Re: rates for outside users

WILLIAM.C.HUTTON@monsanto.com
31 Mar 1998 15:05:17 -0600

Tom raises some excellent points.

For instance, private sector-services can not necessarily provide
for-profit facilities with specialized NMR support. I would look to an academic
lab with a history of excellence in high-pressure NMR for a Monsanto project
requiring high-pressure measurements. If it became clear these measurements
would really add value to a project, I would negotiate how to transfer
(duplicate) the technology to our own laboratories in a way where both parties
would benefit.

Most for-profit R&D organizations able to afford significant use of outside
facilities already use internal resources for routine measurements. It is a
waste of time for an academic lab to obtain routine spectra for a for-profit
organization.

Furthermore, there are other business reasons to use academic NMR resources
beyond just obtaining spectra. How many analytical contract labs are potential
sources of post-docs, student interns, future employees, or host industrial
scientists for a sabbatical? Some feel it is good business to develop academic
relationships as symbiotic long-term partnerships. I do not know of any private
sector service able to provide the total scientific resources available in an
academic department.

W.C. Hutton
Monsanto

Disclaimer: The above are my private opinions and not the opinions of Monsanto
______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: rates for outside users
Author: pratum@u.washington.edu at INTERNET
Date: 03/31/1998 1:46 PM


Since this has come up, I would be interested to know what others think
the definition of "competing with the private sector" is. I don't think
any academic facility purposely goes after outside users by undercutting
the "competition". We just provide a service that is demanded in situations
where there are no private service facilities within a reasonable distance
and/or that can provide the services needed. I am more than happy to raise
my rates well beyond those of for-profit facilities (I don't really
like outside users).....if only there were some around here for people to
use...


Tom Pratum
Dept of Chemistry
Box 351700
Univ of Washington
pratum@u.washington.edu
http://weber.u.washington.edu/~pratum