Seek free equipment OFF campus

Problem: Local research companies often have surplus equipment or reduce their programs and a lot of electronics and disposable labware may be available worth tens of thousands of dollars. No one on campus has this liason role defined for them plus the expertise to evaluate research equipment.

Solution: Some lab managers need to stay in touch with local companies and respond to their offers.

Benefits: You may collect dozens of items that may be distributed to several departments and even local high schools.

Costs: Twenty minutes for an email once a month, up to an hour for phone calls or visits to warehouses.

Large Appliances acquired from a local biotech company that was scaling back its research. This included four ultra cold freezers, CO2 incubators, and standard freezers.

Some of the small apparatus and disposable supplies acquired from the same biotech company. 40-60 cases of supplies were recovered and distributed to research and teaching laboratories plus three local high schools by LabRATS staff.