Information for New Users

STEP 1) Setting up a Business Account

To begin using the services at BSF Scientific Services, all users must have a business account set up with BSF. Each business account is linked to an invoice address, if you have multiple invoicing locations, they each must have their own business account.

To register for a business account or to check if one currently exists for your company, please send an email to enquiries@bsf.a-star.edu.sg

If you have a portal login ID, you already have a business account with BSF.

STEP 2) Understanding Project ID, Request ID and web order numbers

At BSF Scientific Services, we offer a one-stop approach to your scientific research needs. For every experiment the user requests of us, an online "Service Request Form" must first be filled up. The form provides BSF with information about your intended experiment.

In order to explain our service workflow, there is some terminology to take note of herein. Your service requests are grouped together by means of a Project ID. When your Service Request Form has been received by the BSF Staff, we will issue you a Request ID. Using that Request ID, bookings on our booking system can be made and quotations for work required can be requested and raised.

Simplified, the Project ID is your personal reference to your research project, while the Request ID is our reference on our system to your research project.

By placing several Request ID's under a single Project ID, it helps BSF Scientific Services to understand that the work required under each Request ID is part of larger project so that the different facilities can work together to provide you with a one-stop solution to your research needs.

Once a Service Request Form is received, each individual facility-in-charge will review your experiment and issue you a Request ID, they will also inform you of their various access policies and take down your bookings and appointments. Occassionally, the facility-in-charge may contact you to clarify some information about your experiment or arrange to have a meeting with you to discuss your expectations before issuing you a Request ID. Users are also welcome to approach the various facility-in-charge to discuss their experiments.

For billing purposes, each individual booking or quotation is given a web order number, this serves as your Purchase Order (PO) number during the invoicing process.

NOTE: It is possible to have several bookings or several quotations under the same Request ID. There is no need to fill in a Service Request Form for every visit to BSF, as long as your experiment remains the same, the same Request ID can be re-used. However, should your experiments change through the course of your research project, it is required that you inform the respective facility by creating another Request ID under the same Project ID.

Here's how it works:

In summary:

A Project ID is a unique name you give to your project, it allows you to group your Request IDs together.

A Request ID is a unique identifier to your particular experiment which will allow the BSF staff to advice on suitable controls as well as prepare / optimise the machine for your experiment.

A Web Order number is a number solely for billing follow-up, it serves as your Purchase Order number to BSF.

STEP 3) Obtaining Service Information and filling Service Request Form

The left panel of the website contains links to information about the various facilities including frequently asked questions, access policies, service fees and charges, services offered, instrumentation and sample preparation guidelines. For futher enquiries, you may send email / call the respective facility, the contact information is location on the right bottom part of each page.

Our service request form is available for online filing, the system will prompt you to create a Project ID which will be forwarded to the various facilities you selected for assessment of your intended experiment.

To begin filling in a Service Request Form, click here or on the button. This button is also available on the Scientific Services Home Page.

STEP 4) User Guide

For further step-by-step instructions on making a booking, accepting quotations, requesting for bookings, please refer to our Scientific Services User Guide. Alternatively, you may ask the facility staff to guide you.