Getting started as a user of our facilities

The Penn State Materials Research Institute houses phenomenal suites of instruments across multiple Core Facility units, offering research services to the Penn State community, industry, and other academic institutions.

To learn how to be come a user at a Materials Research Institute facility, please start by selecting an affiliation.
Self-Service – You operate the instruments independently after appropriate training
Full-Service – Submit research requests for staff-performed services

For all Penn State users of our facilities, the following must be completed before you can start a project

:: LEO Registration ::
All new Penn State users must register in the LEO system (Laboratory Equipment Operations). Go to leocores.psu.edu and click on Register/Modify and complete the registration by entering your cost collector rand faculty advisor’s PSU Access ID.
Your billing account is a cost collector provided to you by your advisor or administration and will be in the form of a SIMBA Cost Center (10 digit number), SIMBA Internal Order number (12 digit number), or for ARL, a SIMBA WBS Element number (12 digit number). (Return to Register/Modify to create as many billing accounts as needed.)
When you Add a Billing Account, your advisor/supervisor will receive an email to approve or deny your request. After approved, your account will be available in LEO within 1-2 business days.
If assistance is needed, please contact LEOhelp@psu.edu. Please note your billing account request must be approved by your faculty advisor and manually entered into LEO. This process may take a few hours to a few days or more depending on response time from those involved.
After completion of the LEO registration process, research services can be requested from your established technical staff member or if self-service operation is desired, Complete Safety Training
:: Complete Safety Training ::
Federal Law (OSHA) prohibits individuals working in labs without proper Safety Training. Safety training must be completed to gain access to the Millennium Science Complex and any lab within.
  1. Go to the EHS Online Lab Safety Training in the Learning Resource Network.
  2. Login using your Penn State user ID.
  3. Search for “EHS - Initial Laboratory & Research Safety Training - University Park.“
  4. Click "Open the Curriculum", read the instructions, complete the training modules, and take the quizzes.
  5. When finished, print your certificate to a PDF and UPLOAD your final Safety Certificate through the Submission Form
:: Request Millennium Science Complex (MSC) Building Access ::

Access to the MSC must be requested via the Facility Access Authorization Request Form. Please submit the completed form and your most up-to-date Safety Certificate to Jaime Reish (jdr15@psu.edu) N107 MSC.

:: Log Into LEO ::

Use your new LEO profile at leocores.psu.edu.

Your facility usage is tracked by LEO and will be invoiced on a monthly billing cycle that ends on the 24th of each month. Your advisor/supervisor will receive the monthly invoice which will be paid via the University’s direct-bill payment process. 

EACH AND EVERY TRANSACTION GENERATED BY YOUR FACILITY USAGE MUST BE REVIEWED AND VALIDATED BY YOU WITHIN 5 CALENDAR DAYS OF USAGE. Failure to validate your transactions will cause administrative burden on core facility staff and your advisor/supervisor; facility staff may contact you to address this failure 

Transactions that are reviewed and deemed incorrect can be contested and corrected via the LEO Contest feature within 5 calendar days of usage. 

LEO training videos are available at leocores.psu.edu and additional LEO information is available on the LEO InfoSite Sharepoint Website. 

:: Industry, Academic, or Government ::

Before considering or starting a project, please by email Guy Lavallee at gpl107@psu.edu or calling 814-865-9339)

:: Nanofab Training ::

Required Training for Entry into the Nanofabrication Lab:
Schedule a time here: Required Training

:: Final Steps for Users of the Nanofab ::

  1. Schedule a time here: New user Nanofab Tour
  2. Complete the New Project Executive Summary form

:: Materials Characterization Lab Training ::

Required Training for Entry into the MCL X-Ray Diffraction Lab: EHS Electronic X-Ray Safety Training (if applicable) -- click on Training under Quick Links, click Radiation Safety, click Radiation Safety Education for Radiation Producing Equipment (X-ray) Follow instructions for both the On-Line Access and then the Hands On Session; UPLOAD your final certificate here.

Specific Instrument Training: visit the MCL website and select "Training Request".

:: 2DCC-MIP Project Proposal Process ::

Please visit the 2DCC-MIP Become a User section of our website to learn more about submitting your proposal to work with the 2DCC-MIP

Self-Service Research

:: Required Documents ::

Please complete all of the following required registration documents, obtain the authorized signature, and submit them to LEOContracts@psu.edu.

  1. Academic Research Services Order (ARSO)*
    → PLEASE ARSO DETAILS, FAQs, & NDA INFO ←
    required for primary technical contact 
  2. External User Term Sheet (EUTS)
    required when your employees will be doing the work themselves on PSU equipment. The EUTS requires that your organization assumes full responsibility and liability while at Penn State. 
  3. COVID Addendum
    required if submitting an EUTS 
  4. New User Form
    required for additional technical contacts/authorized project participants, if applicable.

Download and fill out the above four (4) documents here: research.psu.edu

*You will be notified when the ARSO agreement has been fully executed and at that point you can proceed to the next steps.

:: Acquire a Penn State Access ID ::

To acquire a PSU Access Account, go to accounts.psu.edu  and click on either Create My Account or Recover My Account (if you’ve had one in the past). When complete, you will be provided with a Username (i.e.: abc1234); Please email your new Username and a readable copy of a form of photo ID (ex: Driver License, Passport) to Amy Morder (ajm114@psu.edu). Amy will process an application to request that your account be elevated to a “sponsored” level. Your PSU username and password is what you will use to log in to any PSU system, remote computers, LEO and the research instruments.

:: Complete Safety Training ::

Federal Law (OSHA) prohibits individuals working in labs without proper Safety Training. Safety training must be completed to gain access to the Millennium Science Complex and any lab within.

  1. Go to the EHS Online Lab Safety Training in the Learning Resource Network.
  2. Login using your Penn State user ID.
  3. Search for “EHS - Initial Laboratory & Research Safety Training - University Park.“
  4. Click "Open the Curriculum", read the instructions, complete the training modules, and take the quizzes.
  5. When finished, print your certificate to a PDF AND UPLOAD your final Safety Certificate through the Submission Form

Required Training for Entry into the Nanofabrication Lab:
Schedule a time here: Required Training

Required Training for entry into the MCL X-Ray Diffraction Lab: EHS Electronic X-Ray Safety Training (if applicable) -- click on Training under Quick Links, click Radiation Safety, click Radiation Safety Education for Radiation Producing Equipment (X-ray) Follow instructions for both the On-Line Access and then the Hands On Session; UPLOAD your final Certificate HERE.

:: Complete Specific Instrument Training ::

For Nanofab, schedule training here.
For MCL, visit their website and select "Training Request". 

:: Request Millennium Science Complex (MSC) Building Access ::

Access to the MSC must be requested via the Facility Access Form. Please submit the completed form and your most up-to-date Safety Certificate to Amy Morder (ajm114@psu.edu) N315 MSC.

:: Log Into LEO ::

Use your new LEO profile at leocores.psu.edu.

Your facility usage is tracked by LEO and will be invoiced on a monthly billing cycle that ends on the 24th of each month. Your advisor/supervisor will receive the monthly invoice which will be paid via the University’s direct-bill payment process. 

EACH AND EVERY TRANSACTION GENERATED BY YOUR FACILITY USAGE MUST BE REVIEWED AND VALIDATED BY YOU WITHIN 5 CALENDAR DAYS OF USAGE. Failure to validate your transactions will cause administrative burden on core facility staff and your advisor/supervisor; facility staff may contact you to address this failure 

Transactions that are reviewed and deemed incorrect can be contested and corrected via the LEO Contest feature within 5 calendar days of usage. 

LEO training videos are available at leocores.psu.edu and additional LEO information is available on the LEO InfoSite Sharepoint Website. 

Self-Service Research

:: Complete Other Required Training ::

Required Training for Entry into the Nanofabrication Lab:
Schedule a time here: Required Training

Required Training for entry into the MCL X-Ray Diffraction Lab: EHS Electronic X-Ray Safety Training (if applicable) -- click on Training under Quick Links, click Radiation Safety, click Radiation Safety Education for Radiation Producing Equipment (X-ray) Follow instructions for both the On-Line Access and then the Hands On Session; UPLOAD your final Certificate HERE.

:: Complete Specific Instrument Training ::

For Nanofab, schedule training here.
For MCL, visit their website and select "Training Request".

Full-Service Research

:: Required Documents ::

Please complete all of the following required registration documents, obtain the authorized signature, and submit them to LEOContracts@psu.edu.

  1. Academic Research Services Order (ARSO)*
    → PLEASE ARSO DETAILS, FAQs, & NDA INFO ←
    required for primary technical contact 
  2. New User Form
    required for additional technical contacts/authorized project participants, if applicable.

Download and fill out the above two (2) documents here: research.psu.edu

:: Coordinate with Your Established Technical Contact(s) to Begin Services ::

You will be notified when the ARSO agreement has been fully executed and at that point you can begin to coordinate with your established technical contact(s) to begin services.

A LEO billing account will be created for you within 24 hours of completion of a fully executed ARSO.

Your facility usage is tracked by LEO and will be invoiced on a monthly billing cycle that ends on the 24th of each month.

:: Final Steps for Users of the Nanofab ::

  1. Schedule a time here: New user Nanofab Tour
  2. Complete the New Project Executive Summary form

Already working with MRI?

In order to gain access to the building, user facilities, and PI labs, you must follow the detailed instructions that are posted on the MRI Intranet here.

For Key Access and Card Swipe Access

Contact Amy Morder in MSC N-317; email: ajm114@psu.edu