Who we are Infrastructure access policy

Infrastructure access policy

 

Regulations for the access to the Advanced Technologies for LandSlides (ATLaS) research infrastructure of the University of Florence

 

(Download here: ENG version.pdf or ITA version.pdf)

 

Art. 1

Purpose

These regulations govern the general principles for accessing the Advanced Technologies for LandSlides (ATLaS) research infrastructure, recognized by the National Program for Research Infrastructures (PNIR) 2014-2020, in accordance with the provisions of European Regulation 723/2009 and article 26 of European Regulation 651/2014.

For organizational and managerial aspects, the Advanced Technologies for LandSlides (ATLaS) research infrastructure refers to the Civil Protection Center of the University of Florence (hereinafter referred to as the Center), to which the scientific equipment of the Infrastructure was transferred by Rector's decree Rep no. 349/2018 Prot. no. 48745 of 22/3/2018.

Access to the infrastructure is open to multiple users and granted in a transparent and non-discriminatory manner.

The regulations provide appropriate access procedures to the infrastructure for University staff and external users.

Access to the infrastructure and any services provided within commercial activities is governed by the "Regulations for the conduct of research or teaching activities commissioned by third parties.

 

Art. 2

Definitions

For the purposes of these Regulations, the following definitions apply:

1. "infrastructure": refers to the facilities, resources, and related services used by the Center for scientific activities, including facilities or complexes of scientific instruments, resources based on databases, archives, or structured scientific information;
2. "inventory records": accounting records of long-term assets owned by the University and managed by the Center, as defined in Chapter VII of the "Administration, Finance, and Accounting Regulations" on the inventory and asset management of fixed assets;
3. "infrastructure manager": the custodian of the equipment or set of equipment that constitutes the infrastructure, responsible for the protection of the entrusted assets in accordance with the "Administration, Finance, and Accounting Regulations." This person is tasked with safeguarding, maintaining, and properly using the assets and is personally accountable for any damage resulting from their actions or omissions until the responsibility is transferred to another assignee or the asset is written off, except in cases of fortuitous events or force majeure;
4. "university structure" or "structure": refers to the Departments, Centers, and organizational units of the University Administration;
5. "internal users": employees of the University (professors, researchers, and technical-administrative staff);
6.  "collaborators of internal users and users in training": non-permanent staff using the infrastructure for research or training activities. This category includes research fellows; University students enrolled in degree courses, doctoral programs, specialization courses, and master's programs; holders of coordinated and continuous collaboration contracts; holders of professional assignments with VAT registration or occasional contracts. It may also include staff from public entities with which the Center has agreements for access to the infrastructure;
7. "external users": public and private entities external to the University.

 

Art. 3

Research Infrastructure

The infrastructure is located at the operational headquarters of the Center, at Largo Enrico Fermi n.2 in Florence.

The infrastructure meets the following requirements:

1. it is included in the inventory records of the University;
2. the scientific equipment is accompanied by instruction, usage, and maintenance manuals, as well as operational procedures regarding their use, user training, and actions to be taken in case of emergency;
3. it complies with the relevant regulations, with particular attention to current legislation regarding safety, hygiene at work, and fire prevention.

 

Art. 4

Head of the Research Infrastructure

The head of the research infrastructure is the President of the Center, as the recipient of the movable property of the Center.

The general management of the infrastructure is the responsibility of the Center's Council.

The person in charge of the technical operation of the infrastructure is the Technical Director who, in accordance with the resolutions of the Center's Council:

1. oversees the relevant services;
2. coordinates the activities of the technical staff working at the Center within the framework of the general objectives set by the Council;
3. is responsible for the facilities and laboratories of the Center or in use by the Center;
4. proposes the technological updating of the Center and collaborates in the preparation of the plan and development programs to be submitted for approval by the Council;
5. promotes the training and updating of the technical staff working at the Center, also in coordination with the training and updating initiatives promoted within the University.

 

Art. 5

Access modalities

Access to the infrastructure is allowed according to the guidelines established by European regulations, national legislation, and internal University regulations regarding safety.

Three levels of access are provided:

1. Direct Use: authorized users have direct and independent access to the infrastructure facilities;
2. Assisted Use: users not authorized for direct access, collaborators of internal users, trainees, and external users, upon authorization from the President of the Center, can access with technical assistance;
3. Service: a technician from the infrastructure provides the requested service to the user without the user directly operating the equipment.

Users can access the infrastructure during the opening hours of the facilities and in accordance with the defined access schedules.

Adequate publicity is provided on the Center's website:

1. regarding access hours to the infrastructure;
2. with contact information for the scientific head of the infrastructure and technical contacts;
3. about services offered and their associated costs.

 

Art. 6

Access Request

Users shall, as a standard practice and preferably through computerized methods, request reservations for the infrastructure, specifying:

1. user type and name;
2. period of use;
3. level of training in infrastructure use;
4. intended use (institutional or commercial);
5. planned activities;
6. type of service required;
7. billing information (for external users).

Reservations made by users, which will be appropriately acknowledged to ensure transparency, must be formalized through acceptance by the Center's responsible authority.

Acceptance is subject to evaluation of the planned activities, infrastructure usage modalities, overall availability period, and access hours to the building.

 

Art. 7

Fees

Access to the University's infrastructures is subject to the application of fees, approved by the Center's governing bodies, published on the Center's website, and differentiated based on:

1. type of service requested;
2. user type (internal or external);
3. intended use (institutional or commercial);
4. access mode (direct use, use with technical assistance, and service).

The costs for infrastructure use include:

1. direct costs: covering installation, maintenance, and depreciation costs determined based on the infrastructure usage time, as well as the cost of consumable materials;
2. indirect costs: determined based on the infrastructure usage time, including insurance costs and general expenses (facility use, utilities, cleaning, security, etc.);
3. technical assistance costs: covering the technician's labor hours for infrastructure use in "use with technical assistance" and "service" modes.

Three tariff types are provided:

1. Tariff A: reimbursing only direct costs;
2. Tariff B: reimbursing both direct and indirect costs;
3. Tariff C: in addition to covering direct and indirect costs, applying a margin based on the "Regulation for the Execution of Research or Teaching Activities Commissioned by Third Parties"; it is subject to VAT.

The table in the Appendix illustrates the tariff application criteria. When determining the tariff, the following parameters are considered:

1. tariffs applied for the use of University infrastructures with similar technical characteristics;
2. tariffs in force at other public entities and professional bodies;
3. market prices practiced by public and private entities.

The Center periodically updates the tariff amounts through a decision of the board of directors.

 

Art. 8

Records of Infrastructure Use and Maintenance

To record user access and usage time, the infrastructure is equipped with a timecard where the following must be specified:

1. equipment
2. equipment manager
3. date
4. hours of usage
5. reason
6. project
7. user

The timecard is signed by the infrastructure manager and renewed monthly. Additionally, the infrastructure is equipped with logs for reporting any faults or malfunctions and for maintenance, which are compiled by the Technical Director.

 

Art. 9

Collaboration agreements

The Center may enter into agreements and conventions with public entities, in accordance with University Regulations, for the following activities:

1. Access to the infrastructure under favorable conditions for research collaborations;
2. Establishment of decentralized nodes, also in agreement with other Universities and national and international Research Institutions, through formal agreements that allow for autonomous regulation of access to decentralized facilities, laboratories, and related equipment, in compliance with the principles and criteria defined in this regulation;
3. Establishment of joint laboratories in accordance with the "Regulation on University Research Laboratories - External Entities";
4. Joint participation in national, European, or international funding calls to enhance research infrastructure and promote access dissemination.

In practice, this establishes the possibility of creating local nodes through two different modalities. It would be advisable to specify that this refers to the establishment of a local node. Additionally, a brief description of the process for becoming or establishing a local node should be included.

 

Art. 10

Safety

The reference figures for safety purposes under Legislative Decree no. 81 of April 9, 2008, are defined as follows:

1. the functions of Manager are carried out by the Technical Director of the Center;
2. the functions of Supervisor are performed by the technicians responsible for individual equipment.
3. the University Prevention and Protection Service establishes:
4. methods for assessing exposure to danger, risk assessment, and safe use of the infrastructure; b) Procedures for general, specific training, and training for the use of the infrastructure.

The Technical Director of the Center establishes standard operating and emergency procedures for the use of the facilities in accordance with the regulations for safety and health in the workplace.

 

Art. 11

Data Ownership and Intellectual Property Rights

In the case of access to the infrastructure using the "direct use" or "assisted technical use" mode, the intellectual property rights of the data belong to the user.

The user is explicitly and bindingly obligated to accurately report the analytical methodologies used and the instruments employed for the analysis, as well as to specify that the analyses were conducted at the infrastructure of the University of Florence.

The applicant is provided with all necessary details to enable proper citation of the analytical methodologies and instruments used.

In the case of access to the infrastructure using the "service" mode, the intellectual property rights and data ownership will be determined separately.

 

Appendix:

Tariff Application Criteria:

User	Activity	Use
		Direct use	Assisted	Service
Internal	Istitutional	Tariff A	Tariff A + technical assistance	Tariff A + cost of service
	Commercial	Tariff B	Tariff B + technical assistance	Tariff B + cost of service
Exteral	Istitutional	Tariff B	Tariff B + technical assistance	Tariff B + cost of service
	Commercial	Tariff C	Tariff C + technical assistance	Tariff C + cost of service