Research Space Management Group

Information about the allocation of research space at Massachusetts General Hospital.

The Executive Committee on Research (ECOR) must approve all major proposed changes in research space utilization or allocation, including those occasioned by new recruitments, new programs, relocations, changes in research programs and departure of major investigators.

Requests for changes in research space allocation or configuration must originate in writing from the President or the General Executive Council, from ECOR, or from the director of a recognized research unit (with the endorsement of the appropriate service chief, center director or program director). Requests should provide adequate background information to permit an initial evaluation

Approval Hierarchy

Limited Scope requests which are well justified, congruent with strategic space objectives, in accord with the hospital’s research mission, and uncontested may be approved by the Director of RSMG following appropriate review.

Special Limited Scope requests, at the discretion of the RSMG Director, may be considered as Limited Scope if the requesting entity is able to fund the project independently or if designated capital is available.

Intermediate Scope are referred to the ECOR Agenda Committee with recommendations for resolution. The ECOR Agenda Committee may, following review, resolve the issue, remand the request to RSMG for further analysis, or forward it to ECOR for discussion and decision at a regularly scheduled meeting.

Major Scope requests are evaluated by RSMG, submitted to the ECOR Agenda Committee for initial review and then submitted to ECOR for discussion.

Density Metrics

Density metrics relate research space to the dollars generated by the users of that space and the number of staff (in terms of both headcount and FTE) occupying that space. The most commonly used metric at Massachusetts General Hospital is Modified Total Direct Cost (MTDC) per net assignable square foot; although these metrics are not a perfect measure of how well a particular entity is using its space, it is a well defined indicator that reflects the intensity of research activity and the availability of support.

Financial density metrics are calculated on actual expenditures, rather than on awarded or projected expenditures. Density metrics are reported on an annualized basis which provide an indication of how much a Principal Investigator might spend over an entire fiscal year based on annualization of year to date expenditures.

Vacated Space

Research space (> 1000 NASF) that becomes vacant due to an investigator’s departure from Mass General, discontinuation of funded research activities, retirement, permanent incapacity or death may not automatically be reassigned to others by that investigator’s service chief, center director or program director. Responsibility for reassignment of such space rests with ECOR. Such occurrences must be reported to RSMG, which will conduct discussions with the appropriate Chief or Director regarding future use of the vacated space and recommend future use of the space to ECOR.

Clinical Trials

Space used to support the conduct of clinical trials (i.e., of drugs, devices or diagnostics) is considered clinical space and is not controlled or allocated by ECOR. Generally such space is leased from the Hospital or other entities by the research sponsor(s). RSMG may assist investigators in identifying such space and in property specifying suballocations of spaces with shared research and clinical trial use.