Fair Allocation of Vivarium Capacity
Vivarium capacity is finite and demand often exceeds supply. Fair allocation requires transparent, reproducible methods:
Equal share is the simplest: each PI gets the same base quota. It works well when PIs have similar programs but penalizes large, well-funded labs. Surplus from PIs who need less than their share is redistributed to PIs with unmet demand.
Historical use rewards consistency and penalizes growth. PIs who have used more cages historically get proportionally more. This avoids disruptive reallocation but can entrench inefficiency.
Grant-weighted allocation ties capacity to funding. PIs with more active grant dollars get more cages, reflecting that grant-funded work carries external obligations. This can disadvantage early-career PIs with less funding.
Committed protocols are non-negotiable. Animals already on approved protocols cannot be displaced. All models honor committed cage counts as a floor before distributing remaining capacity.
Emergency reserve (typically 5-10% of capacity) should be held back for quarantine, emergency breeding, and unexpected transfers. This prevents over-commitment and avoids crisis-mode reallocation.
Most facilities benefit from running all three models and using the comparison to guide discussion among the PI advisory committee.