Typically a faculty member serves as the scientific/core director on a part-time basis. This individual is responsible for the overall scientific management of the operations of the specific core and for:

• Developing an overall plan for the proposed core.
• Expanding, downsizing and/or closing in order to ensure a match between ore facility capabilities and the strategic scientific mission.
• Reviewing and updating the long-range plans, ensuring coordination between individual core plans and the core’s scientific mission.
• Comparing the core to peer institutions’ resources through benchmarking studies.
• Analyzing the facility operating metrics.
• Identifying external funding opportunities and assisting faculty members in obtaining external support for research infrastructure.
• Developing a space-planning process as it relates to the implementation of the overall plan.
• Reviewing outsourcing opportunities, presenting recommendations and implementing decisions.
• Assessing the impact of developing technologies on current facility operations and presenting the recommendations.
• Developing a budget and conducting a resource analysis with assistance from the Office of Cost Analysis.
• Maintaining expertise in the use of the facility and being available for assistance with planning experiments.
• Overseeing other personnel in the core, possibly including a technical director and technician.
• Overseeing the review and improvement of operational performance.
• Overseeing policy development.
• Reporting annually to the advisory committee on the activities of the core, including use, publications and grants, finances, and future needs.

Depending on the size of a core, a core manager may be hired to manage the daily operations of the core facility. This individual is responsible for the overall operations of the core, including management of equipment and personnel, and for:

• Supervising and hiring personnel in the core.
• Making accurate estimations of staffing, operating expenses and service volumes.
• Completing recharge calculation templates and generating service delivery rates, together with their departmental administrator/financial manager and the Office of Cost Analysis.
• Ensuring that all expenses and revenues are reviewed and deemed appropriate.
• Working with scientific/core director to submit requests for new equipment or space.
• Troubleshooting equipment and maintaining service contracts.
• Submitting monthly billing to the department administrator/financial manager.
• Overseeing quality control/assurance programs related to laboratory test methodology, equipment and supplies.
• Maintaining high level of service by staff through training and service orientation.

Each core should have an assigned department administrator or financial manager to assist with operations and financial management. This individual is responsible for:

• Providing knowledge of human resources policies and procedures, financial compliance, and service center federal regulations.
• Assisting with developing, reviewing and approving business plans, budget and rates submission.
• Submitting monthly billing through SAP.
• Providing scientific/core director and core manager with monthly statements of core facility account activity.
• Assisting with the submission of annual reports to the Office of Cost Analysis and the business office.
• Monitoring of core facility surpluses and deficits to assist with developing a strategy for elimination of surplus or deficit.

The Office of Cost Analysis is responsible for calculation of fringe benefit and F & A rates and the review and approval of service center accounts. The office reports directly to the Office of the Controller and is responsible for:

• Assisting the scientific/core director in the business planning process, including rate calculation, three-year break-even budget and volume projections, which are then referred to the core advisory committee.
• Developing, reviewing and approving business plans, budget and rates submission.
• Ensuring that scientific/core directors monitor fund balances on a regular basis.
• Assisting scientific/core directors in financial compliance with federal regulation, applicable sponsor and institutional policies. 
• Conucting reviews of cores to ensure compliance with federal regulations.
• Conducting an annual review of the expenses, income and adjustment of budgets and rates as appropriate.