← SCP Cost Explorer Read on SCP Wiki ↗
SCP-5378 Neutralized ~ medium confidence
SCP-5378
Expected annual
$23K
One-time setup
$19K
Annual recurring
$23K
Personnel
1
One-time setup costs are approximately $18,950, driven by equipment, initial research setup, and permits; recurring costs are about $22,510/yr driven by part-time caretaker wages, ongoing research/documentation, and institutional contingency/overhead.
🏗️ One-Time Capital Costs Total: $19K
Equipment $5K
[#2, #10, #11] Environmental control hardware, monitoring/time‑lapse/macro cameras, and stereo (dissecting) microscope one‑time purchases.
Ethical Enrichment Setup $3K
[#18] Initial setup and staff training for enrichment/ethical care protocols in case of sapience classification.
Initial Research And Lab Setup $2K
[#12, #11] Initial research lab buildout and photogrammetry/3D scanning software/hardware and bench setup for documentation and imaging.
Archive Cover Legal One Time $2K
[#20] One‑time legal/PR/cover‑story or archival redaction costs if confidentiality measures are required.
Entomologist Initial Consult $2K
[#8] Initial specialist assessment and setup consultation (sapience assessment, welfare/enrichment plan).
Permits And Ethical Review Initial $1K
[#13] Initial permits, IACUC/ethics review fees, and paperwork for lawful containment/ethical compliance.
Necropsy Sample Analysis $1K
[#9] One‑time necropsy/sample analysis (histology, DNA/molecular work, outsourced analysis) if performed.
Security Installation $700
[#17] One‑time basic access control / lock/keycard installation (optional small system).
Specimen Preservation Setup $600
[#14] Fixatives, vials, archival supplies, and small cold/storage setup for tissue/miniature preservation.
Transportation Acquisition $550
[#15] Field collection / acquisition and biosecure transport container / courier costs (one‑time).
Facilities $500
[#1] Small escape‑proof terrarium / containment box and basic enclosure construction/modification.
🔄 Annual Recurring Costs Total: $23K/yr
Research And Monitoring $10K/yr
[#8, #10, #11, #12] Ongoing entomologist / behavior specialist fees, cloud storage, occasional outsourced imaging (SEM/micro‑CT), and annual research/documentation budget (photogrammetry, analysis, publication/internal reporting).
Staff Wages $4K/yr
[#7] Part‑time animal technician / caretaker labor for daily feeding, weekly cleaning, observations (0.02–0.1 FTE).
Contingency And Overhead $3K/yr
[#19] Institutional overhead and contingency (administrative charges, unforeseen expenses; estimated ~15–40% of project direct costs).
Ethical Enrichment Program $1K/yr
[#18] Ongoing enrichment, welfare protocol implementation, and staff training if subjects are treated as sapient.
Insurance And Liability $1K/yr
[#16] Annual general lab insurance and liability coverage for small invertebrate research.
Supplies And Consumables $985/yr
[#4, #5, #6, #14] Food (raisins, supplements), substrate/flora replacement, weekly cleaning consumables, and archival consumables replenishment.
Cover Story And Legal $600/yr
[#13, #20] Annual administrative upkeep for permits/compliance and minimal legal/PR retainer for confidentiality where required.
Veterinary And Necropsy Per Event Planning $500/yr
[#9] Budgeted per‑event veterinary consultation and planning for exotic/insectia necropsy (planning/consult fees).
Security And Access Control $450/yr
[#17] Annual maintenance/service for locks/keycard logs and restricted access controls.
Facilities Maintenance $150/yr
[#3] Electricity and basic utilities for environmental controller, cameras and lights.
Logistics And Transport $0/yr
[]
⚡ Cost Scenarios
📊 Baseline (baseline) $23K/yr
89.5% probability / year
Normal uneventful year with routine care, documentation, and no major incidents.
regular_care scheduled_documentation no_incidents
🚨 Minor Incident $25K/yr
8.0% probability / year +$2K vs baseline
Small containment or health incident (pest/mold outbreak, minor injury) requiring extra cleaning, vet consult, and replacement materials.
pest_or_mold_outbreak minor_injury_or_illness
🚨 Research Scaleup $38K/yr
2.0% probability / year +$15K vs baseline
Decision to expand into a small formal research program requiring added imaging, higher research budget, and additional contracted staff/time.
grant_or_PI_initiated_scaleup unexpected_research_opportunity
🚨 Political Exposure $53K/yr
0.5% probability / year +$30K vs baseline
Public/political exposure or legal complication requiring extensive PR/legal work, elevated security, and possible relocation.
media_exposure legal_challenge requirement_for_secrecy
👥 Personnel 1 total
Role Count Notes
Animal Technician / Caretaker 1 [#7] Part‑time caretaker (daily feeding, weekly cleaning, observations) reflected in staff_wages recurring cost.
📋 Confidence Notes
Analyst notes provide granular line items and ranges for most costs, enabling a mid‑confidence estimate; uncertainty remains around optional legal/PR choices, frequency of outsourced imaging, and institutional overhead percentages.
← SCP-5377 ↑ All SCPs SCP-5379 →