Space Management Guidelines
Photonics Center Space Management Guidelines
Overview
Space managed by the Boston University Photonics Center (BUPC) includes research laboratories, business innovation center suites and laboratories, teaching laboratories, shared laboratories, offices, conference rooms, and common areas. BUPC manages these space resources in a way that best serves its missions in education, scholarly research, and technology translation, consistent with space management guidance and policies established by the University Provost. BUPC Space is allocated and managed by the Center Director.
BUPC Research Laboratory Space
- Allocations
BUPC research laboratory space is reserved for assignment to BUPC faculty members who are highly research active. Measures of a faculty member’s research activity include prestigious awards and honors, scholarly publications in archival journals, supervision of graduate dissertations and theses, leadership on grants and contracts, and service to professional societies. Because BUPC values technology translation and the use of academic discoveries to benefit society, an additional metric for research activity will involve technology translation activities, including patents and collaborative research with industry.
Each research laboratory space is assigned to one, and only one, principal faculty member. It is a BUPC strategic priority to accommodate as many research-active faculty as possible in BUPC research laboratory spaces, even if that means that some research efforts are space constrained.
Short- and long-term sharing of allocated research laboratory space among faculty colleagues for collaborative research is encouraged, as it directly reflects BUPC’s core commitment to support interdisciplinary research.
BUPC maintains transitional laboratory research space to meet short-term needs, such as accommodating a newly appointed faculty member while their permanent laboratory is being renovated. Transitional laboratory research space is assigned to faculty members for a fixed term. The normal term for occupancy is less than one year. Requests for use of a transitional laboratory should be submitted in writing, with justification, to the Center Director. Such requests should describe the research need and rationale for the transitional space, facility needs (e.g., power, safety, gases, etc.) for the space, potential hazards, and a description of any new equipment to be relocated to the transitional lab.
- Priorities
Some research laboratory spaces in BUPC have been specifically modified or certified to allow for specialized services or environments, such as advanced bio safety, high power laser operation, humidity control, and/or low vibration. Allocation of these spaces may be reserved for research uses that require such services or environments.
Immediate, strategic needs for research space (e.g., newly appointed faculty) will have priority over longer term, less strategic needs.
- Research Space Reallocations
When a faculty member assigned to a laboratory in BUPC leaves the University or terminates membership in BUPC, the space will be reassigned by BUPC. The prior occupant’s research focus area and departmental affiliation will not be considered in space reallocations.
If, over a period of years, a particular faculty research laboratory space allocated in BUPC is deemed by the Director to be underutilized, the space may be partially or completely reallocated.
Vacant faculty research laboratory space may be reallocated for shared research laboratory usage, or vice-versa, if that transition supports BUPC strategic objectives.
BUPC Shared Facility Space
BUPC is committed to supporting shared laboratories that provide critical infrastructure for photonics research and development. Several shared laboratories and the staff, equipment, and maintenance needed to support them will be managed by BUPC. All shared facilities will be equipped, staffed, and supported by BUPC.
BUPC Office Space Plan
BUPC faculty members who have been assigned as principal faculty of research laboratories in designated BUPC space will be allocated private offices in BUPC designated space, if requested and if available.
Doctoral student advisees of faculty who have been assigned as principal faculty of research laboratories in designated BUPC space will be allocated an assigned desk in a shared office space in BUPC, if requested and if available. Those desk assignments may be changed periodically (typically once a semester) at BUPC’s discretion. Student desk assignments will not be made with the intention of grouping students proximally, or in the same office, with other students from the same research laboratory. When a doctoral student is assigned to a desk in a shared office, the associated principal faculty member will receive one copy of the office key, with the expectation that the faculty member will provide the key to the student. Faculty are not provided with access to doctoral student offices.
Postdoctoral researchers, research professors, and visiting professors associated with principal faculty of research laboratories in designated BUPC space will be allocated shared offices with others in those categories, if available. When a postdoctoral researcher, research professor, or visiting professor is assigned to a desk in a shared office, the associated principal faculty member will receive one copy of the office key, with the expectation that the faculty member will provide the key to that affiliate. Faculty are not provided with access to these affiliate offices.
All BUPC emeritus faculty will be provided with access to a shared common office.
Others affiliated with BUPC may request allocation of desks or office space allocations, and those requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis and subject to availability of space.
Because of space limitations, no allocation of desks in shared office space will be allowed for undergraduates or MS students.
BUPC Common Area Space Plan
BUPC will manage common areas in BUPC designated space in a way that ensures safety while maximizing community services. BUPC will supply and maintain desks, chairs, tables, white boards, information guides, event displays, and other resources that it deems suitable for those areas. Conference and common rooms will be available to the BUPC community.
BUPC Innovation Center Space Plan
Business Innovation Center space allocations and activities consistent with the BUPC mission will be confined to the 6th floor and will be managed by the Director.
BUPC Teaching Space
Consistent with its mission in education, BUPC will maintain a laboratory for photonics teaching, available to all BUPC faculty teaching topical courses in photonics and will maintain a small classroom for lectures and workshop presentations.