The office of Research Operations oversees a portfolio of core research facilities in the Division of Biology and Medicine at Brown University. Serving as centers of intellectual exchange and collaboration, each technology-focused facility provides a broad spectrum of investigators access to state of the art instrumentation, current technology services, and expert consultation. Each of these facilities has special capabilities. They are directed and managed by scientific experts that provide exceptional customer service, training, and resource management. A variety of classroom, workshop, and individual training initiatives are sponsored by many of the facilities.  These high technology facilities are sustainably financed by a mixed funding model that includes grant awards, user fees, and institutional support. Cost effectiveness and efficiency are achieved by centralization of equipment, economy of scale savings, improved quality control, and rapid turnaround times. Advanced technology platforms of similar scale and productivity would not be financially feasible for any individual lab to purchase, upgrade, and maintain.

• Enable and facilitate access to shared research resources
• Relieve the administrative burden of core facility managers and directors
• Ensure consistency, efficiency, and adoption of best business practices by providing centralized administrative services
• Assist with budget development, submission and monitoring
• Promote sustainable core operations through responsive user fee development
• Provide monthly billing services for all internal and external core facility use
• Purchase core facility laboratory supplies and service contracts
• Ensure compliance with University and federal regulations and policies
• Serve as a liaison between core facility management and university offices
• Facilitate acquisition of research instrumentation
• Coordinate core oversight and evaluation activities

The office of Research Operations oversees the business operations for 11 BioMed Core Research Facilities. The responsibilities of this office include the following:

• Annual core facility budgets, rates, and reports
• Monthly invoicing
• Daily purchasing
• Capital equipment inventories
• Sustainability planning
• Core facility management software implementation
• Websites
• User surveys
• Liaison with other offices
  • BioMed Research Administration
  • BioMed Finance and Planning
  • Biomed Facilities Planning and Operations
  • Controller’s Office
  • Office of Vice President for Research

Rhode Island universities, colleges and academic medical centers across the state collaborated to develop the CoresRI.org website (www.CoresRI.org); a directory of core research facilities, services and instrumentation in Rhode Island. Development of CoresRI grew out of a need to maximize awareness and optimize utilization of these important core facility resources within the state. Besides encouraging equipment sharing and reducing duplication of services, CoresRI.org fosters collaborations and enables investigators to better assess future shared equipment needs. The CoresRI directory catalogues instruments (specific makes, models, and uses), services, resources, locations, and contact personnel. Through the directory, researchers can easily search for instruments and services and directly link to the core facility’s website for more detailed information. The site currently lists over 953 instruments, services or resources located within 148 facilities at 19 institutions and 84 centers.

Pamela Swiatek, PhD, MBA
Director of Research Operations and Major Proposal Coordination
Pamela_Swiatek@brown.edu
Telephone: (401) 863-3228

Lincoln Cox, MS
Financial Operations Specialist
Lincoln_Cox@brown.edu
(401) 863-2570

Eric Olson
Financial and Administrative Coordinator
Eric_Olson@brown.edu
Telephone: (401) 863-9143

Ryan Leverone
Financial and Administrative Coordinator
Ryan_Leverone@brown.edu
Telephone: (401) 863-1814