How HAARP Solved Multi-University Research Asset Management in the Alaskan Arctic

The Challenge: Seven Universities, Countless Parameters

HAARP's facility hosts permanent research installations from universities across the country, each deploying highly specialized equipment to study different aspects of our planet's upper atmosphere and magnetic field. The diversity of instruments is staggering:

• Aurora observation cameras with parameters like shutter speed, focal length, and sensor resolution
• Solar radio burst receivers defined by operating frequency, bandwidth, and directionality
• Atmospheric radar systems measuring ionospheric properties
• Magnetometers detecting Earth's magnetic field variations

"These instruments all measure very different things, and also have very different relevant operational parameters," explains Callis. "When talking about a camera system, you may want to know the shutter speed, focal length, sensor resolution, etc, but for a radio receiver, you care about the operating frequency, bandwidth, directionality."

The problem wasn't just cataloging equipment—it was coordination. When technical issues arose, teams would get stuck in long email chains discussing troubleshooting steps and sharing system commands specific to each instrument type.

The Search for a Solution

For years, HAARP tried managing their diagnostic assets through spreadsheets, but the approach quickly became unwieldy. "Trying to track things like this in a spreadsheet quickly becomes very cumbersome, and leaves you with a database that can't be easily searched or filtered," Callis noted.

The team evaluated several options, including Snipe-IT and internal university asset management systems. They needed something that could handle:

• Cross-institutional collaboration across seven universities
• Flexible data structures for vastly different instrument types
• Easy search and filtering capabilities
• Modern, user-friendly interface that researchers would actually use

Why Shelf Made the Cut

After evaluating multiple platforms, HAARP chose Shelf. "We decided that Shelf offered the most modern experience and most user-friendly setup of the options available to us, as well as the most flexibility for our needs," says Callis.

The flexibility was key. Shelf's custom fields feature allows HAARP to create asset profiles tailored to each instrument type—recording shutter speeds for cameras and operating frequencies for radio equipment within the same system.

But it's not just about technical specifications. The team also uses custom fields to log troubleshooting information and relevant diagnostic commands for each piece of equipment. "We are also able to use this to help keep track of troubleshooting info, logging relevant commands that may be helpful in diagnosing an issue or fixing a stuck data collection process."

Beyond Basic Tracking

HAARP's implementation goes beyond simple asset cataloging:

Smart Categorization: Using Shelf's tagging system to broadly categorize instruments while maintaining detailed, instrument-specific data

Space Management: Location tracking helps the team understand facility capacity and plan equipment placement

Field Operations: QR codes on equipment allow staff to instantly access all relevant information about an instrument, crucial when working with complex research equipment in challenging conditions

"This will give our staff the ability to directly confirm that they're working with the correct instrument and pull up all the relevant information about it quickly and easily," notes Callis.

Measuring Success

While HAARP hasn't yet completed a full research campaign using their new system, they've defined clear success metrics:

• Improved coordination: All parties stay informed about equipment availability
• Better troubleshooting: Effective logging of diagnostic information for each asset
• Enhanced searchability: Easy filtering and searching compared to their old spreadsheet method

"The biggest thing we'll be looking at to gauge Shelf's effectiveness is how well it is keeping all parties informed about what equipment is available, as well as how effectively we're able to log troubleshooting info into each asset."

Looking Forward

As HAARP continues building out their workflow, they're focused on maximizing the platform's potential for their unique multi-institutional research environment. The facility represents a new model for how complex research operations can manage diverse, specialized equipment across organizational boundaries.

For other research institutions facing similar challenges, HAARP's approach demonstrates that the right asset management system isn't just about tracking equipment—it's about enabling better collaboration, faster problem-solving, and ultimately, better science.