I’d like to support this message and broaden its applicability to include instruments owned by top institutions, not just those at user facilities.
After the completion of a successful project that enabled a lab to purchase new instrumentation and fund a student’s salary, what happens to the instrument afterward?
Top institutions often benefit from a “virtuous” (or is it?) cycle: producing more science, leading to more publications, and therefore higher chances of securing additional funding. This, in turn, expands their arsenal of cutting-edge instruments. It’s not uncommon for each new project or proposal to involve the acquisition of yet another instrument, while the “old” one ends up sitting in a corner gathering dust.
What if scientists from other institutions were allowed to borrow or rent these instruments?
Just wanted to flag one difficulty I have observed with independent researchers accessing user facilities - they usually request that the user has accident and liability insurance. This is understandable from the facility manager's perspective, and it is basically taken for granted that appropriate insurance coverage will be provided by an academic's employer, but this is difficult to arrange for truly independent researchers, as it seems difficult to take out these sorts of policies as an individual.
Even affiliation with an independent scholarship institution (like Ronin or IGDORE) doesn't provide a good fix, as the insurance usually only covers employees, while most affiliated researchers at these institutions aren't employed. Treating affiliates as volunteers and getting volunteer insurance might offer more options, but by then it's starting to get complicated...
Aside - I expect that almost all of the points in the post (and about insurance) would also apply to work at field stations/sites.
I’d like to support this message and broaden its applicability to include instruments owned by top institutions, not just those at user facilities.
After the completion of a successful project that enabled a lab to purchase new instrumentation and fund a student’s salary, what happens to the instrument afterward?
Top institutions often benefit from a “virtuous” (or is it?) cycle: producing more science, leading to more publications, and therefore higher chances of securing additional funding. This, in turn, expands their arsenal of cutting-edge instruments. It’s not uncommon for each new project or proposal to involve the acquisition of yet another instrument, while the “old” one ends up sitting in a corner gathering dust.
What if scientists from other institutions were allowed to borrow or rent these instruments?
Just wanted to flag one difficulty I have observed with independent researchers accessing user facilities - they usually request that the user has accident and liability insurance. This is understandable from the facility manager's perspective, and it is basically taken for granted that appropriate insurance coverage will be provided by an academic's employer, but this is difficult to arrange for truly independent researchers, as it seems difficult to take out these sorts of policies as an individual.
Even affiliation with an independent scholarship institution (like Ronin or IGDORE) doesn't provide a good fix, as the insurance usually only covers employees, while most affiliated researchers at these institutions aren't employed. Treating affiliates as volunteers and getting volunteer insurance might offer more options, but by then it's starting to get complicated...
Aside - I expect that almost all of the points in the post (and about insurance) would also apply to work at field stations/sites.