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The IPSY Laboratories (Charter of use)

The IPSY Laboratories (Charter of use)

 

The Institute of Research in the Psychological Sciences (IPSY) aims to provide the best opportunities to facilitate high quality research. One innovation to meet this aim is in the provision of laboratory facilities to IPSY members. In 2011, IPSY reorganised the laboratories to promote optimum use. For the majority of the available laboratories, a reservation system allows IPSY members to use a laboratory when required. For members of IPSY who gain funding for research that uses specialised equipment, a secure laboratory is provided to the fund holder. For all laboratory use in IPSY, the following charter is used.

IPSY Reservation Laboratories

1. There are approximately fifteen laboratories that can be reserved throughout the year. These range in size and can be used for testing an individual participant or small groups of participants. Researchers are responsible for reserving a laboratory that provides the best environment for their research needs.
2. Researchers (including PhD students) are responsible for making their own laboratory reservation. In the case of master’s students that require a laboratory, the researcher responsible for the students should make the reservation.
3. Each laboratory contains at least one table and two chairs, and most are equipped with an internet-connected computer. The laboratory should be kept clean and tidy throughout use, and any modification to the standard arrangement of the computer should be changed back at the end of the experiment. Computers cannot be removed from the laboratories without the agreement of Dominique Hougardy.
4. To facilitate optimum use of the laboratories, reservation should be made for the realistic time needed to complete the planned study. Reservations should normally be made within three weeks of when the study is planned to take place. If a researcher has booked a laboratory that they no longer require, they should cancel the reservation allowing other researchers to use the laboratory. If a researcher reserves a laboratory or multiple laboratories for long periods of time, he/she is asked to modify their reservation to allow optimum use of the laboratory resource for other IPSY members.
5. Anne Wante at level 0 reception has the keys to all of the laboratories. To receive a key, the researcher must complete a reservation form and indicate the mobile telephone number of the person who uses the laboratory.

IPSY Equipped Laboratories

6. In the case that a researcher receives a fund that uses specialised research equipment, IPSY will provide a laboratory to the fund holder for the duration of the fund, or for the duration of active use of the specialised equipment. When the fund is completed, or the equipment no longer functions or is used, the laboratory will be returned to IPSY and be available for general use.
7. To promote new innovative research by IPSY members and the future development of equipped laboratories as a shared resource, IPSY would like fund holders to consider allowing other members of IPSY to use the equipped laboratory. To promote shared use, the ollowing considerations are proposed:
  7.1. Priority should be given to the funded research. Shared use of the laboratory should only take place if there is spare capacity in the equipped laboratory. 
  7.2. The fund holder, through the IPSY laboratory reservation system or through his or her own similar reservation system, should manage the use of the laboratory.
  7.3. Only researchers that have received training for the use of the equipment should be permitted to use the equipped laboratory. The fund holder will be responsible for assessing the training of equipment use.
  7.4. Most equipped laboratories require running costs. For the funded research, these running costs will be covered by the fund. Additional experiments made by the fund holder, or by other members of IPSY that are permitted to use the equipped laboratory by the fund older should expect to pay the running costs necessary to carry out their research. These costs will be set by the fund holder and should be transparent and fair.
  7.5. Shared use of the laboratory should only take place if researchers rights and duties are discussed with the fund holder before using the laboratory, and notably the following issues should be considered: (1) safety, (2) insurance, (3) running costs, (4) authorship, and (5) scientific collaboration.

IPSY will monitor the use of the laboratory resource. It will be able to make modifications to the current document and will be able to intervene in any disputes that arise from the inappropriate or unfair use of the laboratory resource.