[labnetwork] PI funding gaps

[Owain Clark]

For us when a project is set up, a maximum spend per research facility is assigned. Bookings made in that facility are then subtracted from this figure as they are created and once it hits zero then no more bookings are possible on that code. Users are assigned access to project codes in the booking system during their account setup, or when they are added to a project. Our admin team work with our finance and RIS departments to administrate this.

We currently use The Living Database (Phoenix) as a booking system but will move to PPMS/Stratocore later this year.

Our financial integration is separate (but driven from reports generated from the booking system) as a lot of our research projects are not pay as you go, and are instead charged a fixed amount per month regardless of actual facility usage. So the financial spend figure held in our booking system is only protection against budget over runs.

Owain.

From: labnetwork <labnetwork-bounces at mtl.mit.edu> On Behalf Of Cornwall, Bob
Sent: Friday, March 22, 2024 2:38 PM
To: Johnson, Michael W <mjohnso6 at tulane.edu>; Fab Network <labnetwork at mtl.mit.edu>
Subject: Re: [labnetwork] PI funding gaps

CAUTION: This e-mail originated outside the University of Southampton.
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<mailto:labnetwork-bounces at mtl.mit.edu>> on behalf of Johnson, Michael W <mjohnso6 at tulane.edu<mailto:mjohnso6 at tulane.edu>>
Sent: Friday, March 22, 2024 9:45 AM
To: Fab Network <labnetwork at mtl.mit.edu<mailto: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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