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Who can book

Equipment rental is open to external users from academic institutions, industry, and government research organisations. Internal Veyra researchers and graduate students book at the internal (lower) rate. All external users must complete the facility access process before their first booking: this includes a site induction, a safety briefing for the relevant facility, and execution of the facility access agreement.

Users who have not operated the instrument before, or who require refresher training, must complete an instrument-specific training session with a Veyra facility technician before their first unsupervised booking. Training sessions are charged at the relevant instrument rate. We estimate that most users reach competence in one to three training sessions depending on technique complexity.

Group bookings — where a Veyra-trained operator runs samples on behalf of an external client — are available for clients who do not wish to operate instruments directly. These are billed at the external rate plus a staffing surcharge; contact the services desk for details.

Full rate card

All rates in Veyra credits (cr) per hour. Internal rates apply to Veyra Institute staff, postdocs, and enrolled graduate students. External rates apply to all other users.

Rates effective 1 January 2025. Rates are reviewed annually. HPC-MER rates are per GPU node per hour; jobs that require multiple nodes are billed per-node.
InstrumentCodeFacilityInternal (cr/hr)External (cr/hr)
Cryo Transmission Electron MicroscopeEM-200Advanced Microscopy95240
600 MHz NMR SpectrometerNMR-600Spectroscopy Core60150
High-Resolution Mass SpectrometerMS-Q9Spectroscopy Core70175
Integrated Photonics Test BenchPH-12QPS Lab55130
Meridian GPU Cluster (per node)HPC-MERMeridian HPC1844
Environmental Simulation ChamberENV-3ECS Lab4095
Confocal MicroscopeMIC-7Advanced Microscopy48120
Nanofabrication Cleanroom (bay)CLN-2Nanofabrication80200

Booking terms

Booking process

Registered external users book instrument time through the Veyra Facilities Portal. Accounts are issued after completion of the site induction and signing of the access agreement. Bookings must be made at least 48 hours in advance for most instruments; the cryo-TEM (EM-200) requires 72 hours minimum due to sample preparation requirements. The Meridian HPC (HPC-MER) accepts bookings with as little as 4 hours advance notice for allocations below 32 nodes.

Session structure

Instrument time is sold in minimum one-hour blocks and billed in 30-minute increments thereafter. Start and end times are logged automatically by the instrument control system. Users are expected to arrive five minutes before their booking starts; sessions do not run beyond the booked end time unless the following slot is vacant and the relevant facility technician agrees.

Cancellation & no-shows

Cancellations with more than 24 hours notice are fully refunded. Cancellations within 24 hours are charged at 50% of the booked session cost. No-shows (where the user does not arrive within 15 minutes of session start and has not notified the facility) are charged in full. Repeated no-shows may result in suspension of booking privileges.

Payment & invoicing

Usage is recorded automatically and accumulated against the user's registered account. Invoices are issued monthly in arrears in Veyra credits (cr). Clients who have signed a services agreement may convert credits to a monetary invoice at the prevailing exchange rate. Prepaid credit blocks are available at a 5% discount for external users who commit to minimum 500 cr in advance.

Data & results

Raw data files generated during a booking session are stored on the facility's local data server for 30 days and then archived for a further 12 months. Users are responsible for downloading and backing up their own data before the 30-day window closes. Data generated on Veyra instruments is the property of the client or the user's employer, not Veyra Institute.

Liability

Users are liable for damage to instruments caused by negligence or failure to follow operating procedures. The facility access agreement includes an indemnity clause. Veyra carries instrument insurance for mechanical failure; user-caused damage to consumables (cryo-EM grids, NMR tubes, etc.) is billed at cost. All incidents must be reported to the facility technician immediately.

Access requirements

All external users must complete these steps before their first booking. The process typically takes five to ten working days end-to-end.

  1. 1

    Account application

    Apply for an external user account via the Facilities Portal or by emailing facilities@veyra.example. Include your institution, the instrument(s) you wish to access, and a brief description of intended use. Accounts are issued within two business days.

  2. 2

    Facility access agreement

    Sign and return the Facility Access Agreement, which covers data ownership, liability, and site rules. Individual users sign on their own behalf; companies or institutions may sign a blanket agreement covering multiple employees.

  3. 3

    Site induction

    Complete the one-hour campus induction (available in-person on Tuesday and Thursday mornings, or via a recorded online module). The induction covers emergency procedures, access control, data handling, and campus rules. Completion is recorded in the Facilities Portal.

  4. 4

    Instrument training

    New users who have not previously operated the target instrument (or whose last session was more than 18 months ago) must complete a training session with a Veyra facility technician. Training is billed at the standard instrument rate. Experienced users can apply for an exemption with evidence of equivalent training elsewhere.

  5. 5

    First booking

    Once all steps are complete, the Facilities Portal activates booking access for the approved instruments. For cleanroom access, an additional chemical safety assessment is required from the Nanofabrication Facility before the account is enabled for CLN-2 bookings.