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NMR Web Form

NMR Facility Request Portal

Analytical Services • Department of Chemistry • Virginia Tech

Welcome! This portal replaces email and walk-ins for most NMR facility requests. Use the tabs above to report an incident, get data support, schedule instrument time or training, or submit a client services sample. Each tab opens a short form — filling it out and clicking Submit opens a pre-filled email in your default mail app addressed to facility staff. Review the draft, then click Send in your email program to complete your request.

What Each Tab Is For

Incident Report
Report instrument faults, sample/tube breakage, chemical spills, access issues, or serious/emergency events (fire, chemical incident, flood, injury, facility damage).
Use when: something went wrong with an instrument, a sample, or the facility itself.
Data Support
Get help interpreting spectra, troubleshooting shimming or acquisition quality, or general processing questions.
Use when: your data doesn't look right and you're not sure why.
Scheduling, Office Hours, & Training
Three sub-tabs: reserve the Neo400Jack or ask about other instruments; request scheduled experiment-planning time with staff; or request training on a specific probe or technique.
Use when: you need instrument time, a working session with staff, or hands-on training.
Client Services
Submit non-routine sample analysis requests — internal VT groups (existing or new billing accounts) or commercial/external clients. Includes facility rate information and commercial billing setup requirements.
Use when: your request can't be tracked through standard IconNMR walkup scheduling.
Questions about a specific request, or need something that doesn't fit these forms? Contact facility staff directly: Ken Sharp-Knott (NMR Facility Manager) or Murthy Shanaiah (NMR Spectroscopist). No drop-ins — all in-person meetings and training are scheduled in advance via these forms or email.
Use this form for help interpreting spectra, troubleshooting acquisition quality, or general "how do I..." questions about processing your data.

Opens a pre-filled email in your default mail app to NMR facility staff. Review the draft, then click Send to submit the request.

Reserve time on the Neo400Jack, which requires probe selection and staff scheduling. Every other instrument in the facility is either a walkup queue (no reservation needed), already reservation-only via FACES, or dedicated to a specific research group — select "Other Instrument" below for details on each.
Walkup instruments (no reservation needed):

Neo400HT, JEOL ECZL400, Neo400Jack (5 mm RT), Neo500BBO, and Neo600TCI are all first-come, first-served via IconNMR/Delta walkup queues. There is nothing to reserve here — just submit your sample through the normal queue.

Neo500Oxford (already reservation-only):

This instrument is booked directly through FACES (group ID VATECHNMR), not through this form. Reserve your slot there and arrive on time — no-shows risk losing booking privileges.

Neo400Diff (Madsen group instrument):

This instrument is dedicated to the Madsen research group, which manages its own internal access. For collaborative or outside use, contact Dr. Madsen directly at madsen@vt.edu (verify address) rather than requesting time through this portal.

Probe Options for Neo400Jack
  • 5 mm RT iProbe — standard walkup solution NMR.
  • 10 mm Broadband — for viscous/sticky samples and high-molecular-weight polymers where a standard 5 mm probe would need excess mass that broadens lines faster than it improves signal-to-noise.
  • DiffBB (Diffusion Broadband Inverse) — required for DOSY/diffusion, staff-scheduled, requires diffusion training.
  • 4 mm SSNMR MAS — solid-state MAS/CP-MAS on powders; requires rotor packing and staff scheduling.

Opens a pre-filled email in your default mail app to NMR facility staff. Review the draft, then click Send to submit the request.

Use office hours for experiment support — troubleshooting acquisition strategy, planning a new experiment, or working through a method with staff before you run it. This is not for routine data-quality questions (use the Data Support tab) or for training on a technique you've never used (use Facility Training).

Staff will confirm a specific time — no drop-ins, all office hours are scheduled in advance.

Opens a pre-filled email in your default mail app to NMR facility staff. Review the draft, then click Send to submit the request.

Training is organized by probe or technique, not by instrument — general training covers all standard walkup instruments in their default configuration at once. Pick the specific capability you need below.
Select Available Time Slots
General Facility Training sessions run 90 minutes, offered at 11:00 AM or 2:00 PM. Check every slot you could attend over the next two weeks — staff will confirm one based on availability.
Date
11:00 AM – 12:30 PM
2:00 PM – 3:30 PM
Loading available dates...

Weekends are excluded automatically. If none of these work, note that in Project Context / Notes below.

Specialized modules (VT, diffusion, solid-state, 10mm, advanced methods) require staff scheduling and are justified by project need — no drop-ins.

Opens a pre-filled email in your default mail app to NMR facility staff. Review the draft, then click Send to submit the request.

User TypeInstrument TimeTechnical Assistance
VT Internal$9.90/hr$40.00/hr
External Federal$15.90/hr$64.40/hr
External Commercial$125.00/hr$125.00/hr
External Commercial (Expedited)$187.50/hr—

Full commercial billing setup and sample-prep charges are detailed below under Commercial / External sections.

Submit non-routine analysis requests and project inquiries that cannot be tracked through standard ICON NMR scheduling.
1. Client Affiliation*
2. User Status*
Charges will be applied to this existing internal account.
A new internal project account will be created before your first invoice is issued.
Optional PO# for invoicing / accounts payable tracking.

💳 Commercial Services — Rates & Setup

ServiceRate
Standard instrument time$125.00/hr
Expedited (same-day, availability-dependent)$187.50/hr
Technical assistance (staff time beyond a basic run)$125.00/hr
Staff sample prep (billed time + materials)$25–$30/sample

Technical assistance covers custom experimental design, solid-state NMR, and advanced techniques like diffusion NMR. Staff use economy-grade tubes and single-use deuterated solvent ampoules unless a different grade is requested. Submit samples already prepared in the correct tube and solvent to avoid prep charges entirely.

Before We Can Invoice You

  • Current copy of your company's W-9 form
  • Company billing address
  • Financial / Accounts Payable contact (name, email, phone)
  • Purchase Order (PO) number, if your company requires one
Ship or drop off samples to: NMR Sample Submissions — Department of Chemistry Stockroom
Davidson Hall Rm 171, Virginia Tech
1040 Drillfield Drive, Blacksburg, VA 24061

Full details in the NMR Facility Commercial Services guide — contact facility staff for a copy or with questions about capabilities, specific experiments, or setup.

Sample Analysis Information

1D NMR & Nuclei
2D Correlation NMR
Specialized Techniques

Opens a pre-filled email in your default mail app to NMR facility staff (kknott@vt.edu, nmrns@vt.edu). Review the draft, then click Send to submit.

Active emergency right now? Magnet quench (loud roar, dense fog, ODH alarm) or fire/smoke: evacuate immediately and do not re-enter until staff/EHS confirm it is safe. Chemical splash or exposure: use the eyewash/safety shower immediately and flush for 15 minutes while someone else notifies staff.
Select the type — contacts below update automatically

Emails everyone listed in the contact panel above right now.

Most incident reports are routine — a walkup error, a chipped tube, a minor spill. Continue filling out the details below.
Just your name and a callback number below, then use Notify by Email above or Submit at the bottom — that's all that's needed right now.

1Who Is Reporting

2Where It Happened

3Type of Incident

If you selected a serious/emergency category above, that category is recorded as the incident type automatically — you don't need to pick again above.

4Describe What Happened

Include the sample ID (if applicable), approximate time, and whether the instrument was secured or left running.

Photo of error message, spill, or damage. Note: this file cannot be attached automatically to the email draft — attach it manually in the email window if needed.

Opens a pre-filled email in your default mail app addressed to the appropriate facility staff. Review the draft, then click Send in your email program to actually submit the report.