Facility Management, Maintenance and Operations (FMMO) Core

ABSTRACT; CORE 1, Facility Management, Maintenance and Operations (FMMO) core The coordination of research and research support services to ensure safe and efficient performance is central to all research and public health missions of the Rutgers RBL. Here, we propose to use existing University support for the RBL along with new funding supported by this UC7 application to combine all RBL support personnel from several contributing Departments and Divisions into a single expanded Facility Management, Maintenance and Operations (FMMO) Core. This new core will fundamentally transform our RBL by organizing the diverse research and facilities support personnel into a single interactive core for improved operations of critical infrastructure, equipment, and laboratory services to the RBL community. The FMMO core will provide BSL3 management and oversite, ensure efficient operations and maintenance of the BSL3 facilities, provide trained staff to support the BSL3 building systems and equipment, and provide routine animal husbandry, microbiology and virology services in support of investigators grant funded research projects. In Aim 1, we will re-organize and improve our existing research and facilities support services (working with the BSL3 Practices Core 2 and the Animal research and specialized service Core 3) into three integrated units to address all aspects of facilities management, maintenance, and operations In Aim 2, we will develop, implement and monitor a new robust system for preventative maintenance and life-cycle governed replacement of equipment critical to RBL functioning.