Pre-Conference Workshops
Pre-Conference Workshop
Business Skills Workshop (8:30 AM – 4:30 PM Monday, September 15)
Core facilities provide instrumentation and services to a wide range of investigators and institutions. This seemingly straight forward fee-for-service model used in most cores is in reality a sophisticated integration of science and business. Core facilities are born out of scientific need, but they are also driven by compliance and uniform guidance set forth by the federal government. Even though these two entities work in tandem, there often is a gap in understanding the relationship between science and business by the scientists and administrators of core facilities.
The Business Skills Workshop for Core Facility Directors, Managers and Administrators provides a hands-on approach in addressing the business side of operating a core facility. The program is designed to emphasize the way science and business can work together to operate efficiently. The workshop is designed to be highly interactive and covers topics such as:
- Creating a business plan
- Budget development
- Rate settings
- Policies and procedures established by OMB
- Purchase and lease agreements of fixed assets
- Compliance issues through actual audit findings
The goal is to provide a comprehensive understanding of the relationship of the science, the customer, and the business side of operating a core facility. Through instruction and exercises we will provide attendees with the tools to better communicate and better understand the need and requirements of core facilities best business practices, thus, creating a relationship of cooperation between scientists and administrators.
