The Coastal Research Center provides lodging, laboratories, and research vessels to support research along the seaside of Virginia’s Eastern Shore. The facilities are open for use by researchers and students from non-UVA institutions.
Station Use and Research Support
Due to the complex nature of the shallow coastal waters in our region, boats are charged as a daily use fee that includes a staff captain familiar with local navigation.
Housing is available in shared suites on site. Linens and stocked kitchens are included. Bathrooms are shared.
Staff provide research support. Laboratories and field equipment are available for use.
To use station facilities or research supports, place a reservation request using the Reservations System.
Within the system, you may reserve lodging, lab space, and boat trips for research. If one of these options does not appear on your reservation menu, check to ensure that you have completed and acknowledged the relevant forms and policies (see details below). Be sure to check our public calendar before submitting your reservation to avoid high use periods (designated by dorm notices or more than 3 boat trips per day) when your request may be denied.
Please also review our dorm use policies and procedures. Details about checking in are provided in your reservation approval email.
The Local Resources page can provide you with suggestions for alternative lodging as well as support for your visit, such as catering. You can also explore suggestions from prior station users about things to do in our local community.
effective May 1, 2017
| COST | TAX*** | TOTAL | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | $15 per person per night | 10.3%** | $15.69 |
| Reserved Laboratory Space | $25 per person per day | 5.3%* | $26.33 |
| Boat Trip | $180 per day | 5.3%* | $189.45 |
| Meeting Space | $50 per meeting | 5.3%* | $52.65 |
| Truck Use | $25 per day | 5.3%* | $26.33 |
* Tax is required unless a tax exempt form is submitted
** Tax is required unless a federal credit card is used for payment.
*** Tax is not charged if a UVA PTAO is used for payment.
The reservation system will not allow you to make requests for a facility until the following requirements have been met:
- All facilities – you need to know about General Issues and Emergency Information. If you are going out into the field, you also should be familiar with health risks, including zoonotic diseases.
- Housing – You need to review the Housing Facility Rules
- Boats & Trucks – You need to complete a Field Station Risk Acknowledgement form. This is a UVA-wide system and you will need access to your email to use it.
- Trucks – You must be either a UVA employee or a UVA student who has completed additional requirements (e.g., a driving background check) to operate ABCRC vehicles.
- Laboratories – You need to review ABCRC Rules for Laboratories. Additionally, you need to certify that you have completed the online University of Virginia Annual Chemical Safety and Waste Training course. If you are not affiliated with the University of Virginia, you will need to download a WORD document containing the training materials.
- Additionally, if you will be using ABCRC field and laboratory facilities to conduct research or educational activities involving vertebrate animals, you have an approved Animal Care and Use protocol. Note that protocols issued by other institutions must be submitted to the UVA Animal Care and Use Committee for review well prior to start of the fieldwork. Contact the UVA ACUC at: 434-924-0405 if you have questions regarding ACUC requirments. If you have questions about vertebrate work at the ABCRC, contact jporter@virginia.edu.
- Researchers are responsible for identifying and obtaining all the additional permits required to conduct their research. In particular, the Virginia Coast Reserve of The Nature Conservancy requires permits and waivers to access research sites on their property. Links to the forms are available here.
You will only be able to make reservations for a facility after you have certified that you have completed the requirements for that type of facility. You can edit your profile to make changes to it as you satisfy additional requirements.
New users are expected to arrive during business hours on a weekday so that staff can orient you to the facility; exceptions must be approved by staff at least 48 hours in advance.
Requests must be approved before they become active reservations. For this reason, please submit requests at least 5 business days before your requested time (earlier when possible). The status of a request will be displayed as follows:
- Pending – a request has been made, but has not yet been approved.
- Approved – a request has been approved. You should follow the instructions added to your reservation when it was approved. Note that dates or times may have been changed to coordinate your activities with those of other users. Only ABCRC managers can approve requests.
- Cancelled – a request has been cancelled, either by you or by the ABCRC managers.
- Completed – a requested activity has been completed. It will now be forwarded for billing. Requests can be marked completed either by you or the ABCRC managers.
- Revised – a request has been altered, and should be considered as “Pending” until it is (re-)approved. To aid managers in tracking requests its previous status is also listed (e.g., Revised-Approved), but do not act on the revision before it has been approved.