Training Policy

Training on the use of MOAI light/fluorescence microscopes will be provided by facility supervisors or their designates.  For all confocal microscopes and the Keyence, 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.  The Vectra Polaris is only available as a fee-for-service system.

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 using university support (MOAI funding) as a self-insurance fund for repair and upgrades.  As a consequence, our user fees may be adjusted to reflect current funding situations.

Authorship

Co-authorship is not expected for training and access to microscopes or ancillary equipment within MOAI. However, co-authorship would be appropriate 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

Acknowledgements of facility contributions are expected in publications that include any data generated in MOAI facilities.  An example of an appropriate acknowledgement is “Supported in part by the CSU Microscopes for Open Access Imaging Core facility.”  If imaging is performed on an instrument acquired through a federal grant, please obtain the grant information from the facility supervisor to include in the project funding statement of any publication that utilized the instrument for data acquisition. Papers listed in PubMed should have this grant support entered as it helps in future funding for any shared instrument grants submitted from CSU.

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. 

Collaborations: Grant Assistance and Inclusion of Personnel (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 required?
  • Are there large numbers of samples to be analyzed?
  • Would the aim or proposal not receive a favorable review without the support of personnel with microscope/image analysis experience?
  • Would the project not progress at a reasonable pace without the guidance of facility personnel?

MOAI Microscope Access for Unfunded Investigators

A limited pilot project budget from the MOAI core can help unfunded investigators obtain access to MOAI microscopes to obtain preliminary data for proposals or to complete data acquisition for manuscript submission following completion of a grant. Funds are only available to replace the recharge accounts of the microscopes to which access is needed and are not for supplies or other research costs. Contact the Director for a Pilot Project application form that will need to be reviewed and approved by the Advisory Board.