ICTP-Elettra Users Programme

A minimum of 1500 hours of beamtime can be made available for measurement and applications at any of the Elettra and FERMI beamlines.
The programme is offering a limited number of grants to cover travel and living expenses of individuals and small groups using beamtime at Elettra:

• up to 2 scientists for experiments with less than 12 shifts
• up to 3 scientists for experiments with 12 shifts or more.

In order to allow experiment preparation and/or sample disposal, support can be offered up to three days before the experiment beginning date and one day after its ending date.
In exceptional cases, training on a specific topic for longer periods can be arranged if it is meant to improve the expertise of relevance to a project. In that case a quota will be deducted from the total of annual hours.

Travel support provided by ICTP will follow ICTP standards: that is economy air tickets or second class train fares. Once Users have received their official invitation letter from ICTP, they must contact the ICTP Operation and Travel Unit to arrange their travel ticket or obtain their reimbursement limit. Travel tickets will be issued according to the dates on the invitation letter. Reimbursement will only be provided upon presentation of the original ticket stubs.
The daily allowance per person will be EUR 71,00. 
The minimum grant for a long period training will be EUR 1.200,00 per month.

 1. Submit an application for beamtime following the usual Elettra procedure

There are two deadlines every year:

• March 15th: for proposals eligible for the user period starting from July 1st to December 31st;

• September 15th: for proposals eligible for the user period starting from January 1st to June 30th.

The proposed experiments will be evaluated on the basis of their scientific merit by the Elettra/FERMI Review Panel. Then, they will be considered for Elettra-ICTP programme support. After proposal scheduling, the selected applicants will receive a specific message informing that they have been granted ICTP support.

2. Submit an application to ICTP

After receiving communication that the proposal has been selected for ICTP support, this application (one  for each participant) should be submitted to the ICTP at least two months before the beginning of the beamtime. It is intended that those participants who are supported by ICTP are present at Elettra for the full period of the experiment. Each participant will receive an official invitation letter from the ICTP with some prearrival information.

3. Before your arrival and once in Trieste

Please read the information in the User guide, section on what to do before your arrival (access request, accommodation booking, etc.)
Once in Trieste, each participant must go to the ICTP, first to the Secretariat of the ICTP-Elettra Users Programme to register their arrival and then to the Operations/Travel Claims Office for payment and/or reimbursement matters. Users should come to the ICTP, on either Monday, Wednesday or Friday, preferably during the morning hours, to undertake these registration and financial matters. Please Note, that in most circumstances, reimbursements/payments will normally be transferred directly into the bank account of the visitor. As such, we recommend that visitors bring enough cash to cover their full stay in Trieste.

How to reach ICTP from Elettra-Sincrotrone Trieste/Basovizza: users must take buses n. 39 or n. 51, that go from Basovizza to the Train station (Piazza Libertà). From the Train station (Viale Miramare) they must take bus n. 6 that goes to ICTP. Please also check the link Visit ICTP. 

Requests for a long period training should be submitted to
For further information please contact the