How to order
Ordering a radioactive source, step by step.
Start with one question. We coordinate the maker, the shipping and the paperwork, and ask each person on your team only for their part.
Updated 24 September 2026
The four stages
What happens, who acts, what you get.
Ask
- You
Tell us the isotope, application or instrument. We check for a supplier and a purchasing path.
You get A feasibility reply
Confirm the source
- Manufacturer
- Your RSO
The maker confirms the exact source or device. Your RSO reviews that exact item.
You get A versioned specification and your RSO's statement for this item
Buy
- Purchasing
Purchasing reviews the quote and issues a PO against the accepted version. We then order from the maker.
You get An accepted quote and a supplier order
- After your PO
Ship and receive
- Shipper and carrier
- Receiving
- Your RSO
The maker prepares the item and each shipment leg is tracked. Your receiver signs for delivery and your RSO confirms receipt.
You get Tracking by leg, delivery evidence and a complete order packet
Good to know
- No license file to askA first inquiry needs no license file. Your RSO reviews the exact item later.
- Your license stays with your RSOPurchasing sees the approved technical summary and the commercial documents.
- Nothing is ordered before your POWe place the supplier order only after purchasing issues the purchase order.
- A change reopens only what it affectsIf the source changes, the affected approvals reopen and the new quote shows the price and time impact.
The sequence
Every status has an owner and an output.
These are the statuses your case moves through.
Before your PO
01 Ask
InquiryWe check for a supplier and purchasing path.
ConductScience. Output: Feasibility reply
02 Confirm the source
Technical specificationThe maker confirms the exact source or device.
Manufacturer. Output: Proposed specification, versioned
- RSO review
Your RSO reviews that exact item.
Your RSO. Output: RSO statement for this item
03 Buy
Commercial quotePurchasing reviews the quote.
Purchasing. Output: Accepted quote version
- PO received
We place the supplier order.
ConductScience. Output: Supplier PO
After your PO
04 Ship and receive
Supplier productionThe maker builds or prepares the item.
Manufacturer. Output: Supplier acceptance
- Shipping review
Shipper, carrier and broker confirm the plan.
Named shipper, carrier, broker. Output: Responsibility sheet
- In transit
Each leg moves on its own.
Carriers. Output: Tracking by leg
- Delivered
The carrier reports delivery at your site.
Carrier and your receiver. Output: Delivery evidence
- RSO receipt confirmed
Your RSO confirms receipt of the source.
Your RSO. Output: Receipt record
- Closed
Every record is complete.
ConductScience. Output: Order packet
By role
Pick your role to see your part.
Your steps
- Describe the isotope, application or instrument, or the measurement you need.
- Confirm the scientific configuration once the maker confirms the source.
- Sign the End-User Terms for yourself in your account.
You act in
01 Ask02 Confirm the source03 Buy
You see
Case status, the approved specification and your own tasks.
No license file, UN number or tariff code is needed from you.
Your steps
- Review the proposed source: nuclide, form, activity with reference date, source model and receiving site.
- Confirm it for institutional review, request a correction, or tell us you are not the RSO.
- Provide authorization evidence for this item, then confirm receipt.
You act in
02 Confirm the source04 Ship and receive
You see
The source packet and your institution's authorization documents.
Your statement is recorded as you give it. We never describe it as a regulatory approval.
Your steps
- Review the quote version: line items, freight and tax assumptions, seller, validity and change terms.
- Issue the PO against the accepted version.
You act in
You see
The approved technical summary and the commercial documents.
License files stay with your RSO.
Your steps
- Name the receiving dock, the receiver and the delivery window.
- Sign for each delivery.
You act in
You see
Each shipment leg, its carrier and the delivery evidence.
When the instrument and source ship separately, each leg is tracked on its own.
Before it ships
Nothing ships until these are settled.
We coordinate the case and name every party. The accountable party decides, and we never sign another party's approvals or declarations.
We hold the shipment if
- The receiving license scope for this item is unknown.
- The isotope, activity or reference date differs between the quote and the source certificate.
- The shipper, or the person signing the shipping declaration, is unclear.
- The consignee or importer differs between documents.
- A substitution has not been approved.
- The carrier has not accepted the planned package.
- No authorized receiver is set at the destination.
Who decides
- Whether your institution can receive the item
- Your RSO
- The exact source specification
- The manufacturer
- The shipping declaration
- The shipper that signs it
- Any duty treatment
- Your institution and its customs broker
- When the order is released
- ConductScience, after every owner confirms
Documents
Who provides each document, and who sees it.
Your case lists the documents your order needs. Not every order needs all of these.
| Document | Provided by | Who can see it | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scientific need | Researcher | Everyone on the case | At inquiry |
| Source specification | Manufacturer, reviewed by ConductScience | Researcher, RSO and case team; purchasing sees the approved summary | Before RSO review |
| Authorization evidence | Your RSO | Your RSO and your ConductScience case team | During RSO review |
| Quote | ConductScience | Purchasing; researcher and RSO see the parts they need | Before the PO |
| Purchase order | Purchasing | Purchasing and your case team | At the PO |
| End-User Terms | Each researcher, signed in their own account | Everyone on the case | Before the supplier order |
| Responsibility sheet | ConductScience drafts; each party confirms | Each party sees its own handoff | Before shipment |
| Shipping and customs papers | Named shipper, broker and carrier | The parties on that leg | In transit |
| Receipt confirmation | Your RSO | Everyone on the case | At closeout |
Questions, answered
Ordering questions
Do we need a radioactive materials license to ask a question?
No. A first inquiry needs no license file. Your RSO reviews the exact item after we confirm a supplier path.
How long does an order take?
It depends on the maker's lead time and on your institution's reviews. At each step we tell you what the order is waiting on and who owns it.
Will our purchasing office see our license?
Not by default. Purchasing sees the approved technical summary and the commercial documents.
Can we reuse our details on the next order?
Yes, for stable details such as your institution, receiving dock and contacts. Every new source or instrument still gets a fresh RSO review.
What happens if the maker changes the source after our RSO reviewed it?
The change reopens the approvals it affects, and the new quote shows the price and time impact. Nothing ships until your RSO and purchasing confirm again.
Who do we contact if something goes wrong during a shipment?
In a transport emergency, use the emergency contact on the shipping papers and your institution's procedures first. Then tell your ConductScience case owner, who coordinates the named parties.
Tell us the isotope, experiment or instrument.
An RSO or supplier quote can be added after we review the request. Buying an instrument? See instrument orders.
