Policies

Confidentiality

• Confidentiality

  There is no expressed confidentiality assumed by the core or the core operator for any core instrument. However, if user confidentiality is desired, users must provide a written request to the core director at least one week prior to equipment usage.

• Cost Recovery/Payment Policies

  Each piece of equipment is set up as a separate recharge center. Current rates are indicated on the pricing page. Users will be invoiced by the IU School of Medicine–South Bend fiscal officer once a month for core services based on log sheets for each instrument. Payment is due within 30 days.

• Prioritization of Work

  Use of all core equipment operates on a first-come first-served basis. No expressed priority is offered by the core to users, though users are encouraged to communicate with each other in instances of experimental conflicts.

• Publication and Authorship Expectations

  The core does not require authorship for unassisted core usage. When assisted core services are used to produce results for publication, the core director requests authorship, though the final decision to include the core director is at the discretion of the principle investigator of the study. In all cases, the core requests the following statement be placed in an acknowledgements section of any published work which utilized core facilities: “This work was supported by the Indiana University School of Medicine–South Bend Imaging and Flow Cytometry Core Facility.”

• Conflict Resolution

  All conflicts, including those related to scheduling, technical issues, authorship, quality and authorship, are to be expressed in writing to the core director. The core director will attempt to resolve the conflicts in question. If satisfactory resolution is not reached, the core advisory committee chair will be responsible for mediation before bringing the issue to the entire committee.

• Instrument Training

  All users seeking unassisted utilization of core equipment are required to be trained by the core director before they gain access to any core instrument. This training session will be charged to the user using the assisted rate fee for the instrument. All unique users must be trained, regardless of whether other members of a lab have already been trained.

• Budgeting

  All principle investigators seeking to use core services are strongly encouraged to include the costs of core instrument usage in any funding proposal. Sub-contracts for assisted services may be sought to cover expenses, particularly for in-depth or prolonged assisted core instrument needs.

• Data Management

  The IU School of Medicine–South Bend Imaging and Flow Cytometry Core Facility is not responsible for storage or management of user data. This includes data generated with the assistance of core facility personnel. All users should backup and store data in accordance with NIH data management guidelines.