<div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;font-size:small">All:</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;font-size:small"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;font-size:small">
The University of Michigan's LNF has allowed consulting for many years with very good success (and some issues). It improves customer service, allows staff to expand their horizons, allows for lab staffing after hours (without cost to the lab), reduces the need for additional staff, and it provides for increased characterization and development of processes that would not have been otherwise possible (also at no cost to the lab). In addition, it has brought in hundreds of thousands of dollars of additional revenue, and allow us to retain and attract key staff who otherwise might not have come to UM or even stayed here. Staff retention is critical in MI since we have a difficult time attracting high-quality semiconductor and nanotechnology types.</div>
<div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;font-size:small"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;font-size:small">That said, there is a considerable challenge with conflict of interest, conflict of commitment, liability, workman's comp, and general perception by both other staff and users. To address this the LNF had an extensive management program in place to assure that the university's interests came first. Unfortunately, a resent college of engineering review of the LNF killed the program in its current form (that is another long story). However, we were instructed / allowed to create a replacement for it with all the benefits and with none of the pitfalls.</div>
<div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;font-size:small"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;font-size:small">The new program description is too long for this email so here are the basics:</div>
<div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;font-size:small"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;font-size:small">The UM LNF has a ticketing system that allows for all users to place service requests (tools, process, inquiries) formally. That is, if a tool is down or a process is acting up a user places a ticket into our tracking system. The ticket is, claimed and the issue addressed. The progress is tracked to its completion. To date we have completed more than 7800 tickets since 2011 with an average closure time of approximately 30 hours. The ticketing system is another story altogether but we decided to use it as the basis of our "after hours remote runs". That is, consulting requests now come into our lab as any remote run (process requests run by staff for users) would and is handled by management not the staff directly. Thus, consulting is now considered a remote run that is completed after hours based on a ticket. Management decides which runs we take and who does them. In addition LNF has an after hours on-call program that allows staff to pick-up tickets that occur after hours for tool repairs and process needs. We use this system to address issues that come up that cannot be addressed during normal hours. For example, if a tool goes down Christmas day, a user can create a ticket that can be picked up by a staff member. They are compensated for coming in to address the issue after hours (the program is voluntary). Another example is if a user comes to a staff person on Friday night because a tool just went down and they have a deadline on Monday. The user can put in a ticket to have the staff member come in over the weekend to fix the tool to meet the deadline. The ticketing system has been well received and has contributed to our significant growth rate (more than a 250% growth rate in users since 2008).</div>
<div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;font-size:small"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;font-size:small">By extending both these programs (ticketing and tool on-call) we are fashioning a new "consulting" program, that we hope retains all the advantages of the former program while eliminating the downside. BTW we have both exempt and non-exempt personnel participating.</div>
<div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;font-size:small"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;font-size:small">One significant advantage is that they are now considered employees working in the lab on lab issues (just after hours) so the issues of insurance, worker compensation, and liability are as they are during normal work hours. The staff are paid from lab funds and the remote runs are paid directly to the lab by the user. Thus, no money moves from the user to the staff member directly.</div>
<div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;font-size:small"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:comic sans ms,sans-serif;font-size:small">I hope this helps ... </div></div><div class="gmail_extra">
<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Thu, Jan 2, 2014 at 7:10 PM, Bill Flounders <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:bill@eecs.berkeley.edu" target="_blank">bill@eecs.berkeley.edu</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
<div bgcolor="#FFFFFF" text="#000000">
<div>All,<br>
In addition to the broader comments below,<br>
I would like to confirm that the Berkeley NanoLab<br>
does not allow staff to use laboratory equipment or<br>
any other university resources for any type of<br>
outside consulting or processing. The appearance of, <br>
as well as the potential for, genuine conflicts of interest
associated<br>
with such activities are glaring and considered irreconcilable<br>
with well defined university policies and state law.<br>
<br>
Bill Flounders<br>
UC Berkeley <br>
Marvell NanoLab<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Bob Hamilton wrote:<br>
</div><div><div class="h5">
<blockquote type="cite">
<p class="MsoNormal">Re: the question of outside "consulting"
using lab resources, I offer a broader reply:<u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As a public organization, the University of
California NanoLab staff is encouraged to share ideas and offer
advice on a collegial, not-for-fee basis. We consider it our
duty and mission to pass on information free of charge. This
includes unique discoveries we’ve made in our lab which may have
commercial value. <u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Public universities are supported by tax
dollars as well as corporate and private donations. Sharing our
knowledge garners goodwill and offers benefit to both industry
and society. The name of the organization the NanoLab umbrellas
under is CITRIS, the Center for Information Technology Research
in the Interest of Society, a University of California center
funded through of efforts of California’s Governor Grey Davis. <span> </span><span> </span><u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">More broadly, there is a precedent at the
University of California Berkeley Campus, set by professor and
Nobel Prize winner Ernesto Orlando Lawrence. Lawrence invented
the cyclotron, the first tool capable of making radionuclides
thus opening up developments in all the branches of science. <span> </span><span> </span>He set this precedent by
sharing his accelerators with other researchers and encouraging
shared-research facilities. His efforts were the cornerstones of
our National Labs and upset the self-interest often practiced in
scientific research prior to his days. One could say he was
noble and Nobel’d.<u></u><u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u></u> <u></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">On a pragmatic basis, the juggling of one’s
duties for an operation like the NanoLab leaves scant time for
outside consulting.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><br>
Bob Hamilton<br>
</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><br>
</p>
<pre cols="72">--
Robert Hamilton
University of California at Berkeley
Marvell NanoLab
Equipment Eng. Mgr.
Room 520 Sutardja Dai Hall
Berkeley, CA 94720-1754
<a href="mailto:bob@eecs.berkeley.edu" target="_blank">bob@eecs.berkeley.edu</a>
Phone: <a href="tel:510-809-8600" value="+15108098600" target="_blank">510-809-8600</a>
Mobile: <a href="tel:510-325-7557" value="+15103257557" target="_blank">510-325-7557</a>
e-mail preferred
</pre>
<p class="MsoNormal"><br>
<u></u><u></u></p>
<div>On 12/31/2013 7:26 AM, Weaver, John R
wrote:<br>
</div>
<blockquote type="cite">
<span>
<div>I know that a number of facilities allow their staff to
do outside “consulting” or “processing” using lab equipment.
If you have such a program, could you tell me how it works?
We do some of that, but it is not an organized program and
we would like to put a little more structure to it.</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Thanks,</div>
<div>John</div>
<div> </div>
<div><span><b><i>John R. Weaver</i></b></span></div>
<div><span><b><i>Facility Manager</i></b></span></div>
<div><span><b><i>Birck Nanotechnology Center</i></b></span></div>
<div><span><b><i>1205 West State Street</i></b></span></div>
<div><span><b><i>West Lafayette IN 47907</i></b></span></div>
<div><span><b><i><a href="tel:%28765%29%20494-5494" value="+17654945494" target="_blank">(765) 494-5494</a></i></b></span></div>
<div><a href="mailto:jrweaver@purdue.edu" target="_blank"><span><b><i><u>jrweaver@purdue.edu</u></i></b></span></a></div>
<div><span><b><i><a href="http://nano.purdue.edu" target="_blank">nano.purdue.edu</a></i></b></span></div>
<div> </div>
<div> </div>
<div> </div>
</span> <br>
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<br></blockquote></div><br><br clear="all"><div><br></div>-- <br>Dennis S Grimard, Ph.D<div>Managing Director, Lurie Nanofabrication Facility</div><div><br></div><div>University of Michigan</div><div>1246D EECS Building</div>
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