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Policies

QLMC policies and user responsibilities

Please review the policies below before using QLMC instruments or workstations. These requirements help us keep systems available, protect user data, document the Core's scientific impact, and apply charges consistently.

  • Cancellation, no-show, and invoicing policy

    Cancel at least 12 hours before your scheduled start time.

    If you cannot attend a scheduled session, cancel the reservation in PPMS at least 12 hours before the scheduled start time. If you cannot access PPMS or are already within the 12-hour cancellation window, please qlmc@utsouthwestern.edu, and we will cancel the reservation for you.

    Failure to cancel is classified as a no-show and will result in a charge for the entire scheduled reservation.

    How instrument usage is invoiced

    QLMC systems track actual usage time, defined as the time the user is logged into the instrument computer. Except for a no-show, charges are based on actual usage rather than the reserved duration. Starting early, finishing early, or continuing beyond the original reservation is permitted when it does not conflict with another user's reservation.

    Do not make a reservation for another user. Cross-booking can generate two charges: an actual-usage charge for the person who operated the system and a no-show charge for the person whose account was used to make the reservation.

    Invoices are generated monthly and issued through an Interdepartmental Requisition (IDR). The IDR lists the sessions, systems, users, usage times, and charges accrued by the laboratory and is available to the laboratory manager.

  • Data backup and management

    QLMC computers are intended for data acquisition and analysis, not long-term storage.

    Users are responsible for their data. All data must be copied to a user-managed storage location at the end of every session. To maintain sufficient space for new acquisitions, the QLMC reserves the right to delete older data from its computers and servers without prior notice.

    Accessing your data remotely

    User data folders on QLMC computers can be accessed through the campus network or through an off-campus VPN connection. For large data transfers, use a wired Ethernet connection rather than Wi-Fi.

    Locate the imaging system's IP address at the top of its PPMS booking page:

    Example showing where to find an imaging system IP address on its PPMS booking page

    Use the appropriate connection method:

    • Windows PC: Press Windows key + R, enter \\IP address, and select OK.
    • Mac: In Finder, select Go > Connect to Server, enter smb://IP address, and select Connect.

    When prompted, use the credentials provided during QLMC training—not your UT Southwestern credentials.

  • Publication acknowledgments

    Users must inform the QLMC of publications containing images, quantitative results, or other data acquired using QLMC instruments or staff assistance. Acknowledgments are a critical measure of the Core's scientific impact and are considered by funding agencies when evaluating support for new instrumentation.

    Required QLMC acknowledgment

    Please include the following language in applicable publications:

    The authors would like to acknowledge the Quantitative Light Microscopy Core, a Shared Resource of the Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, supported in part by an NCI Cancer Center Support Grant, 1P30 CA142543-01.

    Required NIH Shared Instrumentation Award acknowledgments

    If data were acquired using one of the systems below, the corresponding NIH award number must also be included. Compliance is important to the QLMC's eligibility for future NIH Shared Instrumentation Awards.

    • Zeiss LSM 780 Upright: 1S10 RR029731-01, awarded to Kate Luby-Phelps
    • Zeiss LSM 880 Airyscan: 1S10 OD021684-01, awarded to Kate Luby-Phelps
    • Nikon SoRa Spinning Disk: 1S10 OD028630-01, awarded to Kate Luby-Phelps

    Thank you for acknowledging the resources and support that contributed to your work.

    Imaging-facility acknowledgment guidelines

    The Royal Microscopical Society guidelines below provide additional guidance for appropriately recognizing imaging facilities and staff contributions.

    Royal Microscopical Society guidelines for acknowledging imaging facilities and staff contributions
  • UT Southwestern Core Facility rates

    Rates for UT Southwestern investigators

    Current cost-recovery rates in UT Southwestern core laboratories are established by the Dean's Office at approximately 60%. These rates do not recover the costs associated with purchasing new equipment. Charges to UT Southwestern investigators are based on the actual costs of services and supplies after adjustment for fractional cost recovery.

    Actual costs do not include institutional overhead expenses such as space, utilities, or administrative support, which are borne by UT Southwestern. Published campus rates are fixed and cannot be negotiated by individual users. Quantity discounts may be available only when the quantity of use reduces the actual cost of providing the service.

    Rates for off-campus users

    • Academic and other nonprofit institutions: 2× the UT Southwestern investigator rate. This rate accounts for support provided to each core laboratory by the Dean's Office and for institutional overhead. Services are therefore provided at cost.
    • For-profit organizations: 3× the UT Southwestern investigator rate. This rate covers administrative, contracting, accounting, and overhead costs and ensures that UT Southwestern does not undercut commercial providers through state subsidies.
    • UT Southwestern BioCenter tenants: 2.5× the UT Southwestern investigator rate. This reduced external rate reflects the rent and overhead fees already paid by BioCenter tenants and supports the BioCenter program.
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