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Bench fees: typical procedure and rates for visiting students?
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Over the summer I visited a research station at a different university to collect data for my PhD work. I received an invoice (nearly two months after the fact) for bench fees related to my stay in the amount of $100/day. I used a few square feet of floor space in one of the labs and some outdoor space as well, but brought all my own equipment and materials.
This is my first time visiting a different university, so this is new to me. The communication from the research station before my visit was exceptionally poor, not a single one of my emails (over the span of months) was replied to when I tried to communicate with my sponsor, but since they accepted my payment for lodging I showed up. I guess I should have assumed there would be fees on top of what I already paid associated with my stay, but as I mentioned I am new to this, and working in an interdisciplinary field so my advisor is not familiar with the customs of this other field.
My specific questions are:
1) What is a typical day rate for bench fees, considering the visiting student has provided all their own equipment and materials? (is there a typical rate?)
2) Is it normal to have no communication of any fees beforehand (or during the stay) only to be sent an invoice after the fact? Perhaps I am being unreasonable to expect that this be communicated up front.
My qualm is not with paying the fees, I understand that it costs money to run a research station, but since none of this was communicated ahead of time I did not budget it into my grant for this fieldwork. Also, $100/day seems excessive for floor space, but perhaps that is the going rate.
phd fees visiting
asked 6 hours ago
bobthecoder
312110
 |Â
show 2 more comments
up vote
3
down vote
favorite
Over the summer I visited a research station at a different university to collect data for my PhD work. I received an invoice (nearly two months after the fact) for bench fees related to my stay in the amount of $100/day. I used a few square feet of floor space in one of the labs and some outdoor space as well, but brought all my own equipment and materials.
This is my first time visiting a different university, so this is new to me. The communication from the research station before my visit was exceptionally poor, not a single one of my emails (over the span of months) was replied to when I tried to communicate with my sponsor, but since they accepted my payment for lodging I showed up. I guess I should have assumed there would be fees on top of what I already paid associated with my stay, but as I mentioned I am new to this, and working in an interdisciplinary field so my advisor is not familiar with the customs of this other field.
My specific questions are:
1) What is a typical day rate for bench fees, considering the visiting student has provided all their own equipment and materials? (is there a typical rate?)
2) Is it normal to have no communication of any fees beforehand (or during the stay) only to be sent an invoice after the fact? Perhaps I am being unreasonable to expect that this be communicated up front.
My qualm is not with paying the fees, I understand that it costs money to run a research station, but since none of this was communicated ahead of time I did not budget it into my grant for this fieldwork. Also, $100/day seems excessive for floor space, but perhaps that is the going rate.
phd fees visiting
asked 6 hours ago
bobthecoder
312110
1
Not communicating that there is a cost beforehand certainly seems like bad form to me. Unless it's disclosed prominently on their website or something you probably have grounds for negotiating it down. Then again, if you plan on going back there it might be worth eating the cost.
– Anyon
5 hours ago
2
"not a single one of my emails (over the span of months) was replied to when I tried to communicate with my sponsor, but since they accepted my payment for lodging I showed up." In hindsight that probably wasn't a good idea. I'd think it would be imperative to get positive confirmation from someone; if they don't answer emails then use phone or snail mail, or contact someone else in the office.
– Nate Eldredge
5 hours ago
3
Could you perhaps add a note of some general field, or perhaps country? I'm just a bit shocked at the idea of there being a fee for a visiting scholar who is given a place to sit, as opposed to software licenses or use of a computing cluster - first I've ever heard of such a practice, and it just seems very odd and surprising to me in fields I'm familiar with in the US.
– BrianH
4 hours ago
1
This is the first time that I hear of a university charging a visiting scholar for a bench! I'd stay away from such a university!
– Massimo Ortolano
4 hours ago
1
I too, am confused about a field where you can bring your own equipment and materials, but require bench space.
– Azor Ahai
1 hour ago
 |Â
show 2 more comments
up vote
3
down vote
favorite
up vote
3
down vote
favorite
Over the summer I visited a research station at a different university to collect data for my PhD work. I received an invoice (nearly two months after the fact) for bench fees related to my stay in the amount of $100/day. I used a few square feet of floor space in one of the labs and some outdoor space as well, but brought all my own equipment and materials.
This is my first time visiting a different university, so this is new to me. The communication from the research station before my visit was exceptionally poor, not a single one of my emails (over the span of months) was replied to when I tried to communicate with my sponsor, but since they accepted my payment for lodging I showed up. I guess I should have assumed there would be fees on top of what I already paid associated with my stay, but as I mentioned I am new to this, and working in an interdisciplinary field so my advisor is not familiar with the customs of this other field.
My specific questions are:
1) What is a typical day rate for bench fees, considering the visiting student has provided all their own equipment and materials? (is there a typical rate?)
2) Is it normal to have no communication of any fees beforehand (or during the stay) only to be sent an invoice after the fact? Perhaps I am being unreasonable to expect that this be communicated up front.
My qualm is not with paying the fees, I understand that it costs money to run a research station, but since none of this was communicated ahead of time I did not budget it into my grant for this fieldwork. Also, $100/day seems excessive for floor space, but perhaps that is the going rate.
phd fees visiting
asked 6 hours ago
bobthecoder
312110
Over the summer I visited a research station at a different university to collect data for my PhD work. I received an invoice (nearly two months after the fact) for bench fees related to my stay in the amount of $100/day. I used a few square feet of floor space in one of the labs and some outdoor space as well, but brought all my own equipment and materials.
This is my first time visiting a different university, so this is new to me. The communication from the research station before my visit was exceptionally poor, not a single one of my emails (over the span of months) was replied to when I tried to communicate with my sponsor, but since they accepted my payment for lodging I showed up. I guess I should have assumed there would be fees on top of what I already paid associated with my stay, but as I mentioned I am new to this, and working in an interdisciplinary field so my advisor is not familiar with the customs of this other field.
My specific questions are:
1) What is a typical day rate for bench fees, considering the visiting student has provided all their own equipment and materials? (is there a typical rate?)
2) Is it normal to have no communication of any fees beforehand (or during the stay) only to be sent an invoice after the fact? Perhaps I am being unreasonable to expect that this be communicated up front.
My qualm is not with paying the fees, I understand that it costs money to run a research station, but since none of this was communicated ahead of time I did not budget it into my grant for this fieldwork. Also, $100/day seems excessive for floor space, but perhaps that is the going rate.
phd fees visiting
phd fees visiting
asked 6 hours ago
bobthecoder
312110
asked 6 hours ago
bobthecoder
312110
asked 6 hours ago
bobthecoder
312110
asked 6 hours ago
bobthecoder
312110
asked 6 hours ago
bobthecoder
312110
312110
1
Not communicating that there is a cost beforehand certainly seems like bad form to me. Unless it's disclosed prominently on their website or something you probably have grounds for negotiating it down. Then again, if you plan on going back there it might be worth eating the cost.
– Anyon
5 hours ago
2
"not a single one of my emails (over the span of months) was replied to when I tried to communicate with my sponsor, but since they accepted my payment for lodging I showed up." In hindsight that probably wasn't a good idea. I'd think it would be imperative to get positive confirmation from someone; if they don't answer emails then use phone or snail mail, or contact someone else in the office.
– Nate Eldredge
5 hours ago
3
Could you perhaps add a note of some general field, or perhaps country? I'm just a bit shocked at the idea of there being a fee for a visiting scholar who is given a place to sit, as opposed to software licenses or use of a computing cluster - first I've ever heard of such a practice, and it just seems very odd and surprising to me in fields I'm familiar with in the US.
– BrianH
4 hours ago
1
This is the first time that I hear of a university charging a visiting scholar for a bench! I'd stay away from such a university!
– Massimo Ortolano
4 hours ago
1
I too, am confused about a field where you can bring your own equipment and materials, but require bench space.
– Azor Ahai
1 hour ago
 |Â
show 2 more comments
1
Not communicating that there is a cost beforehand certainly seems like bad form to me. Unless it's disclosed prominently on their website or something you probably have grounds for negotiating it down. Then again, if you plan on going back there it might be worth eating the cost.
– Anyon
5 hours ago
2
"not a single one of my emails (over the span of months) was replied to when I tried to communicate with my sponsor, but since they accepted my payment for lodging I showed up." In hindsight that probably wasn't a good idea. I'd think it would be imperative to get positive confirmation from someone; if they don't answer emails then use phone or snail mail, or contact someone else in the office.
– Nate Eldredge
5 hours ago
3
Could you perhaps add a note of some general field, or perhaps country? I'm just a bit shocked at the idea of there being a fee for a visiting scholar who is given a place to sit, as opposed to software licenses or use of a computing cluster - first I've ever heard of such a practice, and it just seems very odd and surprising to me in fields I'm familiar with in the US.
– BrianH
4 hours ago
1
This is the first time that I hear of a university charging a visiting scholar for a bench! I'd stay away from such a university!
– Massimo Ortolano
4 hours ago
1
I too, am confused about a field where you can bring your own equipment and materials, but require bench space.
– Azor Ahai
1 hour ago
1
1
Not communicating that there is a cost beforehand certainly seems like bad form to me. Unless it's disclosed prominently on their website or something you probably have grounds for negotiating it down. Then again, if you plan on going back there it might be worth eating the cost.
– Anyon
5 hours ago
Not communicating that there is a cost beforehand certainly seems like bad form to me. Unless it's disclosed prominently on their website or something you probably have grounds for negotiating it down. Then again, if you plan on going back there it might be worth eating the cost.
– Anyon
5 hours ago
2
2
"not a single one of my emails (over the span of months) was replied to when I tried to communicate with my sponsor, but since they accepted my payment for lodging I showed up." In hindsight that probably wasn't a good idea. I'd think it would be imperative to get positive confirmation from someone; if they don't answer emails then use phone or snail mail, or contact someone else in the office.
– Nate Eldredge
5 hours ago
"not a single one of my emails (over the span of months) was replied to when I tried to communicate with my sponsor, but since they accepted my payment for lodging I showed up." In hindsight that probably wasn't a good idea. I'd think it would be imperative to get positive confirmation from someone; if they don't answer emails then use phone or snail mail, or contact someone else in the office.
– Nate Eldredge
5 hours ago
3
3
Could you perhaps add a note of some general field, or perhaps country? I'm just a bit shocked at the idea of there being a fee for a visiting scholar who is given a place to sit, as opposed to software licenses or use of a computing cluster - first I've ever heard of such a practice, and it just seems very odd and surprising to me in fields I'm familiar with in the US.
– BrianH
4 hours ago
Could you perhaps add a note of some general field, or perhaps country? I'm just a bit shocked at the idea of there being a fee for a visiting scholar who is given a place to sit, as opposed to software licenses or use of a computing cluster - first I've ever heard of such a practice, and it just seems very odd and surprising to me in fields I'm familiar with in the US.
– BrianH
4 hours ago
1
1
This is the first time that I hear of a university charging a visiting scholar for a bench! I'd stay away from such a university!
– Massimo Ortolano
4 hours ago
This is the first time that I hear of a university charging a visiting scholar for a bench! I'd stay away from such a university!
– Massimo Ortolano
4 hours ago
1
1
I too, am confused about a field where you can bring your own equipment and materials, but require bench space.
– Azor Ahai
1 hour ago
I too, am confused about a field where you can bring your own equipment and materials, but require bench space.
– Azor Ahai
1 hour ago
 |Â
show 2 more comments
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
up vote
5
down vote
If somebody is going to charge me money for a service when I'm visiting an off-campus site (or even something on-campus), I want to know about it in advance. The first thing they should have mentioned in any sort of response—or post on a website—is that it's not a free service. Without such information, people can't make an informed decision whether or not the service is worth the cost.
So I would certainly question this invoice and its fairness. (As for the cost, that also seems a bit high, but I can't really comment on a "going rate" for such a service.)
answered 4 hours ago
aeismail♦
156k29358684
1
"I can't really comment on a "going rate" for such a service": I'd comment that since the OP brought their own equipment, with $100/day they could have given the OP a new bench everyday ;-)
– Massimo Ortolano
2 hours ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
0
down vote
aeismail already comments on the ludicracy and I agree with those words, so I'll comment on the $100/day ~ $3000/month ~ $15000/team (of five)/month, which seems rather a lot when compared to typical city rents (to accommodate five people). Now, that's an incredibly crude way to estimate (especially as I've ignored the lab aspect), but costs vary considerably between cities, so it's difficult to get a better figure without more details (and factoring lab overheads is more work).
answered 1 min ago
user2768
7,07012237
add a comment |Â
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
up vote
5
down vote
If somebody is going to charge me money for a service when I'm visiting an off-campus site (or even something on-campus), I want to know about it in advance. The first thing they should have mentioned in any sort of response—or post on a website—is that it's not a free service. Without such information, people can't make an informed decision whether or not the service is worth the cost.
So I would certainly question this invoice and its fairness. (As for the cost, that also seems a bit high, but I can't really comment on a "going rate" for such a service.)
answered 4 hours ago
aeismail♦
156k29358684
1
"I can't really comment on a "going rate" for such a service": I'd comment that since the OP brought their own equipment, with $100/day they could have given the OP a new bench everyday ;-)
– Massimo Ortolano
2 hours ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
5
down vote
If somebody is going to charge me money for a service when I'm visiting an off-campus site (or even something on-campus), I want to know about it in advance. The first thing they should have mentioned in any sort of response—or post on a website—is that it's not a free service. Without such information, people can't make an informed decision whether or not the service is worth the cost.
So I would certainly question this invoice and its fairness. (As for the cost, that also seems a bit high, but I can't really comment on a "going rate" for such a service.)
answered 4 hours ago
aeismail♦
156k29358684
1
"I can't really comment on a "going rate" for such a service": I'd comment that since the OP brought their own equipment, with $100/day they could have given the OP a new bench everyday ;-)
– Massimo Ortolano
2 hours ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
5
down vote
up vote
5
down vote
If somebody is going to charge me money for a service when I'm visiting an off-campus site (or even something on-campus), I want to know about it in advance. The first thing they should have mentioned in any sort of response—or post on a website—is that it's not a free service. Without such information, people can't make an informed decision whether or not the service is worth the cost.
So I would certainly question this invoice and its fairness. (As for the cost, that also seems a bit high, but I can't really comment on a "going rate" for such a service.)
answered 4 hours ago
aeismail♦
156k29358684
If somebody is going to charge me money for a service when I'm visiting an off-campus site (or even something on-campus), I want to know about it in advance. The first thing they should have mentioned in any sort of response—or post on a website—is that it's not a free service. Without such information, people can't make an informed decision whether or not the service is worth the cost.
So I would certainly question this invoice and its fairness. (As for the cost, that also seems a bit high, but I can't really comment on a "going rate" for such a service.)
answered 4 hours ago
aeismail♦
156k29358684
answered 4 hours ago
aeismail♦
156k29358684
answered 4 hours ago
aeismail♦
156k29358684
answered 4 hours ago
aeismail♦
156k29358684
156k29358684
1
"I can't really comment on a "going rate" for such a service": I'd comment that since the OP brought their own equipment, with $100/day they could have given the OP a new bench everyday ;-)
– Massimo Ortolano
2 hours ago
add a comment |Â
1
"I can't really comment on a "going rate" for such a service": I'd comment that since the OP brought their own equipment, with $100/day they could have given the OP a new bench everyday ;-)
– Massimo Ortolano
2 hours ago
1
1
"I can't really comment on a "going rate" for such a service": I'd comment that since the OP brought their own equipment, with $100/day they could have given the OP a new bench everyday ;-)
– Massimo Ortolano
2 hours ago
"I can't really comment on a "going rate" for such a service": I'd comment that since the OP brought their own equipment, with $100/day they could have given the OP a new bench everyday ;-)
– Massimo Ortolano
2 hours ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
0
down vote
aeismail already comments on the ludicracy and I agree with those words, so I'll comment on the $100/day ~ $3000/month ~ $15000/team (of five)/month, which seems rather a lot when compared to typical city rents (to accommodate five people). Now, that's an incredibly crude way to estimate (especially as I've ignored the lab aspect), but costs vary considerably between cities, so it's difficult to get a better figure without more details (and factoring lab overheads is more work).
answered 1 min ago
user2768
7,07012237
add a comment |Â
up vote
0
down vote
aeismail already comments on the ludicracy and I agree with those words, so I'll comment on the $100/day ~ $3000/month ~ $15000/team (of five)/month, which seems rather a lot when compared to typical city rents (to accommodate five people). Now, that's an incredibly crude way to estimate (especially as I've ignored the lab aspect), but costs vary considerably between cities, so it's difficult to get a better figure without more details (and factoring lab overheads is more work).
answered 1 min ago
user2768
7,07012237
add a comment |Â
up vote
0
down vote
up vote
0
down vote
aeismail already comments on the ludicracy and I agree with those words, so I'll comment on the $100/day ~ $3000/month ~ $15000/team (of five)/month, which seems rather a lot when compared to typical city rents (to accommodate five people). Now, that's an incredibly crude way to estimate (especially as I've ignored the lab aspect), but costs vary considerably between cities, so it's difficult to get a better figure without more details (and factoring lab overheads is more work).
answered 1 min ago
user2768
7,07012237
aeismail already comments on the ludicracy and I agree with those words, so I'll comment on the $100/day ~ $3000/month ~ $15000/team (of five)/month, which seems rather a lot when compared to typical city rents (to accommodate five people). Now, that's an incredibly crude way to estimate (especially as I've ignored the lab aspect), but costs vary considerably between cities, so it's difficult to get a better figure without more details (and factoring lab overheads is more work).
answered 1 min ago
user2768
7,07012237
answered 1 min ago
user2768
7,07012237
answered 1 min ago
user2768
7,07012237
answered 1 min ago
user2768
7,07012237
7,07012237
add a comment |Â
add a comment |Â
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1
Not communicating that there is a cost beforehand certainly seems like bad form to me. Unless it's disclosed prominently on their website or something you probably have grounds for negotiating it down. Then again, if you plan on going back there it might be worth eating the cost.
– Anyon
5 hours ago
2
"not a single one of my emails (over the span of months) was replied to when I tried to communicate with my sponsor, but since they accepted my payment for lodging I showed up." In hindsight that probably wasn't a good idea. I'd think it would be imperative to get positive confirmation from someone; if they don't answer emails then use phone or snail mail, or contact someone else in the office.
– Nate Eldredge
5 hours ago
3
Could you perhaps add a note of some general field, or perhaps country? I'm just a bit shocked at the idea of there being a fee for a visiting scholar who is given a place to sit, as opposed to software licenses or use of a computing cluster - first I've ever heard of such a practice, and it just seems very odd and surprising to me in fields I'm familiar with in the US.
– BrianH
4 hours ago
1
This is the first time that I hear of a university charging a visiting scholar for a bench! I'd stay away from such a university!
– Massimo Ortolano
4 hours ago
1
I too, am confused about a field where you can bring your own equipment and materials, but require bench space.
– Azor Ahai
1 hour ago