Equipment inventory

The EPFL inventory registers all scientific equipment belonging to the EPFL.

The rules et regulations are provided by LEX 5.9.1.

Inventory for scientific equipement:

The inventory procedure facilitates the identification of long-lasting items owned by EPFL, ensuring improved sharing of equipment, enabling effective planning for equipment renewal, and preventing unnecessary purchases of items already in possession.

The registrations are done under the sesame application. You must have the accreditation rights to do the registration. Each unit has an inventory manager and an inventor coordinator.

Exchange platform

The exchange platform allows EPFL units to make certain categories of equipment available to other units of the School. These items are still usable and, in case of interest, they will be reassigned to the unit that makes a request. After 2 months of publication of an item on the exchange platform without expression of internal interest at EPFL, the item will be published on this webpage and freely accessible online. Priority will be given to Swiss public institutions.

 

Guidelines of scientific equipment reattribution

Every equipment’s state should be verified before being transferred.

The reattribution of scientific equipment is governed by:

  • The policy details in the LEX 5.9.1
  • The STI reattribution guidelines 

The STI reattribution guidelines:

The reattribution of scientific equipment at STI is governed by the guidelines below:

  • All STI scientific equipment belonging to EPFL (including the ones that are not in the inventory) need to be suggested to EPFL units before being given away.
    • If the equipment is in the EPFL’s inventory, the process will follow the priority as per the LEX 5.9.1. 
    • If the equipment is not in the inventory the STI units will be informed and they will have a delay of 2 weeks to express interest in the equipment.
    • If there is a transfer of PhD student from a unit to another:
      • The Institute will evaluate the equipment need and request and assess the equipment requirements of each lab or researcher involved in order to prioritize research and thesis continuity. The Institute will decide to whom the equipment is to be attributed and for how long.
      • If the assessment is confirmed the equipment will be attributed to the new unit until the thesis is completed. After this date, the standard reattribution process is followed again
      • During the timeline of the thesis, the equipment can be shared with other units with a drafted « gentleman agreement » formalized between the unit and The Institute. It includes a clear statement precising that the PhD student has the priority on the needed equipment, while available to others labs when unused by the PhD student.

The criteria of reattribution are:

  1. Priority and Need-Based Allocation: 
    1. Priority for equipment reattribution is given to researchers that have an immediate need for the equipment to conduct their ongoing research projects, considering factors such as project timelines, scientific significance, and potential impact while assessing the need.
  2. Collaboration and Interdisciplinary Research: 
    1. The potential for collaboration and interdisciplinary research is valorized when reallocating equipment. If multiple researchers or departments can demonstrate the benefit of shared access and collaboration, it will be taken into account during the evaluation process.
  3. Fairness and Equity: 
    1. The reattribution process is fair and equitable, ensuring that all researchers and departments have equal opportunities to apply and receive equipment.
  4. Communication and Appeals:
    1. The reattribution process is communicated clearly to all researchers and departments by email to all Professors and MERs, providing them with a fair opportunity to apply for equipment.
    2. Any appeal will address any concerns or disputes that may arise during the reattribution process.

STI workflow for scientific equipement:

More information:

If you go on the exchange platform, do not forget to click on the “go” button on the top right of the page to see the different equipments appear.

Inventory

Exchange platform