1. Definition and Scope

Shared Research Facilities refer to specialized equipment, laboratories, or spaces essential for research/teaching activities that demand specific expertise, resources, or maintenance. These facilities are primarily utilized by researchers within or across units, colleges, or institutions.

2.  Administration

The administration of shared research facilities will primarily be the responsibility of the Home Unit. The unit can be a College, Department, Office of the Provost, or collaborative research unit within or between institutions or organizations. The Home Unit will be responsible for administrative support (administrative assistants, accounting, etc.), technical support (IT), providing any facility personnel (managers, technicians, etc.), and defining the facility rules and safety guidelines.

The Home Unit may designate a faculty member or responsible individual as the Person of Contact (POC) for the shared facility. The POC may be responsible for day-to-day operations, including access management, scheduling, and facility rules. The POC may delegate operational tasks as necessary but retains ultimate responsibility for facility management.

3.  Facility Access and Use

Access to shared facilities will be granted based on qualifications and research needs. Users must adhere to facility rules and safety guidelines. The shared facility may be used for research and instruction purposes, including pilot studies, subject to availability and scheduling. Requests for facility use should be made in advance to the Home Unit or the POC, if any.

In general, all qualified AUA personnel should have access to any facility/space in the university if required for research or instructional purposes, subject to availability. Non-AUA users/entities may gain access to a facility in accordance with the Regulations on Provision of Facilities and Food Services and the Policy on Agreements.

Anyone using a shared facility must have a written agreement approved by the Home Unit. The agreement format and contents are developed by the Home Unit, and must include, at the minimum:,

• - the time period for which access is granted,
• - the permissible ways in which the facility may be used,
• - the user’s responsibilities (if any),
• - the training requirements (if any),
• - the safety protocols (if any),
• - the acknowledgment of the facility rules.

4.  Financial Considerations and Budgeting

Financial support for shared facilities will be provided by the Home Unit. In order to ensure the long-term viability of shared facilities, the financial arrangements must consider operating, maintenance, personnel, supply, and equipment replacement costs. The budget plan for a shared facility must indicate funding sources to cover additional costs related to shared facilities (such as technical staff salaries). Additionally:

1. For all AUA users, their College/Department/Office will be responsible for handling any damage caused by the user, usually in the form of appropriate monetary compensation (estimated by the Home Unit) in accordance with the Provision and Use of Furniture and Equipment.
2. After handling the damage, the corresponding College/Department/Office may request compensation from the user who caused the damage, if deemed necessary. Damage compensation for non-AUA users/entities is their responsibility.
3. User fees may be defined for certain services provided by the facility. These fees may be paid by the user's Home Unit, the user themselves, or an external entity, depending on the agreement. The fee, if applicable for the given user type (e.g., students, faculty, researchers, external entities), may vary from the ones defined for other user types. Revenue generated from user fees should primarily be utilized for equipment maintenance to ensure the continued functionality and availability of the shared facility. Different fees may be charged for unfunded internal (AUA) users, funded internal users, other academic users, and non-academic users. Fees may be set per analysis, per day, or by another standard as appropriate.

The Home Unit will develop an annual operating budget and a potential list of user fees in conjunction with the office of the Chief Financial Officer in accordance with the Items and Activities to be Covered by Specific Projects’ Budgets.

Externally supported research must provide funds for the use of the shared facility in accordance with the established user fees. If usage fees are not allowed by an external grant, arrangements must be made to provide appropriate funds for maintenance of the facility in agreement with the Home Unit(s), and the College/Department/Office of the user(s). Internal grants must include usage fees where allowed.

5.  Dispute Resolution

Any disputes should be adjudicated by the designated body, in particular:

• - except in cases where the POC is one of the parties to the dispute, the first level at which dispute resolution should be attempted is the POC, if any,
• - if the dispute cannot be resolved by the POC, or the POC is one of the parties to the dispute, the administration of the Home Unit is the next level of dispute resolution,
• - university legal counsel should be consulted if issues of contracts, discrimination, etc. are involved.