# Policies The rules for using the Cell Imaging Core and for specific instruments. # General Policies ##### Calendar It is your responsibility to reserve the time you use. You must report usage variations (overages and cancellations) to Dr. Wang before the end of the month to reconcile charges. In order for your account to work it needs to have a valid chartfield assigned to it and the core office needs to approve. If you get an error about chartfields it means yours has expired or there isn’t a valid chartfield assigned to your account. The core offices (801-581-2425) can reauthorize your account should this occur. ##### Usage Policies There are limits to the number of hours a lab or user may reserve at any given time (20 business hours per week total). Exceptions must be arranged with the imaging core committee. Users who need after hours access need to contact the Cell Imaging Team about access and sign a security form in the main office RM 5C124 of the School of Medicine. ##### Imaging Core Advisory Committee The committee was established July 2011 and meets about every other month to discuss various issues including upgrades to equipment, problems with equipment, allocating confocal time to large scan projects requiring >24 hour scans and service priorities for the future. The most recent meeting date is listed in the news section for the core. ##### Enforcement/Compliance Users will be notified by Dr. Wang when they have violated posted core policies (oil on objectives, disregarding requests, logbook issues, not reserving time etc.) via email. The first offense they will receive email warning cc’d to the PI with a suggested remedy and a notice of the penalty schedule. Notice of the second offense will be sent by the oversight committee and copied to the PI with an invoice for a $250.00 penalty. The third notice will result in a $1000 penalty with review by the oversight committee for blocking future usage privileges. Users found without reservations will be charged the full rate plus be put on the list for a $250 fine for the second notice. ##### After Hours Usage The new policy on after hours usage requires users to sign up for time in advance. Incidents of unregistered usage will be charged to the PI at $100/hr. No property of the core facility may leave the building without prior approval from core staff even for short experiments. If there is a problem in the facility after hours please contact the Cell Imaging Team. ##### Data Storage Issues Our current data storage policy has been adopted to ensure that enough free space is available on hard drives for capture of new data. The Cell Imaging core is not responsible for storing your data. We actively delete data that is more than 90 days old. We are not responsible for data lost due to hard drive failures even within the 90 day period following creation dates. Acquisition instruments are not on the network to preserve security and reduce interference with the instruments. If you need a better data transfer solution please contact the staff for advice rather than leaving your only copy of data at the facility. # Cell Imaging Core Policies Agreement Welcome to the Cell Imaging Core. We provide an imaging resource that is shared by hundreds of researchers across campus. To facilitate cooperation, we need agreement on certain policies. Consultation Form for New Users We want to ensure that you get the best possible data for your research. The patron consultation form must be completed before the first session with a staff member. Calendar and Usage Policies • Users must be trained and authorized by a Cell Imaging Core staff member (not by a senior lab member or another counterpart to use any core instrument. • All time with equipment and staff members must be booked through our calendar. **o Microscopes can be scheduled on the day of use, but staff time should be scheduled at least 24 hours in advance. **o If a user is found operating an instrument without a scheduled booking or authorization, they will be charged $100/hour for the use. **o If you have a quick question and we are available, we are happy to assist. If it turns into extended assistance, please ask us to put it on the billing calendar. • Cancelations and rescheduling must be done at least 24 hours in advance. **o We do make allowances for equipment problems or special circumstances, but, in general, we do not cancel bookings within the 24-hour window. • Cell Imaging staff are available for assistance during normal business hours (M-F, 9-5). Microscope Room Etiquette • Microscopes and workspaces must be cleaned after use (oil on lens, slides, plates, etc.) • Food and drink are prohibited in the microscope rooms. • Take your samples with you after your session. We are not responsible for lost samples. • You must comply with the standard operating procedures for the corresponding biosafety level of your sample. • Do not borrow or remove Core equipment or materials from the microscope rooms. Logbooks All users are required to record their use and any equipment issues in the corresponding logbook. Data Storage and Handling It is your responsibility to have a backup copy of your data. The Cell Imaging Core is not responsible for storing your data or for data lost due to hard drive failures or deletions • Please don’t store any data on the C drive, including the Desktop and Documents folder. • We may delete any data over 6 months old, without warning, if free space is needed. Acknowledgment Acknowledgment of our Core is required in your published work. This assists our Core in obtaining funding that allows us to continue to provide exceptional equipment and services.