Please read carefully:

FIRST:Equipment used at SGF is intended for research use only.

SECOND: SGF staff has complete autonomy and authority over main equipment and only approved individuals may use said equipment without supervision.  Main equipment includes: ABI 3130xl Genetic Analyzer, LiCor IR2 DNA Analyzer and components.  Approval is given by the genomics specialist and/or facility director.

THIRD: SGF general equipment must be reserved by contacting SGF staff, via phone or e-mail, or signing the log sheets located by equipment prior use.  General equipment includes: Thermocyclers, NanoDrop, SpeedVac, ultra centrifuges and water system.  General equipment is available during normal bussiness hours, holidays, weekends and nights and may be used without supervision by approved Users only.  For reservations: User logs and sign-up sheets must be filled without exceptions.  A period of at least one hour in advance is required for any reservation cancellations.  A one-hour period of grace will be given to any reservations for which the User does not show.  SGF staff has priority over Thermocyclers to maintain services offered to a maximum.  Special rules apply for NanoDrop Spectrophotometer; please see SGF personnel.  No SGF materials may be taken out of facility.

FOURTH: Users will be officially trained and certified by SGF staff through workshops.  Other training opportunities will be available and open for discussion and written agreements.  Certifications do not authorize Users to use the main equipment at the SGF.  Workshops and trainings are offered upon request.  Training/workshop fees will be calculated according to subject and length.  Fees are not refundable.

FIFTH: Services and fees: Sample submission procedures and processing rules for Sequencing and Genotyping services: Complete sample submission requirements must be met prior sample submission.  Requirements include a) Signed Terms of Agreement, c) a complete submission includes the sample submission form and samples provided.  A quotation of your submission will be sent prior processing samples, only upon solicitation.  Samples will be stored in the facility for one (1) month.  Samples are processed in the order in which they are received, considering they have met all criteria for sample submission.  Immediate e-mail notification of sample status and results' estimated times are sent after services commence, depending on queue and considering all sample submission requirements are met.  Data generated is, currently, delivered via e-mail.  Turn-around time starts when service is approved and depending on queue (provided all sample submission requirements are met) within a 24-72 hour period.  **Every injection involves 16 wells (16 reactions).  Thus, we charge for full 16-well injections or by multiples of 16.  Partial submissions will be charged as full 16-well injections.  For example, if sending 10 reactions, user will be charged for 16 reactions; if sending 20 reactions, user will be charged for 32 reactions.   User is responsible for leaving a well for our positive control.

SIXTH: Service fee information: Fees are non-refundable and project specific.  Actual price will depend on volume and User sample pre-processing.  Service-detailed documents will be sent prior charging of services; these will be valid for any doubts or discrepancies for 15 days.  Service invoices will then be provided accordingly; these are valid for 90 days and User is responsible for making all P.O. transactions and service payments to MCC (see below).  Written agreements involving long-term contracts may be negotiable (See Conditional Agreement above).  Each client is responsible for the payment of any shipping, handling and insurance fees, when applicable.  Rush considerations that fall outside these requirements will be considered on each invoice. Payments are made to the Materials Characterization Center, Inc.Edificio Facundo Bueso 247, Universidad de  Puerto Rico, Río Piedras, PO Box 21972,  San Juan, Puerto Rico 00931-1972.

SEVENTH:  Both for sequencing and genotyping services, the SGF will re-run a sample injection and analysis if the first sequencing injections fails due to processing or equipment problems.  This will be free of charge.  If the second injection should fail, the client will receive a detailed report of events.  Also, the SGF staff will meet with the client to discuss possibilities of failure.

EIGHTH: Both for sequencing and genotyping services, the SGF provides a free-of-charge 16-well injection trial for new Users.  During this trial, each new User and SGF personnel will meet to personalize procedures and discuss any special requirements (technical or time-wise), charges, and/or procedure inquiries.

NINTH: SGF requires that any publication, poster and/or presentation resulting from direct or indirect use of facility main services and general equipment use be recognized with the following statement:  Sequencing and Genotyping facility, University of Puerto Rico-Río Piedras is supported in part by NCRR AABRE Grant #P20 RR16470, NIH-SCORE Grant #S06GM08102, University of Puerto Rico Biology Department, NSF-CREST Grant #0206200,NINDS-SNRP U54 NS39405.

TENTH: User admission and security: SGF will reserve the right of admission to any person not included in the official list of personnel provided by the building’s administration office (Julio García Díaz Room 118), unless updated verbally or through written agreements.  Outside Users visiting the facility must provide SGF with a list of official Users.  SGF will reserve the right of admission of any person with questionable behavior.  Questionable behavior includes harassment and any other hostile behaviour towards another User, student, researcher, visiting professor/researcher or SGF staff, including such behaviour reported outside regular bussiness hours.  For specific rules and requirements regarding questionable behaviour, please refer to the Human Resources office of the University of Puerto Rico, 787-764-0000 ext. 1-5471.  The principal investigator will be held completely accountable for any Users, students or researchers involved in any unusual events within the facility and involving any of the equipment.  Visiting researchers or professors will be held accountable for their own actions.  The SGF and SGF staff will not be held accoutable for any situation derived from breaking any terms stated herein.

ELEVENTH: The Bioinformatics Satellite Laboratory (BSL, located at JGD-215) is available for data analysis, workshops and faculty courses.  It is available during normal bussiness hours and, for authorized Users only during nights, weekends and holidays.  All results are archived for emergency retrieval for three months only.  See BSL Terms of Agreement.

 TWELFTH:    CLause of Agreement Termination
If there is an understanding of existing interests adverse to these Terms, the SGF will notify in writing of any proof of its findings and intention of terminating these Terms of Agreement within thirty (30) days.  Through this time, The User may solicit a conciliatory reunion with SGF to expose any arguments against said termination of conflict.  If The User does not solicit said reunion to SGF or if the conflict is not resolved during the meet, these Terms of Agreement will be resolved.  The same procedure will apply when The User understands there are or have been interests adverse to these Terms.  SGF will have a period of thirty (30) days to expose any arguments and evaluate the conflict during the conciliatory reunion.

THIRTEENTH:  Any User requesting and/or submitting samples for SGF Services is considered to have read and fully agrees with the terms mentioned above.