Transnational Access User Survey

In December 2020, RADIATE conducted a survey among our Transnational Access users to see how users are experiencing the application process and system. All in all, we received 26 responses by former users. Responses were collected anonymously to receive honest feedback.

18 users (69%) indicated that they didn’t need any help completing their application and 24 users (92%) felt like sufficient information about the application process is provided on our websites. 20 users (76.9 %) reported that their overall experience with the GATE system was very good or good. One user indicated that it was difficult for them to find help. Some comments on missing information concernced the guest house reservations, which are different from facility to facility, and a lack of details on the experiment reporting process after the beam time.

Most users (22 or 84%) had some kind of contact with a local TA manager prior to handing in their proposal in the GATE system.

19 users thought that the response time between proposal submission and result (acceptance/refusal) was very good or good. However, 4 users thought that the response time was unacceptable. The RADIATE team is looking into the reasons behind this. In a few cases it is known that several inquiries due to uncertainties (either from the data provided in the proposal or feasibility uncertainties at the local TA facilities that had to be clarified) were necessary and caused some delays.

23 users (88.5 %) already had finished their transnational access stay. Of these, 20 reported that the communication with their hosting facility ahead of their stay was very good or good. Only one user reported that the communication ahead wasn’t sufficient. We received 16 responses to our question whether the users were satisfied with their stay at the host facility, all of which reported a satisfactory stay.

We were happy to hear that 15 users (57.7%) disclosed that applying for RADIATE TA was their first time applying for beamtime at an ion beam facility.