Skip to main content

Policies

SAFETY & TRAINING


Safety matters. 

First, a new user will receive general laboratory and chemical safety training. Additional safety training may be required based upon specific laboratories and instruments. 

A user who completes safety training then will be trained on the desired instrument(s) by the appropriate SRF Manager.  

A user is obligated to alert an SRF Manager or the SRF Director whenever he or she observes unsafe behavior or conditions.


INSTRUMENTATION USAGE & FEES


A new user who completes training and is approved by the appropriate SRF Manager will have unsupervised access to SRF instruments during normal working hours (8am-5pm, Monday-Friday).

A user who has demonstrated full mastery of an instrument as determined by the appropriate SRF Manager will have access to the instrument 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. 

A user must use the SRF's online reservation system to reserve time on each instrument in advance of usage. Kiosks are provided that allow users to check in and check out to log their usage. Kiosks also allow walk-in service where a user may schedule an available instrument upon their arrival. Reservations take precedence over walk-in service.

A user must cancel reservations no later than 24 hours before the beginning of any reserved session which the user cannot keep. If a user is unable to meet this deadline, the user must contact the appropriate SRF Manager as soon as possible prior to the reservation either by phone or email. All reservations that are not canceled in advance will be charged. 

A user must follow all standard operating procedures, troubleshooting procedures, training, and instruction provided by SRF Manager(s). 

A user must notify the appropriate SRF Manager immediately when: 1) an instrument has not been returned to its base or ready state, 2) when an instrument is acting improperly, or 3) when something is wrong in the laboratory (example: improperly stored chemicals).

A user may request routine assistance of an SRF employee at any time. However, assistance that involves extensive evaluation of a procedure, protocol, experimental design, etc. will be subject to the hourly User Assistance Fee.

A user who has not logged usage on an instrument for 90 days will lose access to that instrument until the user is retrained. A User Assistance Fee may apply.

Invoices are generated and sent monthly. A PI has 10 business days after the receipt of an invoice to dispute any charges on that invoice. After 10 days, the charges automatically will be applied.


PUBLICATIONS


PIs and their users agree to acknowledge use of SRF instruments or laboratories in all publications and presentations that use data acquired in WVU SRF. Suggested wording is:


     "We acknowledge the use of the WVU Shared Research Facilities."


PIs must provide the SRF with a copy of, or a link to, any paper or abstract that acknowledges SRF use for reporting our cost-share partners and funding agencies.


PROGRESSIVE DISCIPLINE

WVU Shared Research Facilities follows a progressive discipline procedure as follows:

1st Offense:  verbal warning to the user and the PI by an individual SRF Manager with restitution by the PI as appropriate (e.g. payment for services not scheduled/logged)

2nd Offense:  written warning to the PI from the SRF Manager with copies to the PI’s Chairperson and the SRF Director and restitution by the PI as appropriate. (e.g. payment for services not scheduled/logged)

3rd Offense:  meeting between SRF Manager, SRF Director, and the PI to discuss corrective actions followed by a written agreement outlining all parties’ corrective actions. The agreement is sent by the SRF Director to the PI with copies to the PI’s Chairperson and the Assistant Vice President for Research Administration with restitution by the PI as appropriate. (e.g. payment for services not scheduled/logged)

4th Offense:  immediate loss of access until a meeting is held with the PI, SRF Director, and PI's Chairperson to discuss corrective actions followed by a written warning with copies to the PI’s Chairperson, PI’s Research Dean and/or Dean, the Assistant Vice President for Research Administration, and the Vice President for Research with restitution by the PI as appropriate. (e.g. payment for services not scheduled/logged)

5th Offense:  immediate loss of access until the PI’s Dean and the Vice President for Research mediate a solution

Serious safety violations as determined by an SRF Manager or the SRF Director will be deemed a 4th level offense.