Core Facilities Policies and Fees

The Life Sciences Cores are common-use facilities designed to support and aid research programs of University at Albany scientists with the understanding that individuals who use the equipment are properly trained and considerate of other users.

1. The annual lump sum rate for use of these core facilities will be $3250.
    
2. Core facilities provided will include the following:
   • Chemistry Core
   • Molecular Core
   • Tissue Core
   • Animal Core (Animal Care per diems are not included)
      
3. The core rate will include neither technician’s time nor consumable materials.
    
4. The core rate does not include DNA sequencing, use of the Solvent Purification system, or animal care per diems, or technician time.
    
5. All users of core facility equipment must be trained or supervised by one of the Core Facility directors: Dr. Kim DeWeerd (Molecular Core) or Dr. Vladimir Ermolenkov (Structural Core).
    
6. Unsupervised use (after training is completed) of core facility equipment is limited to Principal Investigators, Postdoctoral Fellows and Graduate Students.
    
7. Undergraduate students are not permitted to operate the core equipment unaccompanied by either a trained Principal Investigator, Postdoctoral Fellow or graduate student and never outside of the normal core operating hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
    
8. All users must complete the requested information on the signup sheets indicating the name of the operator and time of operation.  These sheets can also be used to reserve, in advance, specific access times.
    
9. Equipment must not be removed from the core laboratories without specific permission of either Kim or Vladimir.
    
10. Never leave the core facility doors open or unlocked after 5 pm or on weekends as this facilitates unauthorized access. 
     
11. NOTE: Any damage to equipment or loss of equipment is the financial responsibility of the Principal Investigator.

MEMORANDUM

TO: Life Sciences Investigators

FROM: Marlene Belfort
Scientific Director, Life Sciences

DATE: November 11th, 2022

RE: Core Fees

The current core usage fee of $3000.00 has been in effect for almost 5 years and has been very helpful in
support of our mission to provide expert technical services as well as prompt maintenance of core
equipment. However, due to increasing costs and added equipment in the cores and to ensure continued
well-run facilities the fee must be increased to $3250.00 starting with the first quarter of FY 2023 (July
1 through September 30, 2023). You will see the raise in fees with your core billing on October 1, 2023.

We know that some of you have been anticipating such a raise in fees and have been putting a higher
core fee into your grant applications. Going forward, all new grant proposals must reflect the new core
fee. If you have any concerns about being able to pay the higher fee starting on October 1, 2023, please
make an appointment to discuss with me.

Thank you for your cooperation,

Marlene Belfort

Life Sciences Research Building, Room 2061
1400 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12222
PH: 518-437-4466 Fax: 518-442-4354
www.albany.edu

What if I am temporarily without outside funding and I need to use the core to gather preliminary data to apply for new grants?

We are asking that you include the core fees in any request that you make for bridge funding to the VPR. All projects for bridge funding will need to be reviewed by the Dean and your department chair. Departments will be expected to provide some matching bridge funding for projects they think have some likelihood of successfully attracting external funding.
 

How do I make arrangements to pay the core fee?

Quarterly core fee forms will be submitted to the Life Sciences Building Manager.
 

What is included in the core fees?

The lab fees cover use of all standard equipment in the Molecular, Tissue Culture, Chemistry and greenhouse. The following items are not covered by the core fees:

• DNA sequencing
• NMR X-Ray Crystallography
• Technician time/services
• Animal care per-diems
• Materials such as reagents and other consumables used for your work in the cores.

As additional equipment is purchased for cores, we will re-evaluate whether its use will be covered by the flat fee or will be charged on a fee-for-service basis.
 

Why do we have to pay core fees?

Doesn’t the overhead I bring to the University cover these kinds of expenses? While the Life Sciences are provided a state budget to operate the building, the budget is not large enough to cover all expenses related to service contracts and equipment maintenance. The user fee will help support these resources and ensure that the equipment is maintained.
 

How was the fee decided?

A group of scientists was selected to work with the Scientific Director and the Director of CAS Tech Services to set the core fees. This group recommended a flat fee for basic services rather than charging scientists individually derived fees for specific services. This approach was considered easier for PI’s to plan their budgets and it would minimize the bookkeeping requirements. The campus auditor examined all the expenses related to running the core facilities and approved a rate. The fee will be reviewed yearly and raises will be made as appropriate to meet the mission of the scientific investigators.