Equipment Lending & Borrowing
The UCLA Brain Research Institute’s new service will provide shared equipment to UCLA neuroscience community members including researchers, faculty, and students in support of research. Our equipment lending program provides the community opportunities to check out items at no cost. This inventory can include large items that cannot be moved such as cryostats, centrifuges, or behavioral mazes as well as smaller items that can be checked out of labs with the owner’s permission like timers and miscroscopes. This can serve as a great resource for those whose own equipment is temporarily being repaired or replaced.
How it works: Community members will lend a variety of equipment for others to borrow. The BRI will serve as the mediator between lenders and borrowers. Lenders will provide us with the details of the equipment they’d like to share with the community; the borrowers will then visit this page and be responsible for contacting the corresponsing individuals to check the item availability and check out the item. This library will be kept up to date by the BRI and fully supported via service contracts whose costs are shared by the BRI in concert with degree of usage by the community.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can we submit our equipment?
Please submit your equipment via the Equipment Library Survey.
Can equipment be temporarily moved?
Moving equipment would be dependent on the wishes of the lender. Please be sure to contact the lender prior to borrowing the equipent to ensure all matters are handled accordingly.
How many pieces of equipment can be checked out at a time?
TBD
Are there any requirements for borrowing equipment?
Some pieces of equipment may require training prior to its first use. The lender will be responsible for notifying the new user while the borrower will be responsible for completing any and all necessary training.
What if my equipment is broken by a BRI borrower?
The BRI will immediately help you get it replaced. Be sure to contact us at BRI@mednet.ucla.edu as soon as possible in the case of a broken item to amend the situation.
How long can I borrow a piece of equipment?
Loan periods will be determined by the item owner. To keep equipment circulating through the library as an available and reliable resource for the community, we ask that items not be kept by a single lab or person for too long.
Can I give away any equipment to an interested BRI (or other UCLA) investigator?
Yes, if you would like to give away any equipment, please specify so on Question 4 in the Equipment Library Survey.
Will equipment always be available at the same location?
No. The equipment availability may vary by location. Be sure to contact the lender to ensure your loan period and location is accurate.