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Policies

Policies

User Policy and Information
  1. All users must undergo training on the use of instrumentation before having access to the facility.
  2. Users are granted access to the facility and tools for which the User is trained to use independently.
  3. Training consists of the observation of instrument operation and hands-on operation. A User is qualified upon he/she demonstrates the capability of operating a tool independently as confirmed by KAMC staff and obtains Trained Status.
  4. An official qualification is required for the Users who have experience on a similar tool obtained at another institution. KAMC staff grants the qualification. Criteria: The User can operate a tool independently as per the verification of KAMC staff.
  5. Both training and qualification must be done by KAMC staff.
  6. Under no circumstances should the User lend their UTSA ID card to another individual or grant the unauthorized user access to the imaging center. Any unauthorized access to instrumentation will result in the suspension of all user privileges.
  7. Users are prohibited from sharing their User Name/Password and scheduling time for another user. KAMC reserves the right to deny future access to the Users in the event of misconduct.
  8. An advanced reservation is recommended for instruments listed in iLab.
  9. Users are required to enter requested information into iLab to properly log in and out of the instrument.
  10. If the User brings any chemicals or biohazardous materials that are not listed in the KAMC's Safety Data Sheet, that information must be documented in iLab.
  11. No food or drink should be brought into the KAMC facility or consumed while operating instrumentation. All work areas should be left clean.
  12. Data is NOT indefinitely stored on the local acquisition computer. It is uploaded regularly to our dedicated server and removed from the microscope computer. Data management is a component of user training.
  13. Imaging & Analysis facility (AET 0.304) requires UTSA ID card access. Non-UTSA Users must visit Administration Office at AET 3.205F to obtain a swipe card.
  14. The core also offers in-depth training for image processing and data analysis. This level of training is not required for obtaining access to the facilities and tools.
  15. All Users are responsible for their sample storage. KAMC will not store the User's samples. External Users will be able to keep the samples at KAMC for no longer than 2 weeks upon completing the Intake Form.
  16. In the event of an equipment malfunction, the User must notify the KAMC staff immediately. Failure to do so may result in the customer to be fully charged for the reservation. KAMC staff cannot guarantee workmanship performed on any instrument, whether assisted or unassisted use. In some cases, instrument faults resulting in undesired results may be refunded or listed as "not-billable."
Billing Policy

KAMC's current rates are listed on the Fees page. The rates are subject to change without further notice. To better understand how KAMC calculates charges for equipment, staff, and facility usage, please read the billing policy below. The policies listed here are applicable to all KAMC Users.

  • Instrument Billing: The instruments are currently being billed per hour increments.
    • The instruments that are billed hourly in increments, even if used for half an hour, time will be rounded up to the nearest hour.

Assisted Use: It is considered assisted-use if the KAMC staff operates an instrument for you or needs to be near you to monitor the operation.
Unassisted Use: The User operates the instrument independently. This also involves instrument preparation: ramping the voltage, liquid-N2 cooling, sample exchange, and basic microscope alignment.

  1. Training Rates: All training will be charged regularly at the Assisted Rate of staff. See the Fees page for more details.
  2. KAMC bills for instruments that are reserved longer than required.
    Example: If a User reserves an instrument for 4 hours but ends up working on it for 2 hours, KAMC will not adjust the rate. Please plan carefully.
  3. KAMC bills for instruments that are used beyond the reserved time.
    Example: If a User reserved an instrument from 1 pm - 3 pm but ends up using it until 5 pm, the User will be billed for the whole time he/she used the instrument.
  4. KAMC bills the reservations that don't match the actual time usage.
    Example: If a User reserved a tool from 2 pm - 4 pm, but instead uses it in a different time 3 pm - 5 pm, the User will be charged for the usage from 2 pm - 5 pm as the tool was kept occupied by this reservation since 2 pm.
  5. Cancellation Policy: Users are required to cancel the reservation they no longer need in a timely manner. So please prepare all the samples accordingly.
    1. Cancellation at least 24 hours before reserved time: no fee
    2. No-show (User does not cancel the scheduled reservation): Users will be billed for the whole reservation time
  6. All the Users are required to log-in to Kisok start using the instrument and log-out to finish the session. It is the User's responsibility to log-out. If the User does not log-out, it will be considered that they are still using the instrument and they will be billed until they log-out.
  7. If an instrument malfunctions due to no fault of the User during a session, the User must complete the note section in their schedule and notify KAMC staff. The purpose of the notes is to capture the billing reviewing process. Completing the note section does not automatically waive the fee. The KAMC staff reserves rights to determine whether the fee will be waived or not.
Core Acknowledgment Policies

If you used the equipment within KAMC to generate data for your manuscript, please use the following examples to help format your acknowledgment.

  • "The authors acknowledge the University of Texas at San Antonio Kleberg Advanced Microscopy Center for support during this work."
  • "The authors would like to thank Dr. FirstName LastName (Kleberg Advanced Microscopy Center, University of Texas at San Antonio) for technical support."