Computing equipment allocation

This pages outlines how computing equipment is allocated to members of Informatics and also outlines the procurement process.

Allocation

Equipment allocation principles

Allocation of equipment is based on the following principles/assumptions:

• Equipment allocation for Academic Teaching staff and Computing Officers
• Equipment for research-funded staff must be provided by the relevant research grant if there is provision for this in the grant; otherwise if there is no equipment allowance within the grant, the School can provide a desktop or laptop and a monitor suitable for normal commodity work (eg mail, document preparation and web browsing) if a request has been made with sufficient notice. This will usually be an older device.
• Research postgraduates(CDT) - equipment allocation depends on your CDT programme.
• Research postgraduates(core funded) will be provided with either a school purchased commodity laptop, keyboard, and mouse; or a school purchased commodity desktop PC, screen, keyboard, and mouse. It is expected that this equipment will last for the duration of the student's studies. Any items purchased for your use during your time of study at the School remain the property of the School throughout and at the point of submission of thesis will expected to be returned. If following your viva you are required to undertake major corrections and your supervisor confirms that the equipment issued is essential, an extension can be requested. Any items not returned, or returning a poor state of repair, may incur penalties, including cost of replacement.
• Desktops can either be managed by School Computing staff (DICE desktop or Windows 10 Managed Desktop) or be self-managed.
• Professional services staff are provided with a Windows 10 Managed laptop and monitor.
• Taught students will used shared equipment in School or IS labs. Any items issued during your time of study at the School remain the property of the School and will expected to be returned on the agreed date set at the point of the loan commencing. Any items not returned, or returning a poor state of repair, may incur penalties, including cost of replacement.
• The equipment replacement cycle is 4 years.
  • staff machine replacements will happen periodically during the year.
  • any replacement of machines in taught student labs will usually happen during, or at the end of, the summer.

Access to resources

Informatics also provides basic computing resources:

• all member of Informatics are entitled to a basic allocation of resources such as printing and central disk space.
• the boundary between normal and exceptional use of such resources is grey. Users who require anything other than the 'standard' allocation (determined pragmatically) should contact support to agree additional usage and possible charges.

NB: Please give computing staff warning if you expect your usage to be out of the ordinary for any length of time . It helps the planning of resource provision and allocation.

If you have any queries about equipment or resource allocation please contact support.

Procurement

Academic teaching

The procurement of computing equipment for new and existing academic staff is coordinated by Mohammed Javaid following the
Equipment allocation for Academic Teaching staff policy

Administrative and technical staff

Equipment will be provided automatically to new staff. Computing staff should be notified of arrivals well in advance (at least 2 weeks) to allow time to procure/allocate equipment.

Research staff

If there is provision in the grant to buy computing equipment then grant-based research staff should use the Computing Support Form to arrange the purchase. Otherwise a commodity machine can provided as described above (assuming sufficient notice has been provided).