Sharing Core Facilities and Research Resources--An Investment in Accelerating Scientific Discoveries.

Abstract

Each year, the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) invests substantial resources in core facilities that provide access to advanced cutting-edge technologies, expert consultation, and other services to scientific investigators. The facilities offer a number of services, ranging from systematic analysis and data processing, using specialized instrumentation, to access and expert advice on experimental design and evaluation needs, such as biostatistics, patient outreach, and clinical regulatory issues. The largest fraction of support for cores comes from the institutes and centers of the NIH, for example, through the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS). Significant NIH investment is spent on Center Core grants, particularly the NCI Cancer Centers, and the Clinical Translational Sciences Award Program supported by NCATS. The Office of the NIH Director’s Division of Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives (DPCPSI) also has a substantial investment in animal and biologic resource centers that provide models of human biology and disease for basic to clinical studies to researchers around the world. Many of these centers function like cores, as they provide the following: 1) high-quality, disease-free animals; 2) access to sophisticated technologies and facilities, as well as specialized animals; and 3) expert training by professional staff and consultation services. As an example, the NIH-supported National Primate Research Centers provide facilities, animals, and expertise for investigators who use nonhuman primates for biomedical research, facilitating >1000 individual research projects annually. The DPCPSI investment in core facilities also includes support through its Shared Instrument Grant program to purchase or upgrade expensive, specialized, commercially available instruments or integrated systems. This program promotes cost effectiveness; encourages optimal sharing among investigators, research groups, and departments; and fosters a collaborative, multidisciplinary environment. In many settings, the instrument is integrated in a centralized core facility. Through these investments and many other programs not listed, NIH’s annual support for research cores is estimated conservatively at $900 million. Given this large investment, it is critical that both NIH and the research institutions receiving support for these resources identify and implement approaches that enhance core resource efficiencies.