What is a core facility?

Background

The present tendency with regard to scientific equipment is that it becomes increasingly expensive and demanding as well as costly in terms of operation. Thus, it is difficult for the individual researcher to acquire a full suite of equipment, cover its running costs and entertain the necessary highly qualified technical staff for frontline research. Seen from a national perspective it is imperative that equipment granted is not only made available for a single research group and its collaborators, but is used to its full potential during its lifespan. This is reflected in the NRCs INFRASTRUKTUR effort where access for the whole research community is an important requirement.The core facility concept is an answer to the above challenges, answering both the needs of the NRC and of the scientific community, both those owning and lacking advanced equipment and staff.

Concept

A core facility is a compilation of equipment and highly qualified staff under a common organizational umbrella. Its mission is dual. Firstly it carries out methods R&D on the basis of its equipment in order to forward its range and quality with regard to methods and ensure that these are in the frontline of its field. Secondly, available and newly developed methods are implemented as service to be offered for the benefit of the wider research environment at a low price and without any demand for collaboration.

This concept thus answers the needs of the NRC by ensuring that equipment is used to its full potential during its lifespan and is made widely available. Further, it answers the needs of researchers that have been granted funding for equipment. They can leave the operation of their equipment to the core facility and its staff. This does not only provide problem free use for the researcher and eliminate the need to hire staff, but also, through granting other researchers access at an agreed price, reduces of eliminates the running costs. Personnel and running costs often surmount the initial investment several times. For the researchers that lacks a certain equipment or competent staff, it eliminates both the need to acquire equipment or hire staff as well as to engage in collaborations. Thus, the threshold for access is drastically lowered. Over time, if this concept is fully implemented, it is probable that methodological mobility/cross disciplinary cooperation will increase dramatically.

Career options

Specialized core facilities offers unique career opportunities for researchers that want to an exit into a more technical channel while retaining a challenging job through intense specialization within a specific field.