School of Computing

IT Committee

Major equipment requests for teaching, research and admin

This procedure applies to requests for equipment/software for teaching, research or administrative purposes.

Major requests (capital fund bids)

"Major requests" are defined as requests that require us to commit either large sums of money (normally in excess of £1k) or will provide a significantly new capability that we did not possess before. Major requests are normally for equipment and/or software that is to be used in the following academic year.

All major requests for computer equipment/software for student use should be made via email to Mo Adda . The subject line should be "SoC capital fund bid".

The email should contain the information under the following headings:

1. Requirement. The pieces of equipment and/or software requested.
   • This will usually be specific but could be general ("I need a new desktop PC")..
   • It may include the need for building work (e.g. electrical) to accommodate it, which should be included in the cost.
   • Security is a major issue and you should include in your proposal any necessary measures to protect the equipment you want to buy.
2. Rationale. A rationale for why it is needed/why it would be a good thing. Your analysis may include the disbenefits of not buying it. Where the equipment is not essential this year, but would be at some point in the future, details of this should be stated.
3. Use. What unit or units it will be used in the teaching of, and/or whether it is intended to have research and/or general use.
4. Numbers. For own use, this will be 1. For teaching use, specify where possible the likely number of students who will be using it simultaneously (based on your knowledge/anticipation of how classes or other use will be timetabled).
5. Location. Your preferences (if any) as to which office or lab this equipment/software should be available in. Be aware that some software cannot be "site licensed" and that some will only run on higher specification workstations. "Location" could also be a server or for home use.
6. Replacing. If it is intended to replace some other equipment/software, please specify what it will replace.
7. Cost. Where a machine can be supplied under IS's managed scheme (desktops and laptops), the cost will be standard. Otherwise, the cost must be supplied (however an estimate based on published prices will do; no off-the-cuff guesses please!). To help, look at the websites from Pugh (from whom we buy much software) and Dell (from whom we buy a lot of PC hardware).

Please make only one request in a single email. Large or complicated requests may be best submitted as separate bids, though indicate explicitly any dependencies between multiple bids.

If you need to discuss any matter prior to making a request, talk to Jim or Mo. Please make them aware of large bids you intend to make, so that he can steer you away from duplicating what someone else might propose. If you are serious about your bid, you will be expected to have researched it properly and to have made a compelling case.

The deadline for making capital fund bids for equipment to be installed in summer 2007 (to be used in academic year 2007-2008) is Monday 23rd April 2007. The SoC IT Committee will meet later in April to approve and prioritise bids. Of those bids approved, orders will be placed depending on priority and availability of funds. Some bids may require Faculty or institutional support. If appropriate, some bids may be approved for spending out of the 2007-2008 budget, or from other budgets.

Last updated by Dr Jim Briggs of the School of Computing at the University of Portsmouth.