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Centralized core admin org structures

  • 1.  Centralized core admin org structures

    Posted 07-24-2024 17:18

    For those of you that have centralized administration of core facilities, what does your org structure look like? How many people are on your team, and in what roles, broadly speaking? How many folks do you have working directly with you, and what duties are handled by other areas in other reporting lines? We're doing some reorganization, and I'm thinking through what a core management team structure might look like for us. Thanks!



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    Natasha Nikolaidis
    Associate Director of Operations
    Purdue University
    West Lafayette IN
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  • 2.  RE: Centralized core admin org structures

    Posted 07-25-2024 12:05

    Hi Natasha,

    I think to respond to your question we would need a little more information.

    1. is this centralization for a school or University?
    2. How many cores are involved?
    3. If for the University do you just support the broader business or are you owner/operator of all cores on campus?

    Happy to chat more on a call about what UNC is doing.

    Meghan



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    Meghan Kraft
    Interim Director of Research Core Strategy
    University of North Carolina
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  • 3.  RE: Centralized core admin org structures

    Posted 07-25-2024 13:06

    If there is a wider discussion around this I would like to be involved.  Our cores are not at all centralized and I would at least like to lay the groundwork for a central administrative support.  Thanks for bringing up this topic.



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    Janette Lamb
    Institutional Research Cores Program Director
    Medical College of Wisconsin
    Wisconsin WI
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  • 4.  RE: Centralized core admin org structures

    Posted 07-25-2024 13:12

    Please keep me in the loop. Here at CU Boulder, we are working on developing a central support program but are currently at the very initial stages.

     

    I'm happy to share my experiences thus far with anyone that is interested.

     

    Best,

     

    Joe

     

    -----

     

    Joe Dragavon
     
    Director
    BioFrontiers Advanced Light Microscopy Core 
    JSCBB C315

    Teams/Office: 303.735.6988
    Cell: 720.934.2933
    University of Colorado Boulder
     

    Arrange a Training or a Meeting: 43ec276be94b4ad5bdb7519f84eda1dc@colorado.edu?anonymous&ep=plink" title="https://outlook.office.com/bookwithme/user/43ec276be94b4ad5bdb7519f84eda1dc@colorado.edu?anonymous&ep=plink">Click Here

    Website: https://advancedimaging.colorado.edu/
    Need an Instrument?: https://www.colorado.edu/sharedinstrumentation/core-facilities-collections 

     






  • 5.  RE: Centralized core admin org structures

    Posted 07-25-2024 13:24

    I think one of our committees might be working on this? This would be a great topic also for Vegas! @Andy Chitty is this something your admin committee is talking about?



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    Meghan Kraft
    Interim Director of Research Core Strategy
    University of North Carolina
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  • 6.  RE: Centralized core admin org structures

    Posted 07-25-2024 13:39
    There are plans in the works for sessions around this in Vegas!

    Natasha Nikolaidis
    Purdue University
    West Lafayette, IN




  • 7.  RE: Centralized core admin org structures

    Posted 07-25-2024 13:23

    I agree that it really depends on your organization. We have a bit of a hybrid model where we have some centralized cores and others not. However, we offer basic infrastructure for all cores including access to our core management system, rate review, equal promotion on websites, etc. to promote best practices and compliance. We also support when there may be issues between units in non-centralized cores. Strongly recommend you require all cores to leverage one core management system. 

    Happy to chat more if helpful.



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    Tess Kuenstling
    Assistant Vice Chancellor for Research Resources
    University of Nebraska Medical Center
    Omaha NE
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  • 8.  RE: Centralized core admin org structures

    Posted 07-25-2024 16:19
      |   view attached

    We are currently in the process of moving to a centralized core facility program managed by our Office of Research. I am the director of the program, so of course heading up the centralization process. Would be happy to talk through our structure and how the centralization process is going. I am attaching a PPT with some of the details of how we organized and socialized the program.



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    Kristen Massey, MS
    Director of Core Facilities
    University of Tennessee
    Knoxville, TN
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    Attachment(s)

    pptx
    Cores program update_final.pptx   19.31 MB 1 version


  • 9.  RE: Centralized core admin org structures

    Posted 07-25-2024 16:24

    Hi Natasha,

    At the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, we have about eight core facilities under central administration and some cores operate within different research departments and institutes. The central administration also oversees other fee-for-service facilities that we do not consider as cores because they provide just one service (freezer farm, offsite freezer storage, irradiator, etc.) as well as some regulatory and institutional committees. Four people, including me, provide the overall oversight. I mostly handle HR and administration. We have a financial analyst who started recently. We both report to the Dean for Research Operations and Infrastructure. Two managers report to me. They help me with 1) administrative support for the committees, and 2) cold storage. Together we oversee a budget or close $20M annually. 

    I hope this information helps. Please let me know if you have any follow-up questions and I more than happy to expand or meet with you if that helps.

    Thanks,
    Shekhar



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    Shekhar Patil
    Administrative Director, CoREs and Shared Resources
    Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
    New York NY
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  • 10.  RE: Centralized core admin org structures

    Posted 07-29-2024 13:46

    At Stowers Institute (privately funded research institute), we had the core directors report to the COO few years ago. Since then, we have gone through some reorganizations. Now we have two admins and core directors and heads report to both these individuals. The admins report to the Scientific Director. Some small cores are grouped together, and larger ones are not. For instance, Media Preparation and Cell and Tissue Culture fall under one director and Genomics is a standalone core that is directed by me. 

    Director = Oversees a large core or multiple cores. Directors report to Admin.

    Heads = Oversee smaller or new cores. Heads report to either a director or Admin.



    ------------------------------
    Anoja Perera
    Director, Sequencing and Discovery Genomics
    Stowers Institute for Medical Research
    Kansas City MO
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  • 11.  RE: Centralized core admin org structures

    Posted 08-04-2024 14:42

    Hi Natasha - 

    At UMASS Chan Medical School, we have 1 centralized office that supports approximately 45 Core Facilities.    The central office consists of a Director (me) and 4 Operations Accountants.   We do all the financial support (quotes, invoicing, reporting, etc - revenues of $28M/yearly) along with purchase orders, service contracts, facility work and marketing outreach.    We do not handle HR related work (opening reqs, etc) as their are 150+ people in our facilities.  Those responsibilities belong to each Core's home department as the Core people report into those respective areas.   

    We historically reported into the VP for Research, but the Institution recently reorged and we are now reporting into Administration and Finance.    

    I'd welcome being part of a discussion group on this topic!    Reach out if you'd like more info! 

    Susanna



    ------------------------------
    Susanna Perkins
    Director, Research Cores & Operations
    University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School (UMASS)
    Worcester MA
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  • 12.  RE: Centralized core admin org structures

    Posted 08-04-2024 21:28

    Hi

    At U. Michigan, we are a very decentralized institution.  With over 100 cores, each core is administratively under the unit it is in.  (Unit refers to institute or college/school..e.g, Medical School, College of Engineering, etc).  There was no centralized support for cores.  Around 3 years ago, the VP of Research wanted to centralize aspects of cores under the OVPR.  I stepped into newly forged role as Director of the Research Cores Office to provide centralized support.   Our mission is just that, to provide support to cores.  This include helping navigate recharge rates, establishing best practices, building community for core staff, etc.  At this point, it is myself and a Program Manager.  At this point, we have no actual "authority" to make cores do things (as they fall under their units), but rather will likely offer more support to those that opt to follow our suggestion (lead with carrots instead of sticks).  

    Happy to discuss further.

    Evan



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    Evan Keller
    Director of Research Cores
    University of Michigan
    Ann Arbor MI
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  • 13.  RE: Centralized core admin org structures

    Posted 08-05-2024 02:48

    Hi Natasha, 

    at the Justus Liebig University in Giessen, Germany we do have some centralized CFs and others which are administrated within their institution. Right now we (my team and myself - three people altogether) are developing a Core Facility Strategy for the university to centralize more CFs. Templates for statutes and "rules of use" are in place already. At the moment our main task is to show the advantages which come by being a centralized CF :-) 

    I would love to be kept in the loop as well for this topic. Thanks so much for bringing this up!

    Christian



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    Christian Riese
    Assistent to the Vice President for Scientific Research
    Justus Liebig University Giessen
    Giessen
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