University of North Texas 
Policies, Procedures & Responsibilities
Current MRF Policies, Procedures & Responsibilities for faculty, staff, and students of the University of North Texas and External users is available as a downloadable pdf online. The current instrument scheduling policies and procedures are implemented in MRF's Facility Online Management (FOM) system.
Hours of operation of MRF facilities
Based on UNT Discovery Park building hours, all MRF facilities are generally normally accessible on Monday to Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., based on MDC and NFCR lab access policies, to UNT Faculty, Staff, Postdoctoral Researchers, Graduate and Undergraduate students, and researchers. Access to MRF facilities is restricted on Monday to Friday from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. and on Saturday and Sunday from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Access to MRF facilities will not be permitted at all other times. MRF accessible days and hours of operation are subject to change based on University and MRF scheduled and unscheduled closures.
User Accounts and Billing
Charges for equipment usage, staff time, and consumable usage are invoiced at the end of the calendar month and then directly billed the next month to chart-strings that the user selects. The current table of charge rates for MRF equipment is freely available online.
All MRF users will need to have an active, valid chart-string on file before they will be allowed to access the MRF and its resources.
- New internal users will need to complete a new MRF User Account Information form.
- Users who need to add or update account or charge-string information will need to complete and submit an updated MRF User Account Information form.
UNT User Access to MRF
Several options are available to UNT faculty, staff, and students if they would like to gain access to MRF instrumentation. MRF staff can assist you in determining what option and technique(s) best serve you in obtaining the research result you seek.
Option I. Independent Instrument Access
Obtaining independent access to the instrumentation that you are interested in using is possible in a few ways.
1. Request training and certification for independent usage of instrumentation
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- Basic Equipment: including the TS Quattro S Environmental SEM, Nikon Optical Microscope, Bruker Multimode
Nanoscope III AFM, and J.A. Woollam VASE Ellipsometer.
- Independent Access to Basic Equipment is available to UNT Undergraduate Students, Graduate Students, Postdocs, Staff, Faculty, and External Users.
- For Access to Basic Equipment, please download and complete the Characterization Lab Basic Equipment Training/Access Request Form.
- Advanced Equipment: including the Cameca LEAP 5000XS Atom Probe, TS Apreo 2 S LoVac, TS Helios 5 PFIB
Cxe, FEI Tecnai G2 F20 HRTEM, and PHI Versaprobe II XPS.
- Individual training on Advanced Equipment will no longer be provided on a regular basis. Need for independent access to Advanced Equipment will only be considered on a case-by-case basis.
- Independent Access to Advanced Equipment is available to UNT Graduate Students, Postdocs, Staff, Faculty, and External users.
- For Access to Advanced Equipment, please complete the MRF Instrument Access Consultation Form or contact MRF staff directly.
- Basic Equipment: including the TS Quattro S Environmental SEM, Nikon Optical Microscope, Bruker Multimode
Nanoscope III AFM, and J.A. Woollam VASE Ellipsometer.
2. Demonstrate basic knowledge and applications of the technique.
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- Enroll in a class and laboratory covering the appropriate technique.
- Independently study the theory and methodology of the technique using suggested texts, articles, and online resources.
- Have extensive previous experience with this equipment or similar equipment.
3. Become familiar with the safe operation of the equipment
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- Observing and operating the equipment under the guidance of approved users
- Operating the equipment under the guidance of the equipment administrator
4. Successfully demonstrate safe equipment operation procedures to the manager of the equipment.
Option II. Collaborative Instrument Access
Collaborating within your research group and/or with other research groups that are already well experienced in the technique(s) that you are interested in using. MRF staff can assist you in determining what technique(s) best serve you in obtaining the research result you seek.
Option III. MRF Staff Service Assistance Instrument Access
If you only need to collect from a small number of samples, MRF staff can provide direct access to MRF instrumentation by operating and analyzing sour samples for you. If you are interested in MRF staff directly collecting data for you please complete an MRF Sample Analysis Request form or contact David Jaeger to discuss options. MRF staff can assist you in determining what technique(s) best serve you in obtaining the research result you seek.
External Users Access to MRF
MRF can offer external customers a Laboratory Facilities and Equipment Use Agreement, for external users who would like to use MRF facilities, and a Testing and Analysis Agreement, for external customers who wish to have MRF staff use MRF tools to analyze and/or test samples.
We will work with you and the Office of Grants & Contracts Administration at UNT to initiate the necessary documentation for any of these agreements. Include specific information about specimens by filling out an MRF Sample Analysis Request Form and other needs, such as Nondisclosure/Confidentiality Agreements. This will expedite the process.
User Fees
The instrumentation housed and maintained within MRF represents a substantial UNT investment and resource for the UNT community. A portion of MRF’s direct operating costs is recovered through user fees.
Rates are reviewed annually and are subject to change. Rate changes typically go into effect on September 1st at the beginning of each fiscal year.
The rates below are for fiscal year 2026, effective September 1, 2025 – August 31, 2026.
MRF Usage Rates
All listed rates are hourly unless otherwise stated. Charges are applied in 1-minute increments.
Lab Safety Training
Occupational safety training is required for access to some lab spaces that contain equipment that are considered occupational safety hazard concerns. To access these rooms and/or equipment Users will need to complete the relevant safety training before they will be given access. Links to these trainings are provided below.