Directive

Core facilities at the University of Geneva are subject to regulations that specify the criteria used to define them and describe their governance at both institutional and platform level.

More details can be found in the Directive of the core facilities at UNIGE.

Definition and mission

A core facility is a cutting-edge technology centre dedicated to research, developed according to a collaborative, open, long-term, evolutive and sustainable model, usually on the initiative of one or more groups of researchers.

They enable the academic scientific community and external partners to have access to innovative scientific equipment, recognised expertise, databases and/or digital tools to which they would not have access without this collaborative approach, particularly for financial or logistical reasons.

As a result, the core facilities are involved in the following missions:

• Supporting research with state-of-the-art equipment;
• Implement/develop new technologies and innovations;
• Generate data, particularly high-throughput data;
• Facilitate the production of publications that meet the criteria of scientific excellence;
• Support the training of the next generation of scientists and the transfer of knowledge;
• Contribute to the creation of intellectual property;
• Base their development on mixed funding;
• Contribute to the scientific, economic and social development of the city and region.

Criteria

To be in conformity, a core facility must meet the following criteria:

1. Be listed in the core facilities inventory maintained by the Research & Grants Office (RGO) and be registered with a Faculty or an Interfaculty Center
2. Establish a governance structure that includes at least a scientific committee, an operational team, and a user assembly
3. Have an internal organizational regulation (OR)
4. Establish a financing plan
5. Recognise 3 types of users (internal, external academic, non-academic) and set user fees for each type;
6. Produce an annual activity report
7. Adhere to FAIR principles regarding data management and respect the UNIGE's institutional research data management policy
8. Be subject to regular evaluations.

Compliance with these 8 points is a condition to access potential institutional fundings.