S2C2 User Shipments

Shipping Samples to S²C²

Domestic and International Shipment

We request that your equipment and/or materials arrive no more than one week before your scheduled microscope time. Samples must be approved by SLAC safety personnel before they can be shipped to our facility.  Please note that under the terms of our User Agreement, SLAC does not assume liability for your equipment or materials. COD packages cannot be accepted. Please include a shipping return label with your incoming shipment.

Mail cryoEM shipments to your scientific point of contact at S²C².

The following contact information should be included on all shipments to our Stanford-SLAC CryoEM Facility:

Principal Investigator's Name, Proposal #, CryoEM
SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory
Arrillaga Science Center
2575 Sand Hill Rd., Bldg. 057
Menlo Park, CA 94025

Express packages are delivered to the SLAC Receiving Department at 10:00 AM Monday - Friday (excluding holidays), and subsequently delivered to the cryo-EM center.  For Domestic Shipment, please ship samples before any given Thursday, to ensure arrival at your SPOC before the weekend.  Several carriers provide shipping services to/from SLAC, including Federal Express, Airborne Express, UPS and several trucking companies. Unless otherwise specified, users are expected to assume full responsibility for the accuracy and cost of their shipment.

Hazardous Materials Shipment

Users should consult with a materials specialist at their home institution for instructions regarding the proper shipping and handling of hazardous materials.  Supply an MSDS for all hazardous materials, including biological hazards, shipped to S²C² and ensure packaging and handling according to either U.S. Department of Transportation, or IATA dangerous good regulations if shipped from-overseas. Shipments that fail to comply with these federally mandated regulations will be returned to the user's home institution unopened. 

Note: An MSDS generated by the project owner must be sent with shipment of UN3373 Category B materials - contact Nneha Sakre (sakren@slac.stanford.edu) for more information.

International Shipment (Export Requirements)

U.S. Customs Clearance

International shipments can involve duty or taxes on items being shipped. We encourage users to retain a copy of their carnet and ensure that all shipping documents are accurate and consistent. For international shipments or freight forwarding, users are encouraged to work with GREEN WORLDWIDE SHIPPING LLC and to prepare a carnet.

At the end of your experiment, if you plan to ship samples, equipment or other scientific items from SLAC back to your international institution or to another location outside of the US, complete a Power of Attorney form for the Individual or Group that is responsible for and will receive the shipment. Once the Power of Attorney has been signed, it will remain in effect until revoked by the user or SLAC. We recommend that user groups (Spokesperson/PI), designate a representative (lead contact) who will coordinate your shipment. All exports must be approved by Stanford. Delays in providing this information will delay your shipment.

For each item that users will ship to or from SLAC, it is essential that complete and detailed descriptions (including the manufacturer and url for product details when applicable), as well as the actual values of each item, on all shipping documents. Please retain a copy of the carnet and provide a copy of all shipping documents (e.g., shipping manifest, pro-forma invoice, etc.) to the SLAC representative assisting you.

By providing this information, you are certifying your concurrence with these Terms and Conditions:

• The user certifies that information resulting from use of SLAC User Facilities will not be utilized to support, directly or indirectly, the design, development, production, stockpiling or application of a nuclear explosive device, chemical or biological weapons, or missiles.
• The user understands that SLAC will only return materials, samples and other items used in the conduct of SLAC User research - individuals will be responsible for the return of all other items.
• The user assumes responsibility for the handling and use of any proprietary export-controlled items or technical data brought to, or generated at SLAC, while those items or technical data are on SLAC premises.
• The user understands that SLAC is only serving as the international user's agent in the return of research materials to a location outside of the US and that return shipment is a "routed export transaction" for the purposes of the Export Administration Regulations (EAR). Under a routed export transaction, the exporter (SLAC) obtains a written authorization from the "foreign principal party in interest" (the international user) usually in the form of a Power of Attorney whereby the international user assumes responsibility for determining (with the help of SLAC/Stanford) licensing requirements and obtaining an export license if necessary.