Training Policy

Training on the use of MIN light/fluorescence microscopes will be provided by facility supervisors or their designates.  A minimum cost ($250) is associated with the hands-on training sessions, which often run 3 hours. This cost also includes 5 hours of access time to the instrument for recently trained users to consolidate their training to become independent users.  Information on training for the Electron Microscopes can be found on the page describing them.

User Fees

Our user fees are essential for the availability of the instrumentation and expertise that the facility provides.  We aim to set our user fees at the lowest possible level to maintain our resources.  As a consequence, our user fees may be adjusted to reflect current funding situations.

Authorship

Co-authorship is generally expected when core personnel have made significant contributions to the research in the form of consultation, experimental design, method development, data analysis and/or data interpretation.  Significant can be defined as “the project would not have progressed, or progressed at a substantially slower pace, without the guidance of facility personnel”.  In such cases, core personnel should have the opportunity to review and edit the appropriate sections of a manuscript before submission.

Acknowledgement of facility contributions is expected in publications that include any data generated in the facility.  For example, when fee-for-service is performed with no method development and minimum effort by Core personnel.

An example of an appropriate acknowledgement is “Supported in part by the CSU Microscope Imaging Network Foundational Core facility.”

Please inform us when relevant publications are accepted and forward us a copy for our records.  We may also post citation information on our website.  This information is vital to the continued support of the facility.

Collaborations: Grant Assistance and Percent Effort

We are very happy to provide letters of support and assistance in grant writing.  For letters of support, please allow at least 2 weeks from the time of your request.  Please furnish the following information: Title of grant, agency to which you are submitting the grant, your title and mailing address, and 1-3 sentences on the goals (or specific aims) of your proposal.

Our facility is also dependent on grant support for long-term success and we appreciate your support in keeping the facility funded.  To determine if percent effort by core personnel is required, please consider the following:

• Does the proposal include a specific aim(s) that focuses on microscopy?
• Is method development is required?
• Are there large numbers of samples are to be analyzed?
• Would the aim or proposal not receive a favorable review without the support of Core personnel?
• Would the project not have progressed, or progressed at a substantially slower pace, without the guidance of facility personnel?