Cost reduction model for larger projects

General principles

• The startup phase of a project is associated with additional costs for SUBIC. To adhere to the principle of full cost coverage, as well to promote the production of reliable data, collection of larger datasets within a project will results in reduced user fees. Separate rules apply to the different method platforms and no reduction in user fees applies to booking of rooms.
• Levels for the stepwise fee reduction outlined below and the flat rate associated with free usage outlined for the x-ray system is decided for each budget year by the SUBIC board. The SUBIC board can make changes to these levels and costs during the budget year, but changes are regulated by the same rules as outlined in our user fee policies.
• User fee reduction is only possible for academic users and not available for non-academic users.

Policies regulating reduction in user fees

MR and EEG

The following regulates reduction in user fees for the MR and EEG:

• User fee reduction is achieved in a stepwise manner and only billable user hours logged into the SUBIC booking system counts towards a fee reduction. After accruing a total of 75 hours of user hours or more, a 15% reduction in user fee each following user hour will be implemented. After accruing a total of 150 hours of user hours or more, a 20% reduction in user fee each subsequent user hour will be implemented.
• User hours that is part of the Expansion funding program cannot count towards a fee reduction.
• Only billable booking hours within a project count towards a fee reduction. A project is defined as a booking code in the SUBIC booking system. In other words, a principal investigator cannot aggregate user hours across projects towards a stepwise fee reduction.
• Only billable booking hours within a method platform counts towards a fee reduction. It is not possible to aggregate user hours across method platforms towards a stepwise fee reduction.

X-ray microscopy system

Below you will find the policies that regulates reduction in user fees for the x-ray microscopy system.

• A flat rate is available for users that wish to image larger volumes or wish to make a longer commitment towards supporting SUBICs x-ray imaging. The flat rate allows a user unlimited usage of the X-ray microscope for 365 days with no additional cost. The flat rate during 2022 and 2023 is 200.000 SEK.
• A user is in this instance defined as a research group. In other words, the user fee applies to all project led by one defined research group and does not apply to collaborative projects which the research is merely affiliated with.
• The flat rate does not extend to analyses support.
• Usage under the flat rate must adhere to the following rules:
• The user should only book the actual hours they will use. If a user cannot perform the experiment due to emergent reasons, they must cancel the bookings or contact SUBIC staff to cancel it.  For example, it is not allowed to book a whole day but only use one hour in that day.
• The user should not book continuously more than 2 weeks, unless it is absolutely necessary to keep the samples or experimental conditions consistency. In these cases, please contact SUBIC staff before booking.
• The user cannot book more than in total 25 days in the calendar year at any given time. For example, it is not allowed to book March 1st to 13th, and 15th to 28th at the same time to avoid the 14-day rule.
• SUBIC staff can, in special cases and only in written form, allow a user to break these rules for certain projects.
• Not adhering to the booking rules outlined above can lead to the termination of access to the flat rate fee policy which will be converted to a total of 10 days of allowed scan time. The user will then be billed for the time used exceeding these 10 days.
• The fee paid towards the flat rate access will in case of termination due to breaking rules will be forfeited.
• A decision of termination of flat fee access for a user can be appealed to the SUBIC board whose decision is final.