This no-cost service is coordinated by the Director of VBRI Shared Resources, L. William Cashdollar, PhD, and the senior coordinator of shared resources and laboratory operations. When planning to refer to VBRI’s Shared Resources in a grant proposal, the investigator should arrange a meeting with Shared Resources by contacting sharedresources@versiti.org to discuss the nature and scope of the project and the specific aspects relevant to Shared Resources utilization.

Core staff will then work with the investigator to develop:

• A budget for the use of shared instrumentation and services. With the implementation of iLabs, requests for Shared Resources use require a funded account. Core staff will provide a realistic estimate for fees associated with the planned work. In addition, this information is essential for enabling Shared Resources to proactively plan for future needs and use by investigators.
• Descriptions of instrumentation and capabilities needed to successfully complete the proposed experiments. This information will be tailored to the project and included in the “Facilities and Other Resources” section of the application. View descriptions of all other instrumentation and services provided by VBRI’s Shared Resources.
• Description of specific experimental methods. This information will be tailored to the project and may be included in the “Experimental Plan” section of the application. Investigators are encouraged to consult with the relevant staff of Shared Resources to discuss the feasibility and scientific rigor of the experimental design.
• Letters of support tailored to the specific requirements of the proposed experiments. Leaders of the relevant core labs will provide statements that include a description of the proposed work, a commitment to conduct this work in a timely manner, and the feasibility and rigor of the experimental design.
• Biosketches of Shared Resources staff. These biosketches will be tailored to the project and document that core labs leaders and staff are trained and capable of performing the proposed studies. Please note that biosketches are required for key personnel (to be included in the “Research & Related Senior/Key Person Profile” section) but are optional for other staff.