Departments may request the appointment of a Research Associate by sending a copy of the candidate's curriculum vitae and a memo or letter from the department chair requesting the appointment. The letter should include the length of time for the affiliation and the name of the faculty member with whom the individual will be working. For science departments, the requirements for Laboratory Research Associates are more extensive and are detailed below.
The Provost will then write a letter to the individual to confirm her or his appointment as a Research Associate. A copy of the letter will be sent to Human Resources. Research Associates are granted library, computing and parking privileges once they have obtained their ID cards from Human Resources.
Laboratory Research Associates
Introduction
Laboratory Research Associates (LRA), as defined herein, have a unique status in the College academic environment. As neither students nor employees, they may fall outside the academic and administrative structure with regard to supervision, insurance coverage, training, and records. To the extent they work in laboratories or other facilities which present special hazards, their status presents special liabilities and concerns related to injury, property damage, regulatory compliance, accountability, and work with students and staff.
Definition, Application and Scope:
LRAs are defined as persons engaged in academic work at the College who are:
- neither employees (staff, faculty, students or others receiving salary under a College-administered grant) nor matriculated students of the College, and
- engaged in laboratory operations, shop activities, field investigations, or other activities deemed to present potential exposures to hazards in excess of those ordinarily encountered in library, classroom, or office environments.
Examples include:
- Visiting professors who are actively employed or affiliated with other institutions and afforded access to facilities here. Their work may include any combination of independent research activities, assisting/collaborating with students, and instruction. Their activities at the College may or may not be officially recognized as part of the work for which they are paid by the institutions that employ them. This category would include faculty working here under a joint major/degree program established between the College and other institution(s).
- Visiting professors here on sabbatical from other institutions.
- Persons engaged in independent research who are not affiliated with another institution, including former employees or students who work here as guests on an informal basis.
- Persons employed in the private sector who work with faculty, spending time in our laboratories, or who use space here under a lease agreement.
- Persons contracted by academic departments to perform services which involves their presence in laboratories.
Exemptions:
- Authorized visitors, working under the direct supervision of a faculty member, engaged in a defined activity for a brief period of time (not to exceed one week). This includes students from the TRI-CO, coming to use equipment for purposes outside the scope of a Bryn Mawr course in which they are enrolled.
- The Laboratory Research Associate policy is not applicable to persons or firms working under Facilities/Purchasing contracts to perform such tasks as installation, repair or maintenance of instruments, equipment, and facilities.
Back to top.
Requirements
- Authorization
Each prospective LRA must be nominated by a member of faculty, approved by the department chair, and receive written authorization from the Provost. The Provost's letter shall identify:
- the specific privileges extended,
- the term of the agreement, and
- the requirements for indemnification, supervision, training, etc. as described below.
Press here for a draft of the Provost's letter.
The Provost's authorization may be revoked for any reason, solely at the discretion of the Provost.
- Supervision
A reporting relationship to a faculty member in the nominating department must be established. The designated faculty member/supervisor will conduct regular reviews of activities, equipment set-ups, and process flows, with emphasis on safety, health, and environmental aspects of the work. This supervisor will also coordinate the LRA's use of departmental space/resources with students, fellow faculty members, and other departments, such as Housekeeping and Facilities Services, who require access to the LRA's space and equipment.
- Establishment of Records
For each LRA authorized by the Provost, a confidential file shall be established. The file shall include:
- Personal identifiers, such as home address and phone number(s), and emergency contacts;
- Copies of any agreements, waivers, indemnifications, leases, etc. established with affiliated institutions or employers;
- Health information, provided via a signed questionnaire, that identifies medical conditions relevant to physical restrictions and emergency care. The questionnaire inquires as to allergies, ability to wear protective equipment, use of contact lenses, and other conditions relevant to working in laboratories under routine and emergency conditions. Press here for a copy of the questionnaire.
- Safety Training and Coordination
Laboratory Research Associates must contact the Occupational and Environmental Safety Office (Safety Office) within a week of their arrival on campus to schedule a meeting to review the College's emergency response systems and each LRA's processes, materials, and waste disposal procedures.
Laboratory Research Associates' operations, work areas, and storage areas will also be subject to inspections by the Safety Office. Compliance with College safety rules and applicable regulations is required; failure to comply may result in termination of the Provost's authorization agreement.
Upon completion of activities at the College, each LRA must arrange a close-out meeting with the Safety Office to identify and account for any materials left behind.
Each LRA is required to attend all safety training programs as identified by the Department Chair or Safety Office.
- Waivers
Laboratory Research Associates are required to enter into an indemnification/hold harmless agreement. The terms of the agreement may vary with the circumstances of each LRA's affiliation with other employers or institutions. Press here for a copy of the waiver.
- Insurance
Before beginning activities at the College, LRAs concurrently employed by other institutions/facilities will be required to establish and document coverage under their employer's workers' compensation, health, and general liability insurance policies. The coverage must remain in effect for the duration of their activities at the College.
Laboratory Research Associates who are not otherwise employed or matriculated at another institution will be required to provide documentation of personal health and homeowner's/general liability insurance.
Posted Summer 2001
Office of the Provost
Back to the top and to the Provost's website.