Background Information

Welcome to the ABCRC Reservation system. In order to use the system there are certain things you need to know.

Requirements

There are certain requirements for using ABCRC facilities, that vary by the type of resource you wish to use. The reservation system will not allow you to make requests for a facility until the requirements have been met. These are:

All facilities - you need to know about Field Safety. 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.
Labortories - 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.

Fees

effective July 1, 2025

Service for fee	Unit of use	Rate for projects within Sponsored Programs at UVA	Rate for non-UVA users and UVA use outside of Sponsored Programs - such as class visits	Notes
Boat trip	Per use	$185^	$229	Fee includes a staff captain. ^$72.00 for LTER trips due to staffing.
Lab use*	Per person per day	$15	$23	At our discretion, lab fee may be capped at 6x per group per day ($140) to reflect diminishing use and impacts by large groups.
Housing	Per person per night	$11	$17*
Housing check in fee	Per reservation	$54	$87*	To be charged for each check in, regardless of group size or number of nights. This fee covers room preparation and cleaning.
Seminar room*	Per use	$143	$231

* A sales tax rate of 6.3% applies to space use fees unless a tax exemption form is provided (only US Government and UVA Sponsored Programs are exempt from tax on lodging). There is no additional occupancy tax.

Note: When budgeting for housing, the cost of a visit is = one 'Check in fee' per reservation + (nights x occupants x housing fee); E.g. A class of 12 visiting for 3 nights = $87 check in + (3 x 12 x $17) = $699.

Reservations

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.