This is an old revision of the document!
Table of Contents
New Rates Table
| Internal Rate | External Rate | |
|---|---|---|
| Staff Assistance | $17.53 / hr | $30.00 / hr |
| Manager Assistance | $65 / hr | $170 / hr |
| Silane Chamber | $5 / hr | $15 / hr |
| Stratasys 3D Printers (F270, Objet30) | $12.80 / hr + material | $35 / hr + material |
| Other 3D Printers (MiiCraft, Ultimaker, FormLabs) | $6 / hr + material | $16 / hr + material |
| Sonoplot | $35 / hr | $90 / hr |
| Active Use (All other tools) | $20 / hr | $60 / hr |
This is a summary of the new recharge rates for the Microfluidics Lab and Innovation Workshop. These are expected to take effect sometime in the next 2-4 months. These rates are still subject to change, but it is unlikely that they will change more than few percent. (Pending feedback)
Please review the new rates and contact the lab manager (bdincau@ucsb.edu) if you have any questions, concerns, or feedback.
Changes to Reservations
Perhaps the biggest change coming up is how we will handle billing. While swipe access will still be required to enter the labs, all lab use should be recorded through FBS. When the new rates are activated, there will be reservation options for every use case, including several “General Use” reservations for people that just need bench space or hand tools.
By logging all lab use in FBS, I will have access to a much more complete dataset for describing these labs. This will allow me to determine recharge rates more accurately in the future, while also identifying key tools for upgrade and replacement.
How are the Rates Determined?
The first step is to determine a cost recovery rate. This calculation considers total expenses and expected lab usage to determine a minimum rate for these facilities to break even.
The next step is to then determine appropriate rates for internal and external users. Currently, these labs are partially subsidized, which allows us to set the internal rates lower than the cost recovery rate. This has allowed us to keep the rates significantly lower than similar facilities across the nation. External rates are set to a multiplier above the cost recovery rate, due to University policy.
Initially, all major tool groups were evaluated independently. Besides the silane chamber, 3D printers, and Sonoplot, it was determined that each tool group should have an internal recharge rate between $19 to $21 per hour. So to simplify things, we've proposed just one rate for active use, as noted in the table above.