Access to DCCEM

Access to David Cockayne Centre for Electron Microscopy facilities is managed by Dr Neil Young.

If you are preparing a grant application and wish to include funding for access to the facilities, then please contact Dr Neil Young or Professor Peter Nellist to discuss the project and to obtain the latest access rates.

Access for Materials Staff and Students

Project leaders, Supervisors or PI requiring access to electron microscopy and focused ion beam instrumentation and techniques should complete a 'Request for access to electron microscopes form' in advance of the project start date. The bulk of applications are expected in September of each year, however new requests and updates to existing applications are taken at any time. DCCEM staff will respond to the request for access, discuss details with the researchers as appropriate and then return a completed 'EM application summary' and 'training timeline' to applicants in advance of training start dates.

Research support for electron microscopy comprises of the following components:

  • Postgraduate lecture courses on electron microscopy based techniques (Michaelmas and Hilary terms)
  • Practical, project-focused user training in SEM/TEM/FIB 
  • One-to-one practical 'service' sessions with EM support scientists

A typical EM-related project will make use of several of the above activities as appropriate for the project/user. An indication of the range of facilities available is given on this website and in our EM leaflet. For enquiries, please contact emaccess@materials.ox.ac.uk directly.

Access for Researchers from other University of Oxford Departments

The DCCEM facility is open to all researchers across the University of Oxford. Project leaders requesting access to EM instrumentation should contact emaccess@materials.ox.ac.uk. The relevant EM support scientist will then contact you to arrange to discuss the scientific and administrative aspects of the request and how the DCCEM may best support the project.

In the Chemistry department, Dr Robert Jacobs is our point of contact and discussions regarding EM access may also be directed towards him.

Access is granted through the small research facility (SRF) model and costed accordingly. Training sessions and ensuing equipment session bookings are chargeable via the published SRF rate and group leaders will be invoiced for usage on a quarterly basis. Attendance of scheduled Materials postgraduate lecture courses is open to all without charge. A number of practical experiments may be undertaken at the discretion of the EM support scientists as 'proof-of-principle' tests in order to gauge the viability of projects before training is undertaken. Generally these are provided free of charge.

Access to Scientists from other HE Institutions

All external access enquiries should be addressed to Dr Neil Young.