LASER Cost Estimate and Underlying Assumptions

The cost of LASER VRE is broken down into three distinct components:

  • Item 1a: Azure Resources Provision
  • Item 1b: DAT Staffing Support
  • Item 2: ITS Support Charge
  • Item 3: Fixed Infrastructure Costs

Item 1a is charged to the project’s account code, based on the monthly usage of the VRE, using the cost assumptions detailed below.

Item 1b is charged to the project’s account code at a flat rate, equivalent to 2.5% Full Time Equivalent of a mid-grade 7 role. Depending on the level of DAT support required by the project, this percentage may increase.

Items 2 and 3 represent overhead costs, which are absorbed by the university.

Assumptions for VRE Usage

LASER cost estimates are primarily derived from the Azure pricing calculator, accessible via this link. Here, VM usage costs are calculated monthly in hours, where 100% usage equates to 730 hours.

We consider three usage options:

  1. Typical Usage - 104 hours per month, equivalent to 14% usage or approximately 3 days per week (13 days per month, 8 hours per day, from 9 am – 5 pm).
  2. Lower Usage - 35 hours per month, equating to 5% usage or approximately 1 day per week (4.37 days per month, 8 hours per day, from 9 am – 5 pm).
  3. Higher Usage - 174 hours per month, representing 24% usage or approximately 5 days per week (21.75 days per month, 8 hours per day, from 9 am – 5 pm).

We generally use the ‘Typical’ usage model (Option 1) as a basis for providing LASER project cost estimates to researchers. However, we can adjust these estimates up or down to align with the specific needs and requirements of the project.
We hope this explanation offers a clearer understanding of LASER’s cost estimation process, however, if you have any question please contact us at dat@leeds.ac.uk