Research Resources Reporter November 2025

CONTENTS

• RCRP4
• Facilities Day
• MWACD Attendance

 

Research Core Revitalization Program Round 4 (RCRP4)

The fourth round of the Research Core Revitalization Program (RCRP4) is currently open and closes February 20, 2026. This program strengthens campus research core capacities by supporting the upgrade, replacement or duplication of heavily used shared research resources. Shared instruments, equipment and other resources play a critical role in research across the university and typically have a limited lifespan. Although essential and highly used, these critical resources may not be eligible or competitive for federal and other external grant programs targeting new capabilities and technologies. Researchers across campus depend on the shared resources managed by cores, and investment in renewing these capabilities ensures the continuity and productivity of our research enterprise.

Detailed information for applying to the Research Core Revitalization Program is at research.wisc.edu. Contact Sarah Brodnick at skkorinek@wisc.edu for application questions.

Facilities Day

The eleventh annual Facilities Day will be hosted by the Wisconsin Centers for Nanoscale Technology and the Materials Research Science and Engineering Center on the University of Wisconsin–Madison Campus.

The right techniques for your research:  Facilities Day features tutorials for common microscopy and microanalysis techniques available in the UW–Madison shared facilities. These tutorials and introductions are an excellent learning opportunity for everyone, from faculty and graduate students to industrial users.

For more information and to register please visit https://mrsec.wisc.edu/shared-facilities-overview/2026-facilities-day/.

Core Facility Staff Attend MWACD

Members from UW Cores attended the Midwest Association of Core Directors (MWACD – a regional chapter of the Association of Biomolecular Resource Facilities (ABRF)) from October 22nd to October 24th at Memorial Union. Core facility staff from all over the Midwest and from multiple scientific disciplines attended this networking opportunity. The meeting was hosted by Molly Zeller (2026 MWACD President) of the UWBC DNA Sequencing Facility.

Along with UW Madison core tours and a tour of the Promega Kornberg Center, great discussions were had around the following topics: Mentoring, Administrative Centralized Support, AI in Core Technology, Diversifying Income Streams, IT Limits and Compliance, Reframing CVs and Resumes for Shared Resource Staff, and the FAIR Model.

In keeping with the conference theme, “Building Sustainable Cores in Challenging Times,” one of the breakout sessions explored strategies to diversify core facility income streams. The session featured talks on SBIR partnerships, philanthropy, and expanding external business. The philanthropy segment addressed how Core Directors, often without formal fundraising experience or extra time, can realistically pursue donor support. This interactive discussion offered practical, actionable advice on generating philanthropic funding without disrupting daily operations. In the external business segment, Dr. Hockberger shared his experience on growing an external customer base, emphasizing key questions to consider before expanding, understanding your core mission, aligning with stakeholder expectations, assessing growth capacity, developing partnership templates, consolidating services, and strengthening business skills.

Overall, attendance from both UW Madison and other Midwest universities was great! Out of 105 academic attendees, 43 of those were from UW Madison. The MWACD Organizing Committee would like to especially thank all the cores that participated in the core tours. If anyone is interested in getting more involved in ABRF, MWACD, or would just like to learn more about either, please reach out to Molly Zeller (zeller2@wisc.edu). You can join us for the national ABRF meeting in Pittsburgh, PA – Saturday, March 28 – Tuesday, March 31, 2026.

Shout-outs

***Want to thank or recognize a core staff member who went above and beyond to support your research or the research of a core user? Email Sarah Brodnick (skkorinek@wisc.edu) with the individual’s name and a sentence or two about why they deserve a shout-out. Shout-outs will also be posted at https://research.wisc.edu/research-cores/research-resources-reporter/.