Policies and Procedures for New Users
The EM Core Facility is open to:
- Researchers at the University of Ottawa and affiliated hospitals
- Other academic institutions
- Government agencies
- Industry partners
To become a registered user:
- Email [email protected] with:
- Your contact info (email and emergency phone)
- Supervisor’s contact info (cc them on the email)
- Health & safety details about your samples
- Goals of your imaging work
- You and your supervisor will be set up with an account
- A training session will be scheduled based on experience
- You must agree to the Acknowledgment Policy
Requirements to Use the Centre
- All users must complete in-house training
- Only EM Core Facility staff may train new users
- You must belong to a lab or group with valid billing info
- Refresher training is mandatory if inactive for 5+ weeks
- Approval for independent usage is granted by the Facility Manager after competency is demonstrated
Booking and Cancellation Policy
- Bookings are in 15-minute intervals
- Max session: 4 hours/day, 3 sessions/week
- Experienced users require approval for independent operation
- Logbook sign-in/out is mandatory
- Actual usage time will be billed; overbooking may result in full-time charges
Cancellation & No-show Policy:
- Cancellations must be made 24+ hours in advance
- Late cancellations incur a $50.00 fee
- No-shows (30 min late) will be billed half-price; consistent no-shows may be billed fully
Data Server Guidelines
- USB devices are strictly forbidden
- Save data on the TEM server, then use:
- WeTransfer
- OneDrive (UOttawa login required)
Data Retention Policy:
- Remove files from the server regularly
- Do not leave files on acquisition computers >2 weeks
- Files left on instrument computers >2 months may be deleted without notice
- No backups are made by the facility — users are fully responsible for their data
Acknowledgment Policy
Publications, posters, or presentations using EM Core Facility data must acknowledge the facility.
Acknowledgment statement:
"The authors acknowledge the Electron Microscopy Core (RRID: SCR_025398) funded by the University of Ottawa, Brain-Heart Interconnectome (BHI) via Canadian First Research Excellence Fund (CFREF)."
- Submit a PDF copy of the publication to the Core
- Consider co-authorship for staff who contribute significantly to:
- Experimental design
- Data collection/interpretation
- Manuscript preparation
General Rules and Guidelines
- Only trained users may book and operate equipment
- Advanced technical assistance is available by appointment
- Training must be scheduled with real sample types
- Equipment issues must be reported immediately
- The Core is not responsible for data loss
- Users must read and agree to all policies before training