Checklists

The checklists above have been designed to help users prepare for their visits to ATLAS. Please download the corresponding PDF depending on the type of visit (in-person or virtual).

The checklist for in-person visits is divided into three sections: tasks to be completed before, during, and at the end of your visit. To ensure a smooth experience during your visit, we recommend completing all tasks listed under the ​“Before you arrive at Argonne” section as soon as possible.

Continue reading the sections below to learn useful information for your upcoming visit.
 

Access to Argonne

Argonne National Laboratory is a controlled access facility. To enter Argonne, you must be pre-authorized. Requests for site access may take up to 10 weeks to process, based on your legal status and other factors. Please contact the ATLAS Administrative Assistant to initiate your access request.

In addition, a user facility agreement between your institution and Argonne must exist before we can start processing your user appointment. A list of institutions with current user facility agreements can be found in this website. Please check the list prior to make any travel arrangements and contact the ATLAS Administrative Assistant as soon as possible if your institution is not found in the list.
 

Access to ATLAS

ATLAS is located in building 203. Click here to see a map of Argonne. Unescorted access at ATLAS is allowed for users who have met the following requirements: 

• have completed the required online training (see section below),
• have attend the 10-min long radiological work permit (RWP) briefing, and
• have a dosimeter.

If you don’t recall if you have taken the RWP briefing or want to know if your online training is still valid, please contact the ATLAS Administrative Assistant.

Online training

For on-site access (in-person visits), the following online training courses are required: 

• PHY101 (ATLAS site specific)
• ESH700 (Radiological worker training level 1)
• ESH223 (Cyber security education and awareness)

For remote access (virtual visits), only the ESH223 course is required.

Radiological work permit (RWP)

On-site users must attend, once per calendar year, one of the weekly 10-min long RWP briefings (Chicago time): Mondays 9 am, or Fridays 3 pm (click links to join a Teams meeting).

Dosimeter

Once your online training is complete, please coordinate with Jason Clark to get a (or check the status of your) dosimeter. Keep in mind that while dosimeters are changed quarterly, at the beginning of January, April, July, and October, you only need to register once in our system. It is recommended to not attempt to register for a dosimeter unless instructed by Jason Clark, since you may already be registered (this could save you some time).

Using your proximity card to unlock the ATLAS doors

If you get a new proximity card, email the proximity card number to the ATLAS Administrative Assistant (look for a number like 07#### or 7####, e.g. 076721). If all access requirements are met, we will update the ATLAS door access database. Afterwards, you should be able to use the card reader at one of the ATLAS entrances to unlock the door.
 

Lodging (hotels) and on-site dining options

While preparing for your visit, please keep in mind that even though the Argonne Guest House and cafeteria are open, on-site dining options are available in a more limited capacity than prior to the pandemic.  

The Argonne campus is rather isolated with almost no lodging and dining options within walking distance. Some users prefer to stay outside of the Argonne campus and use a rental car or ride share app (Uber, etc) to come to Argonne. Some hotels near Argonne offer a shuttle bus service to/from Argonne. Keep in mind that access via the bus route 715 is very limited.  

For more information on the Argonne Guest House and on hotels around Argonne, see the Argonne’s accommodations web page. By using the ​“BOOK” buttons (in the accommodations web page) you will get the Argonne rate for your reservation. The Aloft Bolingbrook hotel has been recommended by other users, however, no hotel is endorsed by ATLAS/Argonne.
 

What to expect when you arrive at Argonne

There are three common scenarios that ATLAS users may encounter upon their arrival at the Argonne main gate:

1. If you already have a valid Argonne user badge and proximity card (for access to ATLAS), simply proceed to the gate.

2. If you don’t have a valid Argonne user badge or proximity card and arrive at Argonne when the Badging Office in the Argonne Welcome Center is open (Monday-Friday, 7:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.), please proceed to the Argonne Welcome Center on Northgate Rd to get your new Argonne user badge, and your proximity card.

3. If you don’t have a valid Argonne user badge or proximity card and will be arriving when the Badging office in the Argonne Welcome Center is closed, let us know beforehand. We will arrange for the guard to have a temporary gate pass for you. When the Argonne Welcome Center is open, follow item B, to get your user badge and proximity card. Please note that the user badge supersedes the temporary gate pass. 

In cases 2 and 3, an acceptable form of photo identification is required. See Argonne’s site entry requirements for more information on acceptable forms of identification.

A note on gate passes 

It is common practice for us to get temporary gate passes for the initial 5 days of your visit. We do this for initial access redundancy (say, in case you miss or forget your user badge). Once/if you have a valid user badge, the dates on the temporary pass will no longer be applicable to your visit.