Animal research - step by step

The TDI-model has been used to identify costs and set prices.

The TDI model is a Norwegian Research Infrastructure Resource Model, a methodology for declaring the costs and pricing on the use of research infrastructure in projects at Universities and Colleges.  

UiB-internal have been billed 25% of total costs based on the TDI model. This will be gradually increased to 35% until 2022.

External users are billed full price plus a statutory (minimal) premium for formal profits.
External users are in this sense defined as researchers who use funds handled by another organization than the University of Bergen, ie the invoice receiver is another organization (although the researcher him/herself  may be a UiB employee). The University cannot subsidize other companies, which will be perceived as price manipulation and being against Norwegian law.

In addition we are required to add VAT on sales, also between cooperating institutions.
Helse Bergen and Helse Vest is by definition external users of the Laboratory Animal Facility.

Note that at the project start-up meeting, the group will be asked to estimate a maximum number of cages the project will be housing at the same time.

Be realistic. In doubt, ask the Operation Managers at the animal facility for advice.  

In case you will end up with more cages than estimated, you will be invoiced an additional price per excess cage. This is because the projects are queuing to access, and the lab animal facility must be able to have a certain predictability in order to take in new projects and estimate their capacity.

• how many animals will be housed, how many animals you can have in each cage,
• how long will the project last, is it a breeding project,
• do you need extra assistance from animal technicians besides usual care/food/water,
• will you be using MRI or other special equipment,
• will your animals be infected with a pathogen,
• how much are you going to use operating rooms, etc.