In 2005, the MCW administration, with augmentation from federal grants, purchased and installed two state-of-the-art 3T GE Signa Excite Scanners, one located on the first floor of the Froedtert Pavilion and the other located in the new Imaging Building adjacent to the Biophysics Department. The payment of the annual costs for maintaining the scanners has been entrusted to the Functional Imaging Research Center (FIRC). With the assistance of the MCW Office of Research, the FIRC has established recharge centers for each 3T scanner. The procedures that the FIRC applies for the establishment and collection of fees from investigators are overseen by the FIRC’s Scanner Utilization and Fees Committee. While compliance with collection of scanner fees has generally been high for the now defunct recharge centers associated with the 1.5T GE and 3T Bruker research scanners, it is important that we make clear the policies and procedures that have been established for the new 3T scanners. Our scanner fees are calculated based on 100% collection compliance. With 100% compliance, we can continue to charge some of the lowest scanner research fees in the country. By signing this document, you as the responsible investigator indicate that you understand your responsibilities for complying with these policies and procedures. As you might expect, noncompliance can lead to loss of scanner privileges. 1. Unused and Cancelled Scanner Time • There will be a full charge for time that is cancelled within 4 or less days of the assigned time slot. • 25% of the full charge will be made for cancellations made within 5 to 14 days of the assigned time slot. • No charge will be made for cancellations made more than 14 days before the assigned time slot. • There will be no charge for any cancelled time that is used by another investigator. There will be no charges for time that was cancelled due to the malfunction or failure of scanners or associated major FIRC-maintained equipment. This does not include failure or malfunction of investigator provided equipment or the lack of availability of research subjects. 2. Overdue Scanner Charges On rare occasions, investigators have repeatedly failed to pay their scanner charges in spite of multiple billings and requests. Investigators whose billed charges are more than 90 days past due will be given notice that their use of scanner facilities will be withheld if all billed charges are not paid within 30 days of this notice. 3. General Development and Maintenance Scanner Time Time on the scanner for general development and maintenance is critical to keeping our scanners in a “state-of-the-art” condition. As such, scanner fees will not be charged for this time. Development time is defined as work on and testing of “products” such as pulse sequences, data processing routines, equipment, etc. that is of general use to and available to the general scanner user group. This does not include the development or testing of methods or equipment by an investigator specifically for his/her research project. 4. Scanner Fees Paid by the GCRC The General Clinical Research Center (GCRC) has funding to cover some scanner fees for GCRC-approved projects. The funds allocated to each project are determined by a formula and communicated to the investigator by the GCRC on a quarterly basis. Funds not covered by the GCRC are the sole responsibility of the investigator. 5. IRB Compliance Investigators will not be allowed to scan human subjects without an approved IRB protocol. Scan operators will review consent forms to determine if they are current. 6. Scanner Billing In the past scanner bills have not been itemized by date and project, leading to confusion in interpreting bills. Monthly statements will now include this information.
Investigator Name MD PhD Both Ms Mr
I agree to comply with these rules and regulations.