Equipment Allocation Policy

Approved:

• McGill Legal Services June 5, 2009
• CIRMMT Board of Directors June 12, 2009

 All research equipment purchased on CIRMMT operating grants* is the property of the Centre and is available for use by all CIRMMT Members for projects within the Centre’s mandate. 

CIRMMT equipment is allocated to Members for a maximum of two months per booking.  CIRMMT’s research funding mandate prohibits the use or borrowing  of equipment for commercial or teaching purposes.

The Centre’s research equipment is divided into two categories: Default laboratory equipment and loan pool equipment. 

 *With the exception of items specified in the previous CFI-2 grant for permanent installation in satellite labs.  A final list of CFI-2 satellite lab equipment was reviewed and approved by the Directors' Circle in 2007.

Default laboratory equipment

Access to equipment that is part of the default configuration of the Centre’s six centrally-located laboratories and control stations (8^th floor, New Music Building) is allocated according to the Centre’s lab booking schedule. Members and their project participants using default laboratory equipment are subject to the regulations outlined in the Laboratory Allocation Policy.

Loan pool equipment

Centre equipment that is not part of the default lab configurations is available for temporary loan to Members for research, concert or demonstration use.  This equipment may be used on-site or off-site.

On-site loans:  On-site loans include equipment borrowed from the loan pool for use in the central CIRMMT laboratories.  Members must have an active laboratory booking for the duration of the equipment loan.  It is the responsibility of the CIRMMT Technical Manager (or delegate) to install and remove loan pool equipment from the laboratories at the times confirmed in the booking.

Off-site loans:  Off-site loans include equipment borrowed from the loan pool for use outside the central CIRMMT laboratories.  The Centre will make off-site loans of equipment only to Full and Associate Members (Borrowing Members) holding the required equipment accreditation. Off-site loans are subject to the Centre’s Equipment Off Site Loan Agreement, which will be kept current with McGill insurance policy and reporting obligations.  This Agreement will clearly outline the responsibilities of Centre staff and Borrowing Members regarding training requirements, equipment transport, upkeep and maintenance, insurance and liability.  Borrowing Members will be provided with all necessary equipment information (such as make, model number of major system components, date purchased, value) for the purposes of filing a police report in case of loss.

Equipment loan agreement forms must be signed by the CIRMMT Technical Manager (or delegate) and the Borrower or an accredited delegate before the equipment is released.  The Borrowing Member is responsible for equipment loss or damage and for payment of all ensuing costs (including McGill’s insurance deductible).

Training courses are established by CIRMMT’s technical team and regularly offered to all Members to provide them with the knowledge needed to operate the Centre’s equipment in a safe and responsible manner.  Members must obtain CIRMMT accreditation by taking a training course or by demonstrating to Centre technical staff that they have adequate working knowledge of the equipment and related Centre procedures prior to using or borrowing the Centre’s equipment.

Technical support for CIRMMT equipment is available to Members during normal office hours. After-hours technical support for CIRMMT activities will only be considered under exceptional circumstances, and will require advance approval by the CIRMMT Directors’ Circle.

It is the responsibility of Members to follow all equipment use regulations established by the CIRMMT technical team.  Non-compliance with regulations concerning CIRMMT equipment will be assessed by the Centre’s Executive Committee or delegates and, in cases of property damage, loss, theft or repeat offense, may lead to replacement charges for the full cost of damaged/lost equipment and a termination of the Member’s membership by the Board of Directors. 

To ensure maximum equipment availability for the Centre’s membership, Members are asked to notify the Centre’s staff as far in advance as possible when reserved equipment will not be needed, so that it can be made available to others.  Members who repeatedly fail to cancel unnecessary equipment reservations may have their booking privileges reduced.

Equipment loan requests are moderated by the Executive Committee (or delegates), whose goal is to implement an equitable use of the Centre’s resources.  Special priority is given to collaborative research projects involving two or more CIRMMT researchers from different disciplines.

CIRMMT’s staff and administration will implement and periodically revise working procedures in accordance with the above policy, with the aim of safeguarding and facilitating ease of access across the membership to the Centre’s physical resources.  These working procedures will be subject to Executive Committee approval and McGill University specifications regarding safety, health, ethics and insurance coverage.

Equipment loan procedures addendum (subject to periodic review and approval of the CIRMMT Executive Committee)

The information below includes temporary amendments to the laboratory booking procedures, approved by the CIRMMT Executive Committee in January 2012, and that are in effect until May 2012.

General considerations:

• All equipment booking requests are made via CIRMMT’s online booking system, for periods of up to two months.  Depending on the nature of the request, it will either be processed automatically or manually by the CIRMMT technical team.
• All equipment requests are sent to the Technical Manager, with a copy to the Electronics Coordinator.  Requests are forwarded as needed to the Systems Manager and/or Directors’ Circle for assessment.
• The Technical Manager is responsible for ensuring that detailed and updated equipment lists, default lab and control station configurations, and related user manuals are available to Members on the CIRMMT website.
• The Research Administrator is responsible for ensuring that current equipment loan policies and procedures are available on the website.
• A form will be available on the booking website for reporting equipment malfunctions outside of regular office hours.

Default laboratory equipment:

• Members using the labs in their standard configuration as outlined on the booking website, and who do not require the assistance of the technical team, will make automated bookings or submit manually-processed requests depending on the lab booking duration (see Laboratory Allocation Policy Addendum).

Equipment loan pool:

• All equipment loan pool booking requests, whether for use on or off site, are dependent on the availabilities of the technical staff.  Requests are submitted online and processed manually.
• Members can request equipment check in/out appointments between 9:00am and 4:30pm. Technical staff may adjust the schedule of the requested booking according to their availability or to special requirements. Members can expect a response to booking requests within 48 hours (not including weekends and holidays) from the CIRMMT technical team. 
• Loan pool requests are first assessed by the CIRMMT Technical Manager (or delegate).  Certain requests (such as conflicting requests for which a solution cannot be found by the Technical Manager, and requests for equipment with an estimated value of over $50,000) will be forwarded to the CIRMMT Directors’ Circle for review.
• Loan pool equipment booking requests that are submitted online by the 1^st of the month prior to the month of the requested start date will be assessed by the CIRMMT Directors’ Circle and every effort will be made to ensure that booking conflicts are resolved and technical needs are met. Booking request conflicts for which solutions have not been found will be moderated by the CIRMMT Executive Committee, with special priority given to collaborative research projects involving two or more CIRMMT researchers from different disciplines.

• Requests submitted in advance of this date will be held for assessment until the submission deadline.  Requests submitted after this deadline will be reviewed on an ad-hoc basis and will not be given special priority. Last-minute booking requests are subject to the schedule of the CIRMMT technical team and may not be approved. 

*Off-Site equipment loan bookings are not attached to a lab booking in CIRMMT’s central facilities in the New Music Building, McGill University.  They involve removal of equipment from CIRMMT facilities.