How do I get access to CEF?

After renting a chamber (create a Stratocore PPMS account first),  you are required to complete the following items to gain entry to the building:

  1. Complete the mandatory Annual CEF Basic Training
  2. Request AggieAccess to CEF-A and/or B  
    • If the new user already has AggieAccess Credentials for another campus location, simply email Joel Del Rio, [email protected], with the name & email address of the person requesting access

If the new user doesn’t already have AggieAccess Credentials, request them here: AggieAccess for students; AggieAccess for staff. Joel Del Rio is the CEF key control manager.

Safety Training

The safety of our research staff, faculty, and students is our top priority. Participation in an annual “Controlled Environmental Facility Training” is mandatory in order to enter the facility.  Register to take the Annual CEF Basic Training course.

Empty Chamber Policy

Demand for growth-chamber space exceeds CEF capacity and chamber availability is very restricted. 

To encourage maximal utility of the existing chambers, CEF requests that users notify CEF staff of planned or unanticipated pause periods of 12 weeks or longer.  During this pause, the chamber would be offered to users with suitable short-term project requests.  If the chamber is reassigned during a pause, rental rates will be transferred to the short-term group. The original PI group retains the right-to-return on the agreed-upon date at the end of the pause period.  

Chambers that are idle for more than 16 weeks with no pause notification or offer for temporary reassignment are subject to reclamation (original PI loses tenancy with no right-to-return).  CEF staff monitor chamber activity weekly and will notify the PI occupant of any chamber that appears idle for 8 weeks or longer to facilitate coordination.  We are confident that CEF users will make good-faith efforts to help their colleagues access these limited resources.

Temporary pause-reassignments will not be suitable for all chambers or periods, and CEF staff will work closely with the original and short-term research groups to ensure compatibility.  Biosecurity, special set-ups, and other factors may preclude temporary reassignments. 

Please notify [email protected] of any upcoming idle or pause periods.

Coming soon: sign to acknowledge policies.

 

Note from FAC Director

Update from June 4, 2026

Dear CEF Users,

I am writing to you on behalf of the Faculty Advisory Committee (FAC) to share some important updates regarding the UC Davis plant growth facility (growth chambers) operations and upcoming rate changes.

Our primary goals remain providing reliable, high-quality growth space and maintaining the long-term stability of the facility. To that end, please review the following two key updates:

  • Decommissioning of Refrigerated E7 Chambers: Due to persistent, unpredictable breakdowns and increasingly difficult repairs requiring Facilities involvement, the FAC has voted unanimously to sunset all refrigerated E7 chambers, effective immediately. These units are no longer reliable enough for research. We are currently down to a limited number of operational E7s, and the facility will be transitioning users away from these models. If your lab currently relies on low-temperature regimens, facility staff will work with you directly to identify alternative, reliable chamber options.
  • Recharge Rate Adjustment & Future Planning: To ensure the facility remains fully compliant with UC Davis Self-Supporting Activities requirements, recharge rates will be increasing for the upcoming 2026-27 fiscal year by approximately 14.1%.
    • Why this is happening: Our previous rates were modeled on an anticipated 85% occupancy, but actual occupancy has hovered around 70%. Additionally, after a long period of being understaffed, the facility is finally fully staffed (2.5 FTE)—including a dedicated electrician—and we are actively tackling a backlog of 5-to-10-year equipment repairs. While this increases our operational expenses, it ensures much better day-to-day support and maintenance response times for your research.
    • Predictability for Grants: This restructuring is designed to keep our baseline budget stable through the 2028–29 fiscal year and beyond. For your long-term grant planning and budgeting, please anticipate a predictable annual rate increase of approximately 5% in subsequent years, rather than sudden, large-step adjustments.

We want your feedback: As we navigate changing funding climates and campus research needs, we want to better understand your lab's space requirements. If your lab has recently downsized its CEF footprint, or if your space needs are changing, please fill out this exit survey to let us know more! 

Thank you for your continued partnership and understanding as we work to upgrade and stabilize our campus growth chamber infrastructure. Please let me know if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Laura Bogar, on behalf of the CEF Faculty Advisory Committee