Purchasing Policies. See below for lab policies regarding the purchase of supplies, equipment and travel.
- See Jeff to set up purchasing power for your project and to find out which accounts should be charged if applicable.
- If you need an item ~< $100, just buy it!
- Check a few vendors and/or Amazon to make sure you are getting a decent price.
- Lack of equipment and supplies should not get in the way of research. Let Jeff know what you need, and we will sort it out.
- All other things being equal, please default to purchasing through Tufts Marketplace; it makes the paperwork much easier. They do provide Tufts with a discount and are often competitive.
- Save your receipts and packing slips, and get them to Jeff electronically by uploading to the Tufts Box folder.
Methods for Purchasing. We have several methods and modes of purchasing, depending upon the cost of the item and its source.
- Tufts Marketplace (MP) – Vendors through which Tufts has existing agreements. Use the Tufts Marketplace portal to make such purchases.
- Purchasing Card (P-Card) – Items < $5,000 and not available on Tufts Marketplace.
- Travel Card (T-Card) – Any travel and conference related expenditures. Travel may be booked through Tufts Marketplace.
- Purchase Order (PO) – Items $5,000 < cost < $50,000. Contact Tufts TSS or use eReq system.
- Capital Equipment Authorization (CEA) – Items > $50,000. Need (1) paragraph about intended use and maintenance requirements/costs, (2) location of equipment, (3) quotes for multiple (e.g. 3) vendors for comparable equipment.
Supplies & Equipment. See below for common vendors for various supplies and equipment. Additionally, specific common/useful lab supplies may be found here.
| Item | Vendors (default to Tufts Marketplace vendors!) |
|---|---|
| Tracer Particles | Tufts MP: Thermo-Fisher/Life/Molecular Probes Cospheric, Spherotech, Polysciences, MagSphere |
| Optics/Scope Parts | MVI, Thorlabs, Edmund Optics, Ebay |
| General Lab Supplies | Tufts MP: Fisher Scientific, VWR Cole-Parmer, Amazon, Ebay |
| Computer Stuff | Tufts MP: Dell, Gov Connection, CDW-G, Apple Micro Center, Amazon, Ebay |
| Office Supplies | Tufts MP: W.B. Mason Staples, Amazon |
| Chemicals/Microfab. | Tufts MP: Sigma Aldrich Alpha Aesar, MicroChem, University Wafers |
| Tools/Macrofab. | Tufts MP: Grainger McMaster-Carr, Home Depot, Lowes, Amazon, Ebay |
| Gasses | Tufts MP: Airgas |
