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CMU Users

Requirements

CMU researchers can use the NFCF if the follow conditions are met:

  • The NFCF has unique equipment that is needed for the research that the Carnegie Mellon Nanofabrication Facility does not have
  • The NFCF has a piece of equipment that the CMU facility has, but the CMU equipment is out of service or otherwise not available within the time frame necessary for the CMU faculty member to complete the work.
  • The NFCF has a set of related pieces of equipment that are necessary for a sequence of processes that are necessary or even easier to do in one location or at one time. For example, if CMU has “equipment X” and “equipment Z”, but not “equipment Y”, but Pitt has “equipment X”, “equipment Y” and “equipment Z”, there could be acceptable scenarios where a CMU user utilizes “equipment X” and/or “equipment Z” at Pitt even though CMU has these. Such a scenario in this example would be if a certain process requires all three pieces of equipment (or if it is physically easier to conduct an entire process in one location at one time, rather than carrying a sample back and forth between the two locations for example).

Process

Please first discuss with leadership in either the NFCF Lab or the CMU Nano Lab to ensure that the access request is appropriate given current status of equipment in these facilities.  If the best course of action for your research is to process your work at Pitt, the following steps should be followed:

  1. You and your PI will complete Attachment B Scope of Services, which can be found on pages 9 and 10 of the Faculty and Student Access Agreement.  If you do not have a copy of this form, please contact the CMU NanoLab administration for guidance.  At the time that I'm updating this site, the form is currently being provided by Matthew Moneck (mmoneck@adrew.cmu.edu)
  2. Sign and send the form to the name and address given on the form for the CMU Nano Center.
  3. Once our CMU counterparts approve/complete the form, they will send it to Pitt's Office of Sponsored Programs (fomerly Office of Research) (OSP@pitt.edu) with cc to the NFCF (nfcf@pitt.edu).  For OSP, this will be processed as a N.O.T. agreement in myra.pitt.edu.
  4. After the from is sent, contact nfcf@pitt.edu to arrange NFCF Orientation and schedule the appropriate device training. 

Once this is submitted and Acknolwedged by the NFCF, you can begin the NFCF Lab Orientation as an external academic user.