The Benefits and Evolutions of Shared Research Cores

Shared research cores are centralized facilities that provide investigators with advanced equipment and services under fee-for-service arrangements. By pooling costs among investigators, cores offer access to otherwise cost-prohibitive technology and allow researchers to utilize specialized staff without taking on retraining costs. The structure of shared cores promotes a team-based approach to research where users can learn technical skills and collaborate with investigators from different fields. Research cores have become an essential part of universities and academic healthcare centers, providing the infrastructure for some of the most important scientific innovations of the past decade. Recently, shared cores have expanded to include clinical research programs that offer investigators improved access to translational services and study scalability, with some cores specializing in unique patient populations and disease processes. Yet, as most clinical cores are embedded in outpatient facilities, they often exclude patients who experience trauma and acute illnesses. This article discusses a novel pediatric emergency department research core-like program and the value that such a program brings to investigators studying emergent symptoms, underserved populations, and acute presentations of chronic diseases. As emergency departments are always open, they offer expanded recruitment windows and can embed interventions into existing patient flow processes. Housing a research core or core-like program within the department of emergency medicine also allows the program to subsidize internal projects and collaborate with other divisions across the institution.