Sample management

Given the COVID-19 pandemic, the ILL has favoured remote experiments allowing for the science to still go ahead. A process has been put in place by the User Office to facilitate the receiving, coordinating and returning of samples to our Users by post. Below you can see the steps currently in place.

Please send your sample to the ILL as early as possible. ILL scientists prefer to have the sample on-site for the beginning of the cycle for flexibility with regards to the scheduling.

Please use the following format for the postal address:

Your Local Contact's name

Telephone: +33 (0) 4 76 20 73 52 / +33 (0) 4 76 20 70 75 (our customs team)

Email: roche@ill.fr / brachet@ill.fr (customs team)

Institut Laue-Langevin - 71 avenue des Martyrs
CS 20156, 38042 GRENOBLE Cedex 9 - France

If you are sending your sample from a country that will require customs information, please remember the following:

• Please select the 'Delivery Duty Paid' option when organising your expedition
• Alternatively, please select 'Delivery at Place', specifying a low value for the contents
• Ensure all contents are detailed correctly, providing your personal telephone number in case customs would like further information

Providing the information on your parcel is correct, the sample will be delivered directly to your Local Contact. They will perform the experiment for you, whilst you connect with remote access. Once the experiment is complete, your sample will go through the necessary safety checks and will then be handed to the User Office.

Once your sample arrives at the User Office, we will add the necessary information for it to be shipped. It is important that the information you have listed on your User Club account is correct, as we usually ship samples back to your affiliated laboratory. Please include your telephone number on the User Club, as this is required in order for us to ship the sample.

We aim to return the samples as quickly as possible once your experiment has finished. If you require your sample to be returned for a specific date, kindly contact the user-office@ill.fr to let us know.

The transport company we use is DHL, so be prepared to receive a call from them regarding the location of your sample.