Policies

Prospective users of the Center for Electron Microscopy can make an inquiry about future projects, either by email, phone or in person. Prospective clients can explore the center's fee schedule and set up a time to discuss the project in person with the center prior to providing specimens. Investigators should come to the meeting prepared with pertinent information relating to the specific project. At that time a request for specimen submission, including an estimate of costs for the project can be completed so clients and personnel are thoroughly familiar with the proposed project.

This center's primary goal is to generate high-quality data using electron microscopy. Specimen quality is essential to this process, as without properly fixed and prepared specimens, it is impossible to generate good and interpretable images. It is this center's policy to review all protocols for incoming specimens and the center reserves the right to reject specimens and/or suggest necessary changes to aid in obtaining adequate and quality results.

Data will be accessible to the user(s) only. The center will not disclose data or confidential information belonging to the user(s) to any other person(s). Users must transfer their data and delete from the center's computer after each session. The center will provide space to store user data until user requests the data be deleted. If the user does not contact the center within 30 days of data acquisition, the data will be deleted by center staff. While the Center for Electron Microscopy is committed to the confidentiality and privacy of its users, the center does not guarantee the security of any data stored onsite.

The Center for Electron Microscopy director is responsible for resolving any concerns/issues including but not limited to services or data obtained within the center, billing, authorship and conflict of interest. Should a satisfactory resolution not be reached between the director and the investigator(s), the center's advisory committee may be consulted.

Training will be provided with the goal of cultivating cryo-EM expertise in our community. Training for the use of electron microscope instruments will be carried out by staff, as authorized by the director. Equipment training may be requested by contacting the center. Hands-on access to the instrumentation will be based on the level of training and experience of each user. The director will decide when and whether a trainee has sufficient knowledge and proficiency to be designated normal, advanced or expert user. Please see the cryo-EM policies and protocols for more information.

Users will be charged a small fee correlating to the type of instrument and service provided by the center. The cost to provide services to IU School of Medicine researchers at the center is much higher than the fees charged to the user. These additional costs not covered by user fees are defrayed by the dean’s office. Data collection is the only fee-for-service that the center provides. Data processing (structure determination) can be provided as a collaboration but is not a service provided by the core. Users are expected to seek out this service outside of the core. Please contact the center for more information on help finding data processing services.

All projects are completed on a first-come-first-serve basis.

Authorship is not required for services provided by the center. However, any publications that result from data collected from the center must acknowledge the contributions provided by the center (see Acknowledgement policy). If your publication requires extra knowledge outside of the center’s standard operating procedures or requires significant intellectual input and method development, it is reasonable to include staff as co-authors on the publication. This will be discussed and agree upon between the PI and the center director.

Any work that results in publications from the use of the center should be appropriately acknowledged by adding the following statement: “This work was supported by the Center for Electron Microscopy at Indiana University School of Medicine.” Acknowledging the center in publications is important for the center to continue to receive funding and support your research needs. The center requests notification of any publication/patent resulting in the work performed in or by the center. Please also keep the core informed of the status of grants in which the use of the center is proposed.

In special cases in which significant research time is needed to complete the project, post-service analyses are required, or significant intellectual contributions from the center are warranted, the center is open to collaborating with researchers on these projects requiring more than the center’s standard services. The nature of the collaboration will be the same as a typical collaboration between two research groups in which authorship of publications and budget on grants are shared where appropriate. Collaborators will only pay for machine time at unassisted rates, and there are no charges for time spent on research or data analysis. 

All users of the center are expected to pay for the services provided by center. An IU account number or a purchase order number (PO#) must be provided at the start of the service. Users will be billed through iLab after the completion of services and data collection.