The Facilities Integrating Collaborations for User Science (FICUS) initiative was established in 2014 to encourage and enable researchers to more easily integrate the expertise and capabilities of multiple Department of Energy Office of Science National User Facilities into their research. In recognition of the increasingly collaborative and multidisciplinary nature of DOE mission science projects, this initiative aims to encourage innovative research exploiting a diversity of capabilities.
Previously, researchers had to apply to each facility with separate review schedules and selection processes, making it difficult to propose projects that truly integrated the capabilities of more than one facility. The FICUS initiative not only simplifies and streamlines this process, but enables scientists to conduct fundamental science experiments in ways they couldn’t with projects undertaken separately at individual user facilities. A Letter of Intent is required.
For accepted proposals, sequencing, synthesis, metabolomics and analysis will be paid for by the Department of Energy’s funding of the JGI. There is no cost to the user and no granting of funds.
All data is made publicly available in accordance with JGI’s Data Policy. In cases where the JGI provides customized analysis, the JGI also participates in publication of results.
