Building a Sustainable Portfolio of Core Facilities: a Case Study

Abstract

Core facilities are an integral component of modern research institutions. Here, we describe our efforts over the past decade to build a sustainable portfolio of core facilities at Northwestern University. Through careful strategic planning, coordination, investment, and oversight, we have developed a model for managing core facilities that addresses researchers' needs within 3 schools across 2 campuses. Our management model is a partnership between core directors and central administrators that maintains operational control of each facility at the local level to ensure that the needs of researchers are being addressed. Central administrative oversight ensures that facilities are compliant with federal regulations, are financially sound, and align with institutional priorities. This hybrid management model is comprised of 4 pillars that are essential and necessary to ensure the long-term viability and success of facilities: core personnel, core space, institutional investment, and institutional evaluation. With these pillars in place, our facilities are well positioned to fulfill their key value propositions, to demonstrate a robust return on the university's investment, and to ensure that facilities remain vibrant, sustainable components of the research ecosystem for the foreseeable future.

Keywords: federal regulations; management model; pillars; return on investment.

FIGURE 1

Core facilities at Northwestern University are spread across 4 areas of research: engineering, chemistry, biomedical, and medicine (clinical). The facilities on the left side are primarily on the Evanston campus, where there is a flat, egalitarian, organizational structure. The facilities on the right side are primarily on the Chicago campus, where there is a hierarchical, clinically focused organizational structure. Some facilities serve both campuses and must contend with their cultural differences.

FIGURE 2

The 4 pillars for building a sustainable portfolio of core facilities. Each pillar is essential and necessary to ensure a level foundation on which to make decisions.

FIGURE 3

Photographs of core space for the Integrated Molecular Structure Education and Research Center facility in the chemistry department: a) NMR suite, b) X-ray crystallography suite, c) mass spectroscopy suite, and d) computer classroom.

FIGURE 4

Summary of recharge revenue (blue) and institutional investment (other colors) in core facilities over the past 9 yr at Northwestern University.

FIGURE 5

Organizational structure and responsibilities of the office of Core Facilities Administration at Northwestern University.

FIGURE 6

Spider diagram depicting scores (0–10) across 8 categories in the annual report of an outstanding core facility. Scores were generated by leadership of the Core Facilities Administration using annual reports and other considerations during the year.

FIGURE 7

Relative rating of all core facilities for each category shown in Fig. 6. The size of each bubble reflects the number of core facilities receiving that rating. Note the fairly uniform distribution of scores within most categories, suggesting that criteria used for scoring are well balanced across core facilities.