You have the choice of becoming a user by being trained on the instruments and carrying out the experiments yourself, or having our staff perform service work. All users, whether internal or external, including service work customers, will need to create a FOM (Facility Online Manager) account at https://fom.engin.umich.edu.

Becoming an Internal User

An internal user is a student, faculty or staff member at the University of Michigan who will be paying for Center usage on a U-M shortcode. A confirmation email will be sent to the PI for shortcode approval. Follow the steps below to become a user, or if you are unsure whether your research can be carried out in our lab, email mc2-staff@umich.edu with a brief description of your proposed experiments.  We will determine if your research can be performed with the equipment available and identify potential instruments.

1. Create a FOM account here. We will not begin processing any requests that do not come through FOM.
2. Review our policies if you have not already done so during FOM registration.
3. Complete the required MyLINC safety training courses BLS025w: Chemical Laboratory Safety Training. You have likely already taken this training and if so can download the certificates you’ve previously been granted, then email copies of these along with an image of your Mcard, to Deanna at dlwendel@umich.edu. We will submit a request for you to have daytime weekday access added to your card.
4. Your FOM account will be confirmed after we have the requested documents and you will receive a system message with a link to our facility introduction seminar. After you complete the intro seminar and we receive the form at the end, you will be sent another message with links to our technical seminars including TEM, SEM, XPS, and micro-CT. Next, complete the relevant seminars for the equipment you plan to use.
5. After required seminars are complete, we’ll update your account again and you can request training for each instrument you are interested in using through the FOM User Home page (“Apply for access to new resource” drop-down menu). Include your available dates/times for training in the request message. This is sent directly to the equipment managers who will then reach out to you about scheduling or any other next steps.Note that if you are granted 24-hour access on equipment in FOM at a later point, you will need to reach out to either Bobby Kerns (kernsr@umich.edu) or Deanna Hecht (dlwendel@umich.edu) to submit an after-hours Mcard request for you.

Becoming an External User

All users from other universities or from industry, government, or non-profit organizations are considered external users. External rates are listed at https://mc2.engin.umich.edu/rates. Prior to use of Center resources, external users are required to fill out a service agreement and indicate a payment method. If you are unsure whether your research can be carried out in our lab, email mc2-staff@umich.edu with a brief description of your proposed experiments.  We will determine if your research can be performed with the equipment available and identify potential instruments.

Steps 1-3 are required to request service work by Center staff. The additional steps 4-6 are only required for users who will be training to use the equipment independently. 

1. Download External Service Agreement and email completed version of the form along with a purchase order (if applicable) to Deanna Hecht.
   • Be sure that the address you supply in the External Service Agreement is your billing address.
   • Purchase orders should specify the following payee: The Regents of the University of Michigan, Box 223131, Pittsburgh, PA 15251-2131.
   • If credit card is indicated on the service agreement form as the payment method, note that a 2.7% processing fee will be included on invoices. If the payment method changes, please notify us, so this fee will no longer be added.
   • Invoices are normally sent at the beginning of each month for the prior month’s total usage (Net 30 payment terms).
2. Create an external FOM account here – even if (MC)² staff is performing the work.
3. Review our policies if you have not already done so during FOM registration. If you are requesting service work, submit a request from the Collaborate & Service page in FOM.
4. If you plan to train on our equipment rather than request service, you will need to be sponsored by the department as a university affiliate (receive a U-M identity or uniqname) and complete U-M required lab safety training. Contact Deanna for more information. Your account will be confirmed after the safety training is complete, then you will receive a message from FOM with the link to our facility intro seminar.
5. After you complete the intro seminar, you’ll receive a FOM message with links to our technical seminars. Complete the relevant ones for the equipment you plan to use.
6. After required seminars are complete, we’ll update your account again and you can request training for each instrument you are interested in using through the FOM User Home page (“Apply for access to new resource” drop-down menu). Include your available dates/times for training in the request message. This is sent directly to the equipment managers who will then reach out to you about scheduling or any other next steps.

Facility Access

We will submit a signed Daytime Access Form for internal users with a current Mcard, who may enter directly through Building 22. External users may set up an appointment to obtain an Mcard from the NCRC card office for direct access to our building or use visitor entrances located in NCRC Buildings 32 and 18. Paid visitor parking is located around the complex, with the closest to our building in Lot NC105 (see NCRC Visitor Map).

Seminars and Hands-On Training

Before performing work in (MC)², new users are required to attend a seminar outlining facility rules, safety, and instrumentation. Following this initial seminar, new users will attend additional seminars focusing on the specific techniques they need for their research before being trained on the instruments. Seminars are requested through FOM.

Instrument Booking

Follow this link for scheduling instruments or checking availability.

Remember:

• Any user who has not used an instrument in 3 months may need to go through instrument training again. Exceptions are the SEM and XPS for which the grace period is 6 months.
• Actual training will not commence until users have their samples in hand.  This is to avoid a user forgetting training material before their samples are ready and needing to begin the process again.
• (MC)² staff can advise and help a user in all aspects of specimen preparation, instrument use, and data interpretation at any stage of their work.

Users should contact mc2-staff@umich.edu with any questions about training, service, or access.