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  • Regulations

    ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​The Kamal A. Shair Central Research Science Laboratory (KAS CRSL) is a Faculty of Arts & Sciences facility designed primarily to serve AUB faculty professors, their graduate students, and their collaborators whether from industry or other universities within Lebanon, the MENA region, or internationally. Furthermore, the KAS CRSL contributes to excellence in undergraduate teaching by providing students with hands-on learning experience on advanced instrumentations and a head-start in scientific research.​


    • General
      • The KAS CRSL is a central user-instrumentation facility. Hence, users may not establish a permanent base at the laboratory. Users will generally prepare their samples at their own laboratories and then bring them to the KAS CRSL for further investigation.
      • There are very limited sample storage areas at the KAS CRSL. Hence, samples may be kept in the laboratory for ONLY a very limited duration. Accordingly, samples stored in the laboratory must be properly labeled with the user's name, nature of the sample, and date of storage.
      • ​​​​N.B. Samples that are NOT properly labeled will be disposed promptly without prior notice.​
      • Consumables and supplies that are needed for proper functioning and service of the equipment are to be provided by the KAS CRSL. However, consumables and supplies that are related to the user's application and/or needed for sample preparation and measurement are to be provided by the users.
      • Standard operating procedures (SOP's) are posted next to each equipment. All users should adhere to those procedures.
      • The use of personal USB sticks on laboratory PC's is strictly forbidden. All KAS CRSL PC's are connected to the internet and users can retrieve their data via email.
      • Some equipment have a logbook into which the users MUST record all requested information.
      • Any hardware or software problems with any equipment MUST be reported immediately to the KAS CRSL staff.
      • Any disputes MUST be reported immediately to the KAS CRSL staff who will work on resolving the issues. 
      • Users should acknowledge​ the KAS CRSL in their publications and/or thesis. This will be used as a performance metric of the KAS CRSL. After publishing, users should send an email to [email protected] mentioning the title, authors, and equipment used.
    ​​
    • Safety
    All KAS CRSL users must have completed the online Laboratory Safety Training course on Moodle and should abide by AUB's EHSRM laboratories safety rules & regulations:

      • Wear lab coats (knee-length).
      • DO NOT Wear open shoes, such as sandals, in the lab.
      • Wear appropriate eye protection (minimum safety goggles) and gloves when working with chemicals, biohazards, radioisotopes, or moving machinery.
      • Tie or restrain long hair when working with chemicals, biohazards, radioisotopes, or moving machinery.
      • Become familiar with the locations and operation of safety and emergency facilities such as the fire extinguishers, first aid kit, emergency wash facilities, fire alarm pull stations, telephone, and emergency exits.
      • Keep clean workplaces free of unwanted chemicals, biological specimens, radios, and idle equipment.
      • Perform all procedures involving the liberation of volatile materials or aerosols of a toxic or flammable nature in a fume hood.
      • DO NOT Leave chemicals or experiments unattended.
      • DO NOT Perform unauthorized experiments.
      • DO NOT work alone in the laboratory at any time.
      • Pay strict attention to all instructions before undertaking an experiment. If you do not understand, ask.​

    • Access

      • Full-time AUB faculty professors automatically have Working-Hours1 access.

      • FAS full-time AUB faculty professors, additionally, automatically have After-Working-Hours2 access.

      • Undergrad and graduate students, RA's, and collaborators3 of AUB faculty professors are able to access the KAS CRSL with their own valid smart AUB ID card, after requesting Working-Hours access here. 

      • After-Working-Hours access is limited for research necessity and may be requested here (to be submitted by AUB faculty professor and may only be requested for their graduate students and RA's). 
      • All AUB faculty professors and active students are expected to have a valid smart AUB ID card. Alumni ID cards are non-active and hence cannot be granted access.
      • Obtaining proper access cards for RA's and hosted collaborators is the sole responsibility of the AUB faculty professors.​
      • Steps to obtain a valid smart AUB ID card:​

    ​1. Request a Sponsored Account (to be submitted by AUB faculty professor) via the following link. 

    For more info, contact IT help desk by email or by phone at AUB extension 4000.

    2. Apply for AUB ID (to be submitted by RA's and hosted collaborators) here. 

    N.B. Specify in the application that a smart RFID card is requested.

    For more info, contact ID center by email or by phone at AUB extension 2376/7.

    3. Send a scanned copy of your new smart AUB ID card to the IT helpdesk​ using your newly activated AUB Sponsored Account (to be sent by RA's and hosted collaborators), requesting to link your New Sponsored Account to your new smart AUB ID card.

    For more info, contact IT help desk by phone at AUB extension 4000.

    1Working-Hours* are defined as 0800 to 1700, Monday to Friday.​

    *Summer Working-Hours from June to August are defined as 0900 to 1500.

    2After-Working-Hours are defined as outside working-hours, including weekends and when AUB is formally closed.​​

    3Collaborators are defined as non-AUB personnel who wish to conduct research with AUB faculty professors, after requesting collaboration here (to be submitted by AUB faculty professor). 

    N.B. Non-AUB personnel undertaking research/work at AUB should complete and submit the AUB Liability Release Form here as well as the IT Acceptable Use Policy here​.

    N.B. Every user is held responsible for accessing the KAS CRSL premises with his/her own valid smart AUB ID card ONLY​. No sharing of ID's is allowed.


    • ​Reservations​​​​​​​​​​

    ​ONL​Y users, with CRSL access, who have received training on an equipment may reserve and use that equipment. ​

    Reservations MUST be done via ​Stratocore PPMS​​ at the following link: ppms.eu/aub

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    • Formal Discretion:
      PPMS allows you to login with your AUB credentials. Stratocore will never ask you to share your personal information by email or text messaging. Please do not respond to any communication that asks for information such as your account numbers, passwords, or any other personal identification information. Learn more. ​
    • Important:
      During registration, you need to input your mobile number. 
    • If you need any help or assistance, please contact CRSL via email​. 

    N.B. Every user is held responsible for reserving the KAS CRSL equipment with his/her own credentials ONLY. No reserving for other users is allowed.

    Reservations are made based on equipment availability. The following reservation time limitations apply to the following equipment listed below, unless otherwise available and/or requested for research necessity.

    • Booking Rules
      ​
      - Users must book time in advance and must only operate instruments during their reserved time slot.
      - Users should arrive on time and end their session promptly to avoid interfering with subsequent bookings.
      - If a user finishes early, they should still release the instrument on PPMS so it appears available to others.
      - Some high-demand or sensitive instruments may have usage time limits during working hours, which will be enforced by CRSL staff:
                   ​- SEM: Maximum of 3 hours per user, per day.
                   - XRD: Maximum of 2 hours per user, per day.
                   - NMR 500 (C13 experiments): Maximum of 4 hours/research group/week, not to exceed 2 consecutive hours per session.
                   - NMR 300: Reserved for teaching and research.
                   - BET: Usage restrictions per group will be communicated during high-demand periods.
                   - TGA/FTIR/ATR: Maximum of 3 hours per user, per day.
                   - HPLC-DAD: Maximum of 24 hours per user, per week.
                   - HPLC-MS-QQQ: Maximum of 24 hours per user, per week.
                   ​- HPLC-MS-QTOF: Maximum of 24 hours per user, per week.
      - Some high-demand or sensitive instruments may have usage time limits during after working hours, which will be enforced by CRSL staff:
                   - ​NMR 500: Limited to 2 overnight bookings per week per research group.
      - CRSL reserves the right to adjust the equipment-specific usage time limits at any time based on changes in demand. 
      - Instrument bookings may be made up to 7 days in advance only. Users will not be able to reserve time slots beyond this period. This ensures fair and flexible access to all users, particularly for high-demand equipment.

    N.B. Every user is held responsible for their reservation. Reservations not attended within 30 minutes of its start time will be canceled promptly without prior notice.

    ​​For more info, contact CRSL staff by email or by phone at AUB extension 4312/4/6/8.​​​

    • Disciplinary​
    • CRSL enforces a progressive warning system to ensure proper use of its facilities and uphold safety, fairness, and professional conduct. All warnings are issued in writing via email from [email protected] to the user and their PI.
    • Disciplinary action may be taken in response to:

      • Violation of any CRSL regulations or safety protocols.
      • Misuse or unauthorized use of equipment.
      • Booking no-shows, and repeated late cancellations.
      • Unsafe or negligent behavior.
      • Unauthorized access to restricted areas or instruments.
      The disciplinary process is as follows:

      • Pre-warning: Regulations Reminder
        • A reminder email will be sent to the user and their PI highlighting the relevant regulation(s) and expectations. This serves as a cautionary alert and does not count as a formal warning.
      • First Warning
        • A formal email will be sent to the user and their PI indicating the specific violation. The user is advised that further violations may lead to temporary loss of access.
      • Second Warning
        • A formal email will be sent to the user and their PI. The user’s access to the laboratory will be suspended for one week.
      • Third Warning
        • A formal email will be sent to the user and their PI. The user’s access to the laboratory will be suspended for two weeks.
      • Fourth and Final Warning
        • A formal email will be sent to the user and their PI. The user’s access to CRSL will be revoked indefinitely. Reinstatement will require a formal meeting with the CRSL management and the user’s PI and is not guaranteed.​
      Immediate Suspension Clause
    • In case of severe misconduct, such as tampering with equipment, compromising safety, or accessing restricted instruments without approval, CRSL reserves the right to immediately suspend or revoke access without prior warning. ​

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