Rates

User Fee

Services	UM Rate	External Academic Rate
Sample preparation, SEM imaging and EDS analysis	$75/hr	$110/hr
Hands-on training on SEM operation and sample preparation (min. 4 hrs)	$75/hr	$110/hr
Demonstration for student groups (4-5 students per group)	$75/hr	$110/hr

The hourly rate for using the Core services is $75 for internal (UM) users and $110 for academic users external to UM.
The fee is applicable to all users. No discounts or special rates are available.
No user will be charged a lower rate than users paying with federal funds. Charges to federal grants/contracts will not subsidize instruments.
User fees are reviewed annually and subject to changes.
The costs of essential consumables (aluminum stubs, carbon tapes, etc.) are included in the fee. The users are responsible for any other special materials required for preparing their samples.
Users will be charged the hourly rate for the first hour and then in increments of 30 minutes. A grace period of up to 10 minutes will be allowed when possible, but continued use beyond 10 minutes will be charged for 30 minutes.
User time is assessed by the actual SEM lab use time (the time the lab is unavailable for others, including the time it takes to set up the room and protocol, sample preparation, image analysis, and clean up) and not by the scan time alone. For example, if a user reserved the system for 2 hours but completed the work in 1 hour 30 minutes, they will only be billed for 1 hour 30 minutes.
Users are encouraged to finalize their work within the time reserved and leave the lab promptly so that the next user can use the lab immediately.
The facility is also available for other external users. Please contact us for commercial rates.

All requests for services must be submitted through our online scheduling system. When completing the project application online, please include all payment information. If payment information changes, please provide us with the new information as soon as possible.
Invoices will be emailed to the investigator’s fiscal contact during the second week of the month for services provided in the previous month.
Payments are due within 30 days of the invoice date. If payment is not received within three billing cycles, the user cannot make new reservations until all the pending invoices are paid in full.
We strive to determine the most efficient approach to achieving each user’s research goals and will make our best effort to generate high quality, reliable results. However, we cannot guarantee that we can produce particular results in any research project. Payment is expected for services rendered, not contingent on a positive experimental outcome.