central coordination of core facility management

CENTRAL COORDINATION OF CORE FACILITY
MANAGEMENT
CHALLENGES, SOLUTIONS AND BEST PRACTICES
NIH-ABRF WORKSHOP ON ENHANCING EFFICIENCY OF RESEARCH
CORE FACILITIES
MARCH 28, 2015
JULIE A. AUGER
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR, CAMPUS CORE FACILITIES PROGRAM
A Perspective Informed by 3 Institutions
University of
Chicago
University of
California
Davis
OSRF in 2000
BSD
25 Cores
University of
California San
Francisco
RRP in 2010
80 Cores
CFP in 2015
+ /- 170 Cores
CENTRALIZATION:
WHAT IT IS NOT
Centralized Core Management: What it is not…
Sun- setting &
Layoffs
Empire Building
Co- localization of all
facilities to one
building.
Scientific & technology
decisions being made by
a single administrator
CENTRALIZATION:
WHAT IT IS
Centralized Core Management: What it is…
• Systematic tools to support/enhance
operations of shared research facilities
• Processes for effective review
& transparency of available
resources
• Effective
information
gathering &
sharing for
informed decisions
making research
dollars go farther
BENEFITS
Centralization: What are the benefits?
For Cores:
Support for needs
assessments
Increased awareness of
operations
Financial
stability &
ability to plan;
efficient billing
& recovery
Ability to focus on science and technology, not
administrative tasks
Additional Benefits to Cores:
• Focus on education (staff & clients)
• Increased investment by funding agencies
• Increased attention to deferred maintenance
• Efficiencies of scale for specialized support
Centralization: What are the benefits?
For Institutions:
• Increased strategic investment opportunities
• Increased faculty satisfaction regarding service & access
= recruitment & retention benefits
• Ability to leverage group buying power
• Increased revenue recovery from external sources
• Reduced audit risk (i.e. elimination of inequitable charge
practices)
• Reduction of deficit spending by shared research facilities
APPROACH
Central/coordinated funding could support the
following possibilities:
• Central specialized business functions
• Educational experiences beyond service mission
(undergrad, grad & professional schools) and technical
training
• Ability to conduct R&D that enables the development
of next- gen applications and/or technologies
• Recruitment, retention and continuing education of
core scientists to ensure they have skill sets relevant
to the research community needs
Keys to Success
Keys to Success
• Core Directors retained autonomy over the things they
are really good at:
• scientific and technology decisions
• Personnel management
• R&D
• Central Administrators served as partners to ensure
Core Directors were getting the most information to
make those decisions and supported cores in areas
they were not so good at, like business skills.
Keys to Success
• Leadership that believed in the promise of
coordination and a bit of social good in a meritocratic
environment
• Leadership in institutional NIH- funded centers who
saw the logic & were willing to discuss a coordinated
approach with cross- Institute NIH Program Officers
and University Center Directors
Keys to Success
• Recognition that “one- size” does NOT fit all
Keys to Success
• Realization that while committee work is slow, broad
discussion is important for institutional guidelines,
policies and investments
Keys to Success
• A recognition by the NIH that NIH- funded core
facilities are key to the scientific mission
• NCRR Workshop in July, 2009
• Request for Comment and subsequent publication of FAQs
WHERE DO WE START?
Core Director Challenges: desperate for
solutions
• Communication & Visibility Tools
(yes, please)
• Search engines
• Websites
• Sponsored technology seminars and Core Expos
• Grant writing support
(yes, please)
• Instrumentation grants
• Center grants
• Equipment management
(yes, please)
• Service contracts/maintenance
• Inventory
• Mechanisms for researcher training & education to
create an nimble user base (we can’t charge – we’re an
ACADEMIC institution)
Institutional Challenges: desperate for
solutions
• Need for change while keeping institutional integrity
(history of R0- 1 based culture)
• Need reduction in deficit spending by cores and
researchers
• Limited process for evaluation of ad hoc subsidy
requests
• Improvement to risk management (financial audit,
biosafety, IP protection)
• Faster discoveries resulting in increased external
support of research activities
• A content, successful, engaged research community
BEST PRACTICES
Solutions/Best Practices
• Invest in Core Scientists – technology is just hardware
• develop requirements for continuing education of core scientists
to adapt to changing technologies and applications available
(really – you will pay for me to go to a conference? Or no, I don’t want to learn
anything new.)
• Specialized expertise in financial management
(What do
you mean?)
• Rate setting methodology
• Monthly financial reports of revenue & expenses of full portfolio
• Spending decisions
• Tools
(use better not be harder than what I currently do.)
• Electronic Usage tracking
• Online scheduling & service requests including estimates
• Automated monthly billing
Solutions/Best Practices (continued)
• Balance rechargeable activities with subsidization of
R&D and Training/Education
• Definitions
• What is a “core”?
• What is a Faculty Director vs a Technical Director vs a Core
Manager?
• Consistent Guidance
(I was ok flying under the radar)
• Regulatory issues: biosafety, audit compliance, Unrelated
Business Income Tax
• Biosafety
• Work with external clients – Business Contracts, IP consideration
• Develop appropriate incentives at EACH stage
(Do not
expect anyone to change if it is not easier, better, cheaper or worth
the additional cost)
COMMUNITY OPPORTUNITIES
Needed Program Development - Opportunities
• Core Directors (non- faculty) as PI on S10 grants – a
key change to moving toward more shared
environment but many Institutions remain opposed
• Program support to train Core Scientists in business
skills necessary to be more efficient business
managers (this is not your routine research lab)
• Improved programmatic support for acquisition of
cutting- edge technologies in core facilities. Personnel
and service contract support is critical during early
years of building a sustaining user- base.
Cultural Change is the Biggest Obstacle of All
It is not the strongest of the species that
survives, nor the most intelligent that
survives. It is the one that is the most
adaptable to change.
~Charles Darwin