The Materials Science and Technology Division has
several staffed user facilities--equipment and laboratories available
to users from outside the Laboratory. User facilities are powerful and
efficient vehicles for gaining access to the scientific and technical
resources found in the Department of Energy's national laboratories. Users
include scientists and engineers from universities, other government agencies,
and the business community.
Some facilities are "mega" facilities and comprise several smaller facilities
with a common purpose, for example, evaluating superconducting materials.
Others are specifically focused on a particular process or technology.
The Laboratory's Technology Transfer Division can help users gain access
to these experimental facilities for the purposes of fabrication, calibration,
testing, and evaluation of products and processes.
The partner directs the activity that occurs within the framework of the
agreement. The partner must pay for the cost of using the facility, but
a waiver of DOE added factor cost and depreciation cost is readily available
for nonprofits and small and minority- or woman-owned businesses.
