TERMS & CONDITIONS

Instrument Training

  1. Only platform staff are to train researchers to use BOMP instruments.
  2. Researchers will be provided with training documentation and are required to complete an online competency assessment before they can book in a face-to-face training session.
  3. Face-to-Face training usually consists of a two-hour induction and follow-up competency testing. Platform staff retain the right to require researchers to undergo further training if deemed necessary.

Equipment Usage and After-Hours Usage

  1. Each node has its own local rules regarding access and after hours use. Please refer to the training files provided.
  2. Researchers are to abide by local safety rules at all times. Please consult the relevant training files, SOP & RA.
  3. Approval for facility use will be withdrawn in the event of serious neglect or damage of equipment, inappropriate use of equipment, neglect of safety procedures and local usage rules, or allowing unauthorised persons access to the facility or other behaviour deemed to be inappropriate.
  4. Any damage to a microscope resulting from misuse or operator error will be charged back to the research group to which the researcher belongs.
  5. Access cards must never be handed on to a third party.
  6. After-hours access will only be granted to building residents who have demonstrated proficiency in independent equipment use and have completed all required additional inductions and documentation.

Instrument Trials and fee-for-service

  1. Platform staff may offer instrument trials ahead of instrument training to ensure that the data collected is suitable for the project. These are limited to a maximum of two sessions, after which the researchers should be trained or assisted us rates charged.
  2. Platform staff may offer fee-for-service work on a limited basis. This is charged on a per-hour basis, with no guarantee of results.

Data Management Policy

  1. Images and data obtained on BOMP instruments remain the property of the researcher who acquired the data.
  2. The researcher is responsible for the archiving of these files. We suggest that this is performed immediately at the end of your session. Please allocate time for this within your booking.
  3. Under no circumstances are Platform staffs responsible for any lost data.

Acknowledgement Policy

All research output (e.g. publication, presentation & poster) resulting from the use of instruments within the Platform should acknowledge the facility as a whole, e.g. ‘the authors gratefully acknowledge the Biological Optical Microscopy Platform for their support & assistance in this work’, and the Platform should be informed of the publication.

Collaboration Policy

Platform staffs are available to provide a number of academic services to researchers using our equipment under the collaboration agreement. Collaboration requests/agreement can be discussed with the relevant platform staff

Any instrument usage under the collaboration agreement will be charged at the user operated rate. These services include:

  • consultation on experimental design, application & analysis
  • method/protocol development (e.g. developing new applications)
  • operation of instruments for data collection
  • advanced data analysis

Authorship Policy

Assistance above the technical or routine level, with any Platform staff providing scientific input and expertise in experimental set-up, acquisition or analysis, should be recognised through co-authorship on resulting publications.

Please discuss acknowledgements and authorship with facility staff prior to manuscript submission. See Example scenarios with baseline recommendations (based on the Royal Microscopy Society Guideline)

    ApplicationAcknowledgementAuthorship
    Sample Preparation
    • Fast, routine sample preparation with standard protocol.
    • Development of new sample preparation protocols. Optimisation of existing protocols for specific samples.
    Image Acquisition
    • Training of users to acquire images themselves.
    • Simple acquisition of raw data.
    • Operational image acquisition with input and decisions dependent on expertise.
    • Design or re-design of experimental conditions.
    Image analysis
    • Recommendation of analysis software and tools.
    • Basic data analysis help and advice.
    • Constructive data analysis and interpretation.
    • Creation of complex custom image analysis tools.