SRL Finance 101: Budgeting

About the Presenters

Julie A. Auger, PhD
Executive Director
Research Core Facilities Program

Julie A. Auger has been a member of the cytometry community since 1985 and is widely recognized for her expertise in the operation and administration of multi-technology, multidisciplinary academic resource centers. She serves as the executive director of the Research Core Facilities Program at the University of California Davis, where she is responsible for the development of a central support structure to optimize organization and administration for over 100 shared research facilities. Prior to her current position at UC Davis, Julie developed similar programs at UC San Francisco and The University of Chicago. She developed her core facility management expertise at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and at the University of Chicago, where she developed internationally reputed flow cytometry core facilities.

A. Nicole White, MBA
Shared Facility Administrator
Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center 

A. Nicole White began her career working in a flow cytometry core for five years and later transitioned into administration after acquiring her MBA in 2010. She currently serves as the shared facility administrator for Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center (CCHMC) and oversees 28 shared facilities, including veterinary services. She is also responsible for managing finance and operations through a centralized capacity. Nicole has implemented a centralized support structure for the shared facilities and continues to support ongoing efforts in operations for the shared facilities at CCHMC. She is active within the Association for Biomolecular Resource Facilities (ABRF), which works with core facility operations and management topics across multiple disciplinary and interdisciplinary platforms.

Webinar Summary

Many core facility scientists are charged with managing their labs as small businesses but have never had any formal training in finance or accounting. Therefore, they are at a disadvantage when it comes to strategic decisions that involve money. This includes determining how much money is needed to run the core, how to appropriately set recharge rates, and how to best manage expenses. This is the first of three webinars that address the basics of financial management for the scientific manager. 

Learning Objectives

• Define the need for and benefit of an operating budget (OB).
• Introduce the tools and information needed to create an effective OB.
• Discuss guiding principles for a robust OB.
• Demonstrate how to monitor actual spending compared to budget.

Who Should Attend

All core facility directors and staff who are involved with spending or revenue generation are encouraged to attend. No previous formal financial training is necessary. 

CMLE Credit: 1.0