Creative Funding Options for SRLs: from Crowd Funding to Philanthropy

About the Speakers

Kylie Price
Head of Research Technology and Senior Staff Scientist
Malaghan Institute of Medical Research

Kylie Price is a senior scientist and the head of research technology at the Malaghan Institute of Medical Research. She has 18 years of experience providing strategic, scientific, and operational direction in multidisciplinary environments. Kylie has strong stakeholder management and engagement skills and has attracted more than $15 million of philanthropic funding over the past twelve years, supporting the creation of a distinguished center of research excellence, the Hugh Green Cytometry Centre (HGCC). Kylie leads a team of eight highly-skilled technology scientists in providing supporting to over 80 scientists at the Malaghan Institute. The HGCC provides access to cutting-edge technology platforms (including flow and spectral cytometry, histology, bioimaging, genomics, and bioinformatics) and advises multiple research groups both nationally and abroad. Kylie also has a strong leadership track-record that includes organizing high-profile networking events, such as CYTO Asia Singapore 2017, and directing international organizations, such as the Australasian Cytometry Society of which she is former president. Kylie is a two-time NZ Woman of Influence Awards finalist and finalist of the 2021 NZ High Tech Awards. She was the first New Zealander elected to the International Society for Advancement of Cytometry Council and was elected ISAC Secretary in 2020.

Dagna Sheerar

Flow Cytometry Technical Director
University of Wisconsin
Carbone Cancer Center Flow Cytometry Laboratory

Dagna Sheerar has been working in flow cytometry shared resource laboratories for over 20 years and is currently the technical director of the Flow Cytometry Laboratory at the University of Wisconsin - Madison Carbone Cancer Center. Her areas of interest are core management and user education. Since becoming technical director, Dagna has successfully added, on average, one instrument per year to the Flow Lab through various grant programs, institutional purchases, or “crowd funding.” Dagna has been involved in the Great Lakes International Imaging and Flow Cytometry Association (GLIIFCA) for almost as long as she has been working in cores, and she recently served as GLIIFCA president from 2020-2021. She is a member of ISAC and serves on the SRL Content Task Force. She serves as host, organizer, and instructor for the Annual Course in Cytometry, and she is currently in the planning stages for the 45^th Annual Course to be held at the University of Wisconsin in June of 2022. Dagna has presented at GLIIFCA, the annual CYTO Meeting, and the Association of Biomolecular Resource Facility (ABRF) annual meetings. Dagna also served as the Interim Director of Campus Research Cores at UW – Madison in 2020.  

Webinar Summary

There is often a lot of pressure on SRL managers to run a partial- or full-cost-recovery core facility which presents many challenges. Identifying and securing external funding (in any form) can alleviate this pressure. This tutorial will cover various funding strategies for SRLs, looking at diversifying funding streams. Dagna Sheerar will provide an overview of traditional and novel methods for funding the purchase of instrumentation, including various grant programs, institutional purchases, and “crowd-funding.” Kylie Price will look at how to find, maintain, and grow philanthropic relationships as well as how to maximize opportunities with high-net-worth individuals/groups.

Learning Objectives

• Identify novel funding sources for shared resource laboratories.
• Leveraging usage data and research need to build support.
• How best to present core technologies and core facility services to entice funding.
• How to engage stakeholders.
• Provide tips around how to build and grow philanthropic relationships.

Who Should Attend

SRL Managers, Flow Core Directors, SRL Staff.

CMLE Credit: 1.0