Financial and Operational Survey of 12 Major University Nanofabrication Facilities: A Benchmarking Study

Efficiently running a major nanofabrication research user facility within the framework of a university is a daunting task. Operational costs, staffing, training, safety, and the diversity of the research, faculty, and users are but a few of the challenges facing the management team. This article reports on a subset of metrics used to characterize such user facilities, based on an extensive survey of 12 major university laboratories. Data relating to such factors as laboratory staffing, operating costs, subsidies, cost recovery, tuition, comparative tool rates, hours of use, and populations are summarized and reported on in the context of determining a reasonable measure of an efficient laboratory operation.