is allowed at the beginning of a time slot. After this time, other users may use the remaining time.

  • Cancellation Policy:

    Users must cancel appointments with a two-hour notice to avoid being charged for the reserved time.

  • Training:

    Only NMR Center Service Instructors are authorized to train new users. New users must receive training before using the instruments independently.

  • Maintenance and Experiments:

    The NMR Center will maintain the instruments and set up routine experiments. Advanced experiments will be developed upon user requests.

  • Complaints:

    Users should contact the NMR Reserch Center Director regarding complaints about instrument usage or disputes.

  • Director's Authority:

    The NMR Center Director has the authority to suspend hands-on use of the NMR Research Center facilities for users who violate policies or conduct rules.

Instrument Sign‑Up Policies

These sign‑up policies apply to open‑access instruments at the Emory NMR Research Center. The guidelines below are intended to ensure fair access, efficient scheduling, and minimal instrument downtime.

Instrument‑specific time limits may apply. Users are responsible for complying with all applicable policies.

Scheduling is divided into daytime and off‑time usage:

  • Daytime usage:
    Monday–Friday, 9:00 AM – 8:00 PM
  • Off‑time usage:
    • Monday–Friday, 8:00 PM – 9:00 AM
    • Weekends, 9:00 AM – 8:00 PM

Users should plan experiments within their reserved time and defer long experiments to off‑time when possible.

600 MHz and 800 MHz Instruments

(INOVA 600, Bruker Avance III 600, Bruker Avance NEO 800)

  • Daytime (M–F): Maximum 3 hours per user
  • Off‑time and weekends: No time limit

If you require more than 3 hours of weekday daytime access, you must request approval from the NMR Research Center Director.

400 MHz Instruments

(VNMRS 400, Bruker Avance III 400, Bruker Avance NEO 400)

  • Daytime (M–F): Maximum 30 minutes per user
    • 8:00 AM – 9:00 AM: Maximum 1 hour per user
    • 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM: Maximum 1 hour per user
  • Off‑time and weekends: No time limit

If you require more than 30 minutes of weekday daytime access to run a 19F or 31P experiment, you must request approval from the NMR Center Director.

  • Overnight experiments may not begin before 7:00 PM
  • Experiments must finish by 9:00 AM the following morning
  • Users must record contact information in the logbook so another group member can be reached if the user is late

Users may not operate more than one NMR instrument simultaneously without explicit permission from NMR Research Center Director.

To avoid being charged for unused time, users must cancel reservations in advance:

  • More than 1 hour of contiguous time: Cancel at least 3 hours in advance
  • 1 hour or less of contiguous time: Cancel at least 1 hour in advance

Failure to cancel on time will result in charges for the reserved session.

If a user does not arrive within the grace period, the reservation is considered a no‑show and will be charged:

  • More than 1 hour reserved: 10‑minute grace period
  • 1 hour or less reserved: 5‑minute grace period

Arrival times are determined using the instrument computer clock.

  • Users must complete experiments within their scheduled time
  • If additional time is needed, users must obtain permission from the next scheduled user
  • Without permission, the experiment must be stopped and the system logged out on time