Procedures and Guidance

General Procedures for Space Survey

Upon receiving notification from VPR that the survey is open, administrators will:

  1. Access their DLCI's data from the OCP Techspace website using any computer (use the Techspace Quick Card [PDF] for instructions on how to use the site).
  2. Review room lists on Techspace or download it to Excel or Word. Print function is available directly if so desired.
  3. Carefully read the accompanying instructions.
  4. Gather data to confirm/update prior space survey data.
  5. Gather data on new rooms/room uses.
  6. Direct any clarifying questions to VPR or OCP, as appropriate.
  7. Make applicable changes to space usage allocation on the OCP Techspace website directly.
  8. Ensure all space is validated and complete (in green status). Finalize submission on the OCP Techspace website.
  9. Ensure survey is completed and nothing was questioned by VPR via their review, prior to the published survey end date (August 8, 2025).

Guidance for Research Laboratory, Administrative HQ and HHMI Spaces

    • Estimate the percentage (0% ‐ 90%) of Sponsored Research use
    • Estimate the percentage (0% ‐ 90%) of Other Sponsored Activities use

    (Estimated non‐sponsored/instruction activity will be calculated as 100% minus the percentages entered in steps 1 + 2)

  • Identify each administrative HQ room:

    1. Interdepartmental Laboratories (Director paid on Lab Director Account 14430XX): HQ space = rooms occupied by individuals actually paid from the Lab Directors account and their support staff
    2. All other DLCIs: 
      • HQ space = rooms occupied by Deans, Directors, Department Heads [including Assistants and Associates] and their support staff
      • HQ space = rooms occupied by individuals paid on the DLCI's HQ account
      • HQ space = rooms predominantly used for HQ administrative activities
    • Identify rooms on the list occupied/used by HHMI investigators
    • Estimate the percentage of HHMI use

Lab Allocation and Usage Guidance

  • Use of labs by students (RAs) paid on sponsored research accounts should be recorded as Sponsored Research use.
  • Use of labs by individuals (Fellows/Affiliates) not paid on sponsored research accounts should be recorded as Other Sponsored Activities use.
  • Use of labs for teaching is Instruction use.
  • Use of labs to accomplish goals not supported by sponsored funds is Non‐Sponsored use.

Where labs are used for multiple activities, estimation of the relative percentage of each could be based on proportional funding, space, time, or a combination of these factors. The DLCIs are charged with coming to an acceptable methodology and maintaining documentation of such methodology for when MIT Space Survey is audited.

Space Allocation Usage Definitions 

  • Organized research means all research and development activities of an institution that are separately budgeted and accounted for. At MIT these activities result from sponsored agreements and are captured in cost collectors between 6000000 and 9999999 processed through the Office of the Vice President for Research.

    Subsets of Organized Research are:

    • Sponsored research means all research and development activities that are sponsored by Federal and non‐Federal agencies and organizations. This term includes activities involving the training of individuals in research techniques (commonly called research training) where such activities utilize the same facilities as other research and development activities and where such activities are not included in the instruction function.
    • University research means all research and development activities that are separately budgeted and accounted for by the institution under an internal application of institutional funds. University research, for purposes of this document, must be combined with sponsored research under the function of organized research.

  • Other sponsored activities means programs and projects financed by Federal and non‐Federal agencies and organizations, which involve the performance of work other than instruction and organized research. Examples of such programs and projects are health service projects and community service programs. At MIT these activities result from sponsored agreements and are captured in cost collectors in number ranges below 6000000.

Instruction and Departmental Research

  • Instruction means the teaching and training activities of an institution. This term includes all teaching and training activities, whether they are offered for credits toward a degree or certificate or on a non‐credit basis, and whether they are offered through regular academic departments or separate divisions, such as a summer school division or an extension division.

  • Sponsored instruction and training means specific instructional or training activity established by grant, contract, or cooperative agreement. For purposes of the cost principles, this activity may be considered a major function even though an institution's accounting treatment may include it in the instruction function.

  • Departmental research means research, development and scholarly activities that are not organized research and, consequently, are not separately budgeted and accounted for. Departmental research, for purposes of this document, is not considered as a major function, but as a part of the instruction function of the institution.

Questions and Help

  1. Questions relative to completing this survey or room use allocation should be directed to Arden Packer (arden131@mit.edu) or Joe Foley (joefoley@mit.edu).
  2. Questions relative to room assignment type or technical issues with these web pages should be directed to Space Accounting fis-techspace-icr@mit.edu  (Addison Wooles).
  3. Collective questions may also be sent to the general mailbox at vpr‐spac‐survey@mit.edu – this will reach us all.