MIT Laser Biomedical Research Center

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The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Laser Biomedical Research Center (LBRC) is a NIH NIBIB research resource. The LBRC is also a part of the G.R. Harrison Spectroscopy Laboratory (SpecLab) administrated by the Department of Chemistry. The LBRC will enter its next funding cycle with seven senior investigators with approximately 10-15 junior staff members managing approximately 40 collaborative and service projects. Comparatively speaking, the LBRC is not a large facility; however, given that the center lies at the intersection seven senior investigator laboratories and interactions with a web of national and international collaborations with over 100 associated personnel, the LBRC is a fairly complex enterprise that needs an efficient management plan with a clear chain of responsibilities to properly function. The leadership team of the LBRC further believes that the majority of the financial resource of the LBRC should be devoted to research, collaborations, and training/dissemination. Therefore, the center's guiding management philosophy is best encapsulated by Albert Einstein's saying: “Make everything as simple as possible, but not simpler.” We have been and will continue to keep a very lean budget for administration. We are able to function well with minimal administrative expenditure for two reasons: First, as a part of MIT Department of Chemistry and the School of Science, we can leverage the very well-run, larger administrative infrastructure for many LBRC operations. Second, and probably most importantly, we have a highly energetic and collaborative group of senior investigators. While all of us have research and teaching roles beyond our involvement in the LBRC, having an enthusiastic group of senior investigators who are willing to take up administrative and management roles within their busy schedule is partly the reason for success of our center so far. Given our success in the last four years, we see no reason for radical changes. In summary, the LBRC administrative plan has five components: (1) LBRC organization: Describe relationship of LBRC within grantee institution and delineate administrative and operational responsibilities among senior investigators and key staff members. (2) LBRC External Advisory Committee (EAC): Review LBRC EAC structure and membership renewal plan. (3) LBRC operating procedures: Layout / review procedures for CP an SP management, equipment and facility usages, and facility user training. (4) Internal communication and networking plans: (a) Establish new TRD-wide and Center-wide regular meetings, (b) Establish a LBRC Retreat (5) Transition plan towards maintaining operations and service after “sunset”.