AudioVisual Equipment

Sabrina Shretha (432-7666) in the Main Office is responsible for signing out of LCD projectors, laser pointers and the LCD remotes for NRB Rooms 230 and 335. All rooms have a ceiling-mounted LCD projectors.  Please make a special effort to insure that ceiling-mounted LCD projectors are turned off at the end of presentations.

Building Access

Access to NRB during the day requires that you present your Harvard ID to the security guard. Nights and evenings, use this card to swipe in at both the Louis Pasteur and Blackfan entrances. Your swipe card will also be required to gain access to the 2nd and 3rd floors. Obtaining swipe privileges requires both authorization by the Director of the Department of Genetics (Vonda Shannon) and completion of NRB safety training. The Main Office has both the Access Request form and information on obtaining necessary safety training.

Building Hours

The New Research Building is open (unlocked) 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM  Monday through Friday. It is locked evenings and weekends.

Building Maintenance Requests

Lab-related requests should be made to the UGL Control Center by calling 432-1901 or emailing facilitiescallcenter@hms.harvard.edu. Report problems with building equipment, e.g., autoclaves or ice makers, directly to the Main Office (432-7666). For lab-related requests you will be asked for a 33-digit billing account number.

Bicycle Cage

A secure bike cage is located adjacent to the HIM Building near the Vanderbilt Hall. Please contact the HMS Parking Office (432-1111) for authorization to use this facility.

Crimson Cash

The cash registers in the Elements Café and Aliquot's, as well as the vending machines in the NRB, are equipped with Crimson Cash card readers.

Dining

Adjacent to Elements CaféAliquot's is open 7:30 AM until 11:30 AM for breakfast and as a coffee bar from 3:00 PM until 7:00 PM.

Located on the first floor of the NRB Elements Cafe is open for full-service lunch during 11:30 AM until 2:00 PM and a an afternoon snack break from 2:00 PM until 3:00 PM. It is not open evenings or weekends.

Check the Restaurant Associates web page for additional HMS campus services.

Emergency Procedures

The New Research Building (NRB) is a high rise building and has emergency procedures which are different from buildings with fewer floors. The fire evacuation procedure is detailed below.

All NRB building occupants have been instructed to activate the fire alarm upon the discovery of fire, smoke, smoke odors, and in any threatening situations, such as a natural gas leak, bomb threat, etc. Activating the fire alarm initiates a Code Red (fire alarm) and automatically notifies the Boston Fire Department (BFD). Fire alarms are located throughout the NRB building at the main entrances to the laboratory areas and along the walls of the main corridors. Upon activation of the fire alarm, the Facility Manager, Harvard University Police Department (HUPD) and BFD personnel will respond and investigate the circumstances of the alarm. All Code Red events will be treated as if there were a fire in progress. The NRB Environmental Health & Safety (EH&S) Office will support the activities of the Facility Manager and HUPD personnel during the alarm.
When a fire alarm is activated within the NRB building, an evacuation signal will be generated on the floors, which are required to evacuate. The evacuation signal is a distinctive sound that can be heard in all parts of the facility. It begins with a series of four (4) pulsed pre-signal tones at one-second intervals followed by this announcement (recorded female voice): "Attention please! The signal tone you have just heard indicated a report of an emergency in this building. If your floor signal sounds after this message, walk to the nearest stairway and leave the floor. While the report is being verified, occupants on other floors should await further instructions." This announcement shall be repeated twice.
If a NRB tenant hears this signal:

Begin preparations for evacuation by shutting off all energy sources (i.e., electric appliances, gas burners, high pressure gas valves). Move to the nearest exit door (there are four on each floor) and stand by for further instructions.
If the source of the alarm is on your floor or the floor below your floor or the floor above your floor, the EVACUATE SIGNAL will sound. This signal is a series of "slow whoop" tones that will run continuously. If you hear this signal, immediately walk to the nearest exit stairway or door and move to your prearranged assembly area outside of the building. The last person to leave the area should make sure that the exit door from the area is closed.
Once outside of the building, report to the assembly area for the NRB, which is the Merck parking lot. The laboratory evacuation monitor will account for all personnel in the area of responsibility and be prepared to report to the floor evacuation monitor when asked.  The floor evacuation monitor will report the results to the NRB Security representative at the assembly area. 

Harvard Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S)

 EH&S is responsible for all aspects of safety within your lab including Biosafety, Chemical Safety, Emergency Response, Fire Safety, General Lab Safety and Radiation Protection. Safety personnel are on Site Monday – Friday, 8:00-5:00pm.  Outside of those hours please call the HMS Facilities Operations Center (617-432-1901) for any emergency.

Custodial Services

Most routine cleaning is performed at night by a night custodial crew. Special day-time custodial assistance can be requested by calling Vincent Mazzone at 432-2923.

Loading Dock and Deliveries

The NRB loading dock is open 7 AM until 3 PM Monday through Friday. If you need to make arrangements for a special delivery, or have questions about the loading dock, contact the Shipping and Receiving Manager, David Cunha, at 432-2769. Research supplies are typically delivered to the lab once a day about 12 PM.

Lock Out Procedure

During regular hours (7 AM until 7 PM Monday through Friday) contact the security desk on the first floor of the NRB (432-6009). During other hours and weekends contact this same security desk, but expect a slower response due to reduced staffing.

Mail and FedEx

Campus and US mail is delivered and sorted into the mailboxes in front of the Main Office each morning. Outgoing mail will be picked up at that time. Federal Express is picked up daily around 4 PM in front of the Chair’s Office (Room 360). Federal Express envelopes and label materials can be found in the Chair’s Office.

MicRon - Microscope Resources on the North Quad

MicRoN Mission 

  • Provide dedicated microscopy expertise to advise, train and assist users.
  • Help users put the right microscope in their lives.
  • Provide technical support and basic maintenance of our microscopes.
  • Advice MBIB and Genetics departments of unmet microscopy needs.

MicRon Website can be found here.

Pets

Please be considerate and do not bring your pet to work.

Smoking

Smoking is prohibited in all Harvard buildings. Please smoke outside well away from the building.

Teleconferencing

Conference rooms 350, 354, 335, and 230 are set up for teleconferencing. 617-432-6682 is the phone number in NRB 335 and 258.  617-432-1666 is the phone number in NRB 350 and 354. The active telephone jack is at the front of each room.

On line meetings can also be conducted using Webex. if you would like to schedule a conference meeting, please contact IT support at: itsupport_nq@hms.harvard.edu

Shuttle Buses

The Harvard Longwood M2 shuttle runs between Vanderbilt Hall and the Johnson Gate on the Cambridge campus Monday through Saturday. All faculty, staff, undergraduate students and HMS students ride free by swiping a valid HU, HMS, HSPH, HSDM or DMS ID when entering the bus. Others must purchase a ticket at the M2 ticket offices or use their Crimson Cash account.

The Ruggles Express is a free shuttle bus between the Longwood Medical Area and Ruggles T Station.

Taxi Escort Service

Taxi escort service from the campus to the individual’s home is available seven days a week for students, faculty and staff.

This service is free; rider needs only to show valid photo ID badge. Service is arranged through the security officer at the Vanderbilt Hall lobby. Taxis will take the rider within one mile of the Longwood campus without charge. Beyond the one-mile radius the fare for the cab will be the responsibility of the rider.

Walking Escort Service

The campus walking escort service is available 24 hours a day. To obtain a walking escort from a member of the HMS Security Staff call 432-1379.  A security officer will escort you to your vehicle on campus, to the nearest MBTA stop, or to any other destination on campus.

Weekend and Evening Parking

The Genetics Department has an agreement with the HMS Parking Office to provide free parking in the NRB on weekends and Monday through Friday on week nights. You must apply for this privilege by first contacting the Main Office and then visiting the Parking Office. Renewal is not automatic and must be done each fiscal year (prior to July 1st). Do not use this as a means of storing your car in the parking garage.

Wireless Network

Wireless networking is available throughout Genetics in NRB.

HMS has two wireless networks: Public and Private. 

The HMS Public Wireless Network is a guest network available to any users who connect and accept the terms on the HMS Public Wireless Web page. The Public Wireless Network is outside the HMS firewall.  Therefore, computers on the Public Wireless Network cannot see resources inside HMS (printers, for instance) without using VPN. The HMS Public Wireless Network is also available in the NRB Conference Center and Cafeteria, as well as in Genetics.

The HMS Private Wireless Network is available to anyone with an active eCommons id.  The HMS Private Wireless Network is inside the HMS firewall, and computers on this network have access to any resource available at HMS, including printers. Please see the HMS Network Connections web page for instructions on connecting to the HMS Private Wireless Network.

Vending Machines

There are vending machines located on the third floor in back of the Sky Lobby. They are Crimson Cash compatible.