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SCP-7044 Safe ~ medium confidence
SCP-7044
Expected annual
$116K
One-time setup
$57K
Annual recurring
$112K
Personnel
2
Initial one-time setup is modest (primarily room retrofit, habitat plantings and basic equipment) at about $57,000; annual costs (~$112,000/yr) are dominated by dedicated animal-care and part-time research staff wages, plus veterinary, legal/PR, and ongoing supplies.
🏗️ One-Time Capital Costs Total: $57K
Facilities $22K
[#1, #17] Enclosure build-out (room retrofit) and any HVAC/microclimate modification costs; combined estimate chosen within provided ranges ($10k–$40k and $2k–$8k).
Initial Research And Lab Setup $18K
[#2, #13, #15] Initial interior plantings/landscaping, pilot human-subjects study startup costs, and initial data/storage setup; pilot-study selected at a modest scale within the $15k–$50k range and small IT setup included.
Equipment $11K
[#4, #7, #14, #16, #18, #24] Insect-cultivation setup, tracking device purchase and tagging hardware, monitoring system setup (CCTV/audio/environmental), lighting fixtures, escape/recapture gear, and transport carriers; sums use mid-to-lower range estimates from listed ranges.
Emergency Vet Fund $2K
[#10] One-time emergency veterinary fund to cover unexpected surgeries/hospitalization; chosen near midpoint of $1k–$5k.
Pr Reserve One Time $2K
[#23] One-time small public-relations / incident-response reserve for unexpected public-facing incidents.
Replacement Acquisition $1K
[#25] Contingency budget for a single replacement/acquisition event (field collection, permits, quarantine) chosen within $500–$3,000.
Background Checks One Time $300
[#22] One-time personnel vetting/background check fees per relevant staff on initial onboarding (estimate from $100–$500/person).
Permits One Time $200
[#20] Initial permit fees and filings (state/federal wildlife permits) — one-time portion.
🔄 Annual Recurring Costs Total: $112K/yr
Staff Wages $92K/yr
[#11, #12] Dedicated full-time animal care technician (salary + benefits) and part-time/contract behavioral research/monitoring staff; combined annual cost uses mid-range estimates from notes.
Cover Story And Legal $5K/yr
[#20, #23] Legal retainer/consulting for permits/compliance and modest PR/incident-response ongoing budget; includes small annual permit renewals where applicable.
Supplies And Consumables $4K/yr
[#3, #5, #6, #19, #26] Plant maintenance, insect/feeder consumables, SCP diet (seed/berries/insects), biosecurity/cleaning supplies, and enrichment consumables; sums are mid-range annual estimates.
Insurance $3K/yr
[#21] Incremental institutional insurance or specialized animal liability coverage estimate within the provided range.
Research And Monitoring $2K/yr
[#8, #14, #15] Tracking data plans and device upkeep, monitoring system storage/maintenance, and recurring data/storage/IT administration costs.
Veterinary Care $2K/yr
[#9] Annual routine veterinary retainer and wellness checks with an avian specialist; per-emergency visits assumed charged against emergency fund or billed separately.
Facilities Maintenance $1K/yr
[#16, #17] Ongoing electricity for supplemental lighting and additional HVAC/microclimate energy and maintenance (filters, minor repairs).
Administrative Overhead $1K/yr
[#27] Administrative time and processing for cross-testing approvals, scheduling, and paperwork.
Logistics And Transport $675/yr
[#18, #24, #8] Annual budget for periodic retrievals/field trips, per-move transport costs, and amortized replacement of tracking devices (replacement devices every 2–5 years amortized annually).
Emergency Drills $650/yr
[#18] Annual training/drill budget for recapture procedures and staff readiness; chosen near midpoint of $300–$1,000.
Personnel Vetting And Training $600/yr
[#22] Recurring costs for training materials, signage, and periodic enforcement for containment rules (e.g., no-cats policy).
⚡ Cost Scenarios
📊 Baseline (baseline) $112K/yr
92.0% probability / year
Normal uneventful year with routine care, monitoring, and no major incidents.
routine_care ongoing_research no_incidents
🚨 Minor Incident $114K/yr
5.0% probability / year +$2K vs baseline
Small escape or brief offsite excursion requiring retrieval and limited emergency response.
escape_retrieval lost_tracker_replacement minor_injury_treatment
🚨 Research Scale Up $262K/yr
2.0% probability / year +$150K vs baseline
A formal clinical-scale research project or larger trial requiring substantial one-time research expenditure.
clinical_trial large_scale_research expanded_participant_compensation
🚨 Major Breach $172K/yr
1.0% probability / year +$60K vs baseline
Cat-related breach or incident causing property damage, liability exposure, heavy PR/legal response, and potential replacement/quarantine costs.
unauthorized_cat_on_site structural_damage public_exposure/legal_action
👥 Personnel 2 total
Role Count Notes
Animal Care Technician 1 [#11] Dedicated full-time technician/avian caretaker responsible for daily feeding, enclosure maintenance, enrichment, and basic medical checks.
Research Scientist / Behavioral Researcher (part-time) 1 [#12] Part-time/contract researcher to document effects, run pilot studies, and manage monitoring; staffed as ~1 FTE-equivalent for budgeting purposes though duties may be shared.
📋 Confidence Notes
Many line items are concrete and ranges are narrow (high confidence for enclosure, staffing, and routine supplies) but occasional low-frequency events (major breaches, large clinical trials) introduce uncertainty in scenario probabilities and magnitudes.
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