Seek free equipment ON campus


Problem: Many researchers don’t realize how much equipment or routine apparatus may be available: e.g. vacuum pumps, ball mills, spectrometers, gas chromatographs, glass ware, plastic ware.

Solution: Send out an polite inquiry for routinely needed equipment or inquire through the campus network of career staff.

Benefits: You may save thousands of dollars and the environmental impact of manufacturing equipment. You will increase your knowledge of the research that others are doing.

Costs: Ten minutes for an email, up to an hour for phone calls or visits to labs.

Photo: Two guys happy to trade
Two UCSB researchers from different departments exchanging a $15,000 autosampler. They were connected by LabRATS staff.