CORE FACILITY POLICIES | Research Core
Who has access to the research core facilities?
We welcome graduate and undergraduate students, postdoctoral fellows, principal investigators, medical research students, and other scientific research staff. At this time, high school students are not allowed to use equipment in the Core and must be accompanied by a trained individual when observing any aspect of core technologies.
We welcome both internal and external users.
To use any technology in the Research Core Facility (RCF), please consult with staff to discuss scheduling, fees, training, and sample preparation.
What are the HOURS OF OPERATION?
Normal hours of operation are Monday – Friday, 8AM – 4:30PM, excluding holidays. After-hours services may be provided at the discretion of Core staff. Labs containing end-user technologies are always open to trained individuals.
What training is required?
All end-users must be trained by Research Core Facility staff. Training by other users is not allowed. Anyone who operates or attempts to operate RCF equipment without proper training from Core staff will be subject to disciplinary action such as loss of future access to all RCF technologies.
Depending on the specific technology, training may involve anything from one or more one-on-one sessions with a staff member to formal classes developed by RCF staff. Please contact RCF staff to schedule training on any end-user operated instrument in the Core. Please note that training will not be done on a drop-in basis and must be scheduled ahead of time.
Training fees vary according to technology. Please reach out to Core staff for associated costs.
How do I schedule time to use the equipment?
Scheduling of all end-user Core equipment is through an online calendar. Login information will be provided upon completion of training. Scheduling is mandatory and must be done prior to preparing and bringing samples to the Core.
Scheduling for services provided by Core staff is done in person or through email, phone, or text, depending on the specific technology.
What is the prioritization of work process?
Use of all Core equipment operates on a first come, first served basis. No expressed priority is offered by the Core to users; however, all efforts will be made to make sure that any critical deadlines are met. Please inform us of any deadlines when scheduling.
Using Research Core Facility Equipment
- You may only use Core instruments after receiving instrument operation and safety training from Core staff.
- With some technologies, newly trained users will need to schedule their initial analysis during working hours so that staff members are available if assistance is needed.
- You must use the online calendar to reserve time on any instrument in the RCF.
- You must sign instrument user logs.
- Please be mindful of and observe cancellation policies.
- Report any instrument issues or general lab safety concerns to Core staff immediately.
- Immediately save all data using shared drives or external USB devices. Data is not backed up by Core staff.
- Clean up the work area after your use is complete.
Revoking Access
- Core access is subject to be revoked under the following conditions:
- Any user found operating an instrument for which they have not received training
- Any user found operating an instrument in an unsafe manner
- Any user found giving access to unauthorized users
- Any user found tampering with or modifying equipment
- Any user found maliciously tampering with the online schedule
- Any user found exhibiting a lack of respect towards other users or facility staff
Who manages the data collected?
Responsibility for the storage of data generated from samples analyzed in the RCF belongs to the PI. Each PI is provided with printed and/or electronic copies of all analyses conducted by RCF staff. Each PI must ensure that data is properly stored and protected in his or her laboratory.
The RCF will make every effort to retain duplicate copies of raw data and store them for a period of one year. In the event an investigator cannot locate the original data, he or she should contact RCF staff to obtain a duplicate copy; this may incur charges depending on the method of retrieval. In cases where data are generated by the investigator on end-user operated instruments, the individual who generates the data must immediately make an electronic copy of that data and keep it secured within the investigator's lab. The RCF assumes no responsibility for data files left on end-user RCF computers.
In October of 2020, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced its new Data Management and Sharing (DMS) Policy. Beginning in January 2023, this policy will require that NIH funded researchers prospectively plan for how their scientific data and accompanying metadata will be preserved and shared by submitting a Data Management and Sharing Plan in their grant applications. For more information, please visit the NIH Data Management and Sharing Policy website at https://sharing.nih.gov/data-management-and-sharing-policy. The Research Core Facility is committed to complying with institutional polices regarding data storage and sharing; however, it is the PI’s responsibility to make sure they are complying with NIH policies.
What is required for AUTHORSHIP (ABRF guidelines)?
We request that any significant contribution made by the Research Core Facility be recognized on publications. Co-authorship is requested if the Core made scientifically significant contributions and was essential to the success of the project. Scientifically significant contributions include but are not limited to experimental design and development of protocols, analysis and interpretation of data beyond routine practices, critical input, original ideas, and advancing the biological question being addressed in the publication. In cases of routine work or analysis, the contributions of the Research Core Facility and applicable staff should be included in the acknowledgement section of the publication.
For more information, reference the Association of Biomolecular Resources Facilities (ABRF) authorship page.