What happens with the equipment I have bought after I move?

[research_prof]

So long story short: looks like I will be moving soon. I have a question about what happens with the equipment I have bought at my current institution:

- Some of this equipment has been bought with state and startup funding, some other with federal funding.
- I was planning to buy even more equipment because my research group keeps growing. Would it make sense to buy it with startup/state funding and keep federal money allocated for equipment to spend at my new institution?

I assume that my federal funding will be transferred to the new institution. The new institution is offering a very healthy startup package, but I am obviously planning for the future and I am considering things that could go wrong during a move.

[mleok]

You might be able to move the equipment purchased with federal funding, but you're unlikely to be able to move the equipment purchased with state and startup funds.

[mamselle]

I know this varies a lot by location, but it might be worth checking to see if you can buy out the state/startup-funded items with one of your pockets of money.

On the other hand, moving some stuff can be a bear (I had to move a lab three times across town, once, including bio-robots, ec....and it was 'only' across town...) so buying new and setting it up in a new place might be a win-win after all is said and done...

Also, I've had mixed results with getting a consultant to help with a move. We used one once, and she knew what she was doing (former bench scientist, had all the uses of machinery, etc. down cold) but we had another one who was an airhead and was more trouble than she was worth because she didn't understand why people wanted things laid out the way they did.

Do a very detailed plan for whatever you do move, and make sure your new place has all the correct outlets, power options, etc., and that the desks are wide enough to take on this or that piece of equipment.

Easier to build for the thing before it gets there than afterwards.

I think there are online moving templates for labs now, that can also save time, with scaled floor plan drawing tools, etc.

M.

[doc700]

When my PhD advisor moved, he negotiated with his first institution to buy equipment from them to move to the second institution.  If you buy with start-up that university owns the equipment.  That said, if its custom equipment that is not useful to others on campus, its not really in their interests to hold onto it.  They may sell it to you at a discount on what you purchased it for due to the depreciation.  To university 1 it might be better to get something from you for it than no money/to be stuck with stuff no one would use or want to buy for full price from them.  You would need to pay to move the equipment.  Whether its worth it for you to do this (or just abandon the equipment and buy everything new at the new university) of course depends on the condition of the equipment and the price set by your current university.

I'm not sure what kind of equipment you are purchasing but I have seen prices go way up in the past few months compared to what I paid when I started a few years ago.  I've also seen lead times of 12 months for something I could purchase in 1 month pre-pandemic.  Even if you bought stuff 2 years I would get current quotes and lead times when making the decision and not base on old numbers!

[research_prof]

Thank you, doc. My equipment is pretty generic (mostly servers). It is true that my current institution could use this equipment (in theory give it to other faculty), however, I doubt that in practice they have any faculty that are truly research-active in order to use it. My new institution told me they will negotiate with my current institution to purchase all the equipment I have there if I want. However, I feel my current institution will try to make my life difficult once I announce that I will be leaving, therefore, I think they will probably try to hold on to this equipment even if they know it might not be used after all.

I believe though that equipment bought with federal funds must be moved with the PI of the corresponding grant,  so my current institution will essentially have no say about that. Can anyone confirm if that's the case?

[onthefringe]

Federal grants (at least NIH grants) are made to the institution not the PI. When a PI moves there are at least three options, all of which require agreement of the granting agency: 1) transfer the grant to theIs new home, 2) leave the grant at the PIs old institution and establish a subaward to the PI at their new institution or 3) find a new PI at the old institution. In my experience at an R1, 1 and 2 are the most common approaches (and generally allow transfer of equipment).

[doc700]

Maybe see if your current institution will sell it to you cheap and otherwise abandon it/buy new? 

Good luck on your new position!  Sounds like a great opportunity!

Thank you, doc. My equipment is pretty generic (mostly servers). It is true that my current institution could use this equipment (in theory give it to other faculty), however, I doubt that in practice they have any faculty that are truly research-active in order to use it. My new institution told me they will negotiate with my current institution to purchase all the equipment I have there if I want. However, I feel my current institution will try to make my life difficult once I announce that I will be leaving, therefore, I think they will probably try to hold on to this equipment even if they know it might not be used after all.

I believe though that equipment bought with federal funds must be moved with the PI of the corresponding grant,  so my current institution will essentially have no say about that. Can anyone confirm if that's the case?

[Ruralguy]

The difficulty here is that you will have no way to do this smoothly without involving old school. Usually we advise people wait to tell old school of a move so that you don't lose health insurance or office/lab access, but since you have a complicated situation, you may have spill the beans once you have a contract (or what they accept as one). This is a risk you must take, unless you don't care if you lose everything, bit considering the lead times and prices on everything with a chip in it, I wouldn't advise that.

[mleok]

Federal grants (at least NIH grants) are made to the institution not the PI. When a PI moves there are at least three options, all of which require agreement of the granting agency: 1) transfer the grant to theIs new home, 2) leave the grant at the PIs old institution and establish a subaward to the PI at their new institution or 3) find a new PI at the old institution. In my experience at an R1, 1 and 2 are the most common approaches (and generally allow transfer of equipment).

With the exception of individual training grants like the graduate research fellowship, or postdoctoral research fellowship, most federal grants are awared to the institution. Generally, research intensive universities are unlikely to kick a fuss about transferring the equipment associated with an individual PI grant, since it makes them look bad with the grant agency, but might be more difficult with a center-level grant. A less research intensive university might also be less adverse to gumming up the works however, as the OP alludes to.