Training
Training Requests
IMSERC has online pre-training materials for most areas. To request training, obtain information on the instruments and take the pretraining quiz (NMR and Mass Spec) go to:
- General Training
- Crystallography
- Mass Spectrometry (Includes GPC)
- NMR Spectroscopy
- Physical Characterization and Optical
General Training
Before you can be trained on instrumentation at IMSERC, please make sure you have visited Getting Started and completed all steps listed on the page. This will ensure your username and affiliation is set up in IMSERC, and IMSERC staff will be able to give you access to reserve instrumentation after your training, as well as provide you access to your data remotely.
New users should have samples ready for analysis when requesting training. Most instruments have training sessions once a week. Users will typically receive limited access after the first training session. For example, mass spectrometry users will receive day time access only and NMR users will receive access for a limited number of instruments/experiments. After new users have 5-10 hours of experimenting, users are expected to schedule a followup session where details related to individual experiments can be covered. At this point, additional access to equipment is granted.
Crystallography Training
Hands-on training on the single crystal diffractometers is typically performed after students have completed the Chem432 crystallography class, which is taught in the winter quarter. The Chem432 requirement might be waived for students and visiting scholars that have prior experience with single crystal diffraction techniques.
Training on the powder diffractometers does not require completion of the Chem432 class but taking the class is recommended for users without experience on powder diffraction. Please request training by either submitting an instrument specific training request through NUcore or contacting a Crystallography staff for details about training and instrument selection.
As a new user, before you can be trained on instrumentation at IMSERC, please make sure you have visited Getting Started and completed all steps listed on the page. This will ensure your username and affiliation is set up in IMSERC, and IMSERC staff will be able to give you access to reserve instrumentation after your training, as well as provide you access to your data remotely. Additionally, for Crystallography work as independent user, you need the 'X-ray Safety' certificate which you can take online at myHR Learn.
Mass Spectrometry Training
Before you can be trained on mass spec instrumentation at IMSERC, please make sure you have visited Getting Started and completed all steps listed on the page. This will ensure your username and affiliation is set up in IMSERC, and IMSERC staff will be able to give you access to reserve instrumentation after your training, as well as provide you access to your data remotely. You will not have access to instrumentation without this being completed.
All new users must complete the full online mass spec training tutorial and answer all quiz questions before officially submitting a request for training. Return users can use the same request link and choose to move ahead to directly request access on additional instrumentation ONLY after completing the full tutorial at least once.
When submitting your training request, keep in mind, training is performed on a per sample basis. And when filling out your request, please choose only ONE instrument which you believe is the best fit for your sample(s). Any additional instrumentation will require a separate submission.
Click the Mass Spectrometry Training Request to take the online mass spec tutorial, quiz, and officially submit your instrument training request. New users should allow themselves approximately 1 hour to complete the full online tutorial with quiz questions before submitting their first IMSERC mass spec instrument request.
After you submit your request you will receive and automated email response. Please reply to the automated email with an attachment of your sample structure that you wish to analyze. Once your reply email is received, mass spec staff will contact you within 1-2 business days and set up your instrument training.
*Once you submit your request, you will immeadiately receive an automated email. If you do not receive and automated email response, please send an email to IMSERC-Director@northwestern.edu to resolve the issue.
MS Training Request Checklist
- Take ALL steps listed in Getting Started .
- Submit your Mass Spectrometry Training Request .
- After you submit your request, reply to the automated email you receive with an attachment of your sample structure.
- Wait 1-3 days. Mass spec staff will contact you shortly with a scheduled training time. If you do not receive a follow up email within 1-3 days, contact IMSERC-Director@northwestern.edu to resolve the issue.
Physical Characterization and Optical Training
As a new user, before you can be trained on instrumentation at IMSERC, please make sure you have visited Getting Started and completed all steps listed on the page. This will ensure your username and affiliation is set up in IMSERC, and IMSERC staff will be able to give you access to reserve instrumentation after your training, as well as provide you access to your data remotely.
Please request training by either submitting an instrument specific training request through NUcore or contacting a staff for details about training and instrument selection.