FASEB Hosts First Virtual Shared Research Resources Roundtable

By: Beth Oates
Thursday, June 17, 2021

On June 17, FASEB is hosting a virtual Shared Research Resources (SRRs) Roundtable to engage stakeholders from academia, government, industry, and non-profit stakeholders in a discussion of strategies to advance shared resources and scientific collaboration. SRRs refer to the scientific instrumentation and expertise that exist within institutional core facilities and centers and provide widespread access to cutting-edge technologies for trainees, faculty, and staff.

The Roundtable serves as an opportunity to address ongoing challenges and opportunities for SRRs, many of which are outlined in the FASEB SRR Task Force’s final report, Maximizing Shared Research Resources. To highlight the report’s recommendations—which include improving institutional stewardship; growing a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive SRR workforce; and prioritizing sustainability in SRR decisions—the Roundtable will feature presentations on each section of the report and small group discussions to allow additional feedback and dialogue between participants. Identification of best practices and brainstorming next steps for supporting SRRs will be the primary focus of these sessions. Feedback from these discussions will support the Roundtable’s overall goal to foster partnerships, strengthen existing opportunities, and bolster communication between stakeholders, funding agencies, and advocacy groups.

Additionally, the Task Force’s recent policy brief, “Establishing a National Strategy for Shared Research Resources,” will be incorporated into the Roundtable discussion. Now available via preprint, the brief reflects on the role of SRRs in biomedical research advancements and emphasizes their necessity to achieve ongoing national initiatives, including infrastructure revitalization and development of treatments for devastating diseases such as cancer and COVID-19. More importantly, the brief envisions the positive impact of a national SRR strategy on federal and institutional enterprises and recommends the National Institutes of Health lead this initiative through additional funding support and streamlined scientific collaboration.

Although participation in the Roundtable is limited to invited guests, FASEB will live-stream the event presentations on its YouTube channel. A summary report and webinar will be available on the FASEB website shortly after the event. To read more about the contributions of SRRs in biomedical research progress, visit FASEB’s resources.