The UCLA Behavioral Testing Core is a user-supported core facility, supplemented through a UCLA Service Fund.  Users are charged an hourly fee for all use of the Facility.  Such uses include experimentation and computer analysis, as well as basic statistical analysis.

UCLA Researcher Rates: Behavioral Testing

The Behavioral Testing Core charges three basic rates:

1. The Direct Supervision rate is for training on equipment/software, or when direct supervision/assistance by a BTC Staff member is required.
2. The Unsupervised Research rate is for independent use of the facility after required training and proficiency is demonstrated by the user.
3. The BTC Staff-Performed Research rate is our full-service option, in which BTC staff plan and perform agreed upon behavioral assays. Basic data analysis is included (this means any necessary behavioral tracking and data output into an excel spreadsheet. Upon request, further statistical analysis and graph production can be done, but users will be charged the BTC Staff performed hourly rate).

An overtime surcharge fee will be added to any Direct Supervision or BTC-staff performed research requiring more than 8 hours of work per day or weekend hours. This is to offset overtime costs of the employees.

Outside Researcher Rates

The UCLA BTC is available for hire to outside research labs or agencies. With proper approvals and under direct BTC staff supervision, outside users may come on site to use BTC facilities at the rate listed below. BTC-staff are also available for full-service hire. This service includes completion of all the behavioral elements of your experiment by BTC staff, as well as extracting, compiling and sending the data associated with the experiment. Additional statistical analysis or graph production will be charged the hourly rate.

Equipment Rental and Off-Site Use

Due to multiple requests, we now allow researchers to rent out our equipment for use within their own laboratories when the rodents cannot be relocated to our facilities. You can find a list of available equipment under the Behavioral Tasks menu. The rate structure for renting out the equipment is the same as if you were using it in our facility and varies depending on level of BTC staff involvement.

Animal Welfare and Housing

Please note that the BTC is not responsible for any costs or services related to animal health and wellbeing or housing. Except in special circumstances in which the user is located off-campus, all users must coordinate animal housing and care with DLAM and UCLA veterinary staff.

Users can direct all questions on housing and transfers to the DLAM-managed Franz/Pritzker Hall Vivarium.

Users are responsible for responding to Veterinary cases opened while their animals are housed in Franz/Pritkzer Hall Vivarium. Users are responsible for deciding and maintaining any necessary  course of treatment for animals housed in the vivarium for the duration of their stay.

Other Service Rates

We are also offering assistance with basic statistical analysis of your results. This service is available to anyone using our services but can only be used with results gathered through our services. For a more extensive analysis or help with your results from other elements of your research, we encourage you to review our Useful Links page for more options on campus.

You can also order our custom-made fiberoptic implants for optogenetics research. You can find more info about this service at Custom Made Optogenetic Ferule Implants.