At UCHC

1.  All core facilities are subsidized to a significant degree.  The
percentage of subsidy (as % of total budget) varies, but all are in the
range of 40 - 60%.  The balance needed for operations is recovered through
user fees.

2.  The fee structure is evaluated yearly in a process where the Director of
the facility proposes a budget, including revenue based upon a particular
fee algorithm, and the proposal reviewed by a series of faculty oversight
committees.  The cost accounting principles used in designing the fee
structure vary from facility to facility, depending upon the amount of
useage and size of operation.  Our animal care facility conducts a major
cost accounting study every few years to be sure our fees are in line with
the acual costs of performing services.  This study is usually performed by
a major accounting firm, and is fairly costly.  Other facilities may only
charge a flat hourly rate based on what it would cost to hire the staff to
perform services.  In all cases, the Directors of the facilities are
responsible for preparing such proposals/analyses.

3.  Source of the subsidy is UCHC funds.  Research sponsors are not asked to
provide subsidy, just the subsidized user fee; but if the subsidy
disappeared, the user fee would increase dramatically.

Len Paplauskas
Asst. VP for Research
UCONN Health Center
Farmington, CT
xxxxxx@adp.uchc.edu
 ----------
From: Research Administration Discuss
To: Multiple recipients of list RES
Subject: Paying for core facilities
Date: Thursday, February 08, 1996 9:18AM

Would like to hear how other schools pay for animal care facilities
and other core facilities--hybridoma, flow cytometry, molecular biology,
etc.  Specifically, what portion of the cost of operations is recovered
in user fees?  How do you create a fee structure, and WHO creates it?
If the operation is subsidized by the college, do those funds come
from general revenues or are you able to persuade external sponsors
to pay some of their costs.
to pay some of the cost of running the facility?
Peter J. Dolce
Director, Research Support Services
Meharry Medical College
P 615 327 6703
F 625 327 6738
xxxxxx@ccvax.mmc.edu