[labnetwork] PI funding gaps

[Cornwall, Bob]

Within our cores, faculty research groups cant do the work unless they provide a valid fund number.  WE pull that out of the financial system nightly, and if the fund is not allowed to be charged against, it is removed from the users allowable charge accounts in our reservation and billing system which is based on NEMO.  They cannot do the work on that account and faculty are made aware that they are not allowed to charge other Award/contracts and move charges later.    They can charge internal university funds, but may not be allowed to move those charges to an award after the fact.   That is handled at the department level.

Bob


Robert Cornwall

Managing Director -

Penn State  - Materials Research Institute

rgc5 at psu.edu<mailto:rgc5 at psu.edu>

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From: labnetwork <labnetwork-bounces at mtl.mit.edu> on behalf of Johnson, Michael W <mjohnso6 at tulane.edu>
Sent: Friday, March 22, 2024 9:45 AM
To: Fab Network <labnetwork at mtl.mit.edu>
Subject: [labnetwork] PI funding gaps

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How do other shared user facilites deal with a situation when a regular user research group PI has a funding shortfall and can't pay user fees?

Is it typical to have some type of temporary waiver mechanism enshrined in the shared user structure or does that PI appeal to their department head to bail them out to bridge a gap?

A waiver feels problematic because it would seem to violate basic fairness in that one group could be getting "free stuff" and everybody else has to pay.

I would be interested to hear how other places deal with a sticky situation like this.


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