Research Core Facilities Assessment and Planning Committee 

Cores at Johns Hopkins

Improving the efficiency of shared research facilities and enabling broad access to the most cutting-edge technologies are of paramount importance to sustaining the excellence, impact and stature of the Johns Hopkins research enterprise. The university is establishing a Research Core Facilities Assessment and Planning committee to develop a coordinated, university-wide strategy to support the 120+ research cores distributed across schools, institutes and departments. The committee will assess current capacity, operations and needs; identify opportunities for optimization and alignment across divisions; guide investment and procurement; and strengthen Johns Hopkins’ ability to provide world-class facilities that keep our researchers at the forefront of discovery and innovation.  

Charge of the Committee

The President and Provost will appoint a university-wide Cores Assessment and Planning Committee composed of faculty experts, administrative leaders, and technical core directors. This committee will be asked to: 

1. Conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the JHU landscape of core facilities—including capacity, usage, accessibility, and alignment with emerging research priorities. 

2. Propose standardized governance frameworks, including policies for equitable access, recharge rates, lifecycle planning, and performance metrics. 

3. Recognizing that a single model may not be appropriate for every core, recommend sustainable financial models that balance cost-recovery, institutional subsidy, and external funding, while ensuring compliance with federal cost principles (e.g., Uniform Guidance). 

4. In line with our One University priorities, propose approaches that improve cross-campus integration, supporting shared technology platforms, centralized support services, and collaborative innovation hubs. 

5. Identify strategic investment opportunities (e.g., for AI-enabled labs, translational cores, internal funding programs, or highly-specialized disciplines) aligned with university, divisional, and departmental priorities. 

The committee will deliver a phased action plan with both short-term improvements and long-range recommendations to ensure that core research facilities remain globally competitive, fiscally responsible, and broadly accessible.  

Given other concurrent workstreams, the committee is not expected to focus on animal research resources nor universitywide high-performance computing.    

Committee Leadership 

Denis Wirtz, Co-chair, T.H. Smoot Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (WSE); Vice Provost for Research 

Antony Rosen, Co-chair, Dr. Mary Betty Stevens Professor of Rheumatology (SOM); Vice Dean for Research (SOM)  

Nick Wigginton, Staff lead, Associate Vice Provost for Research 

Sarada Viswanathan, Senior Advisor, Scientific Director, Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute 

Committee Membership

Jane Carlton, Bloomberg Distinguished Professor and Director of the Malaria Research Institute, Department of Molecular Microbiology & Immunology (BSPH); Department of Biomedical Engineering (WSE)  

Andrew Ewald, Virginia deAcetis Professor and Director, Department of Cell Biology (SOM) 

Chris Foret, Assistant Director, Cost Accounting  

Shawn Franckowiak, Assistant Dean for Research Resources (SOM)  

Kristine Glunde, Professor of Radiology and Radiological Science and Director of the Applied Imaging Mass Spectrometry Core (SOM) 

Greg Kirk, Professor of Epidemiology and Vice Dean for Research (BSPH)  

Rejji Kuruvilla, Professor of Biology and Vice Dean for Natural Sciences (KSAS) 

Larry Nagahara, Vice Dean for Research and Translation (WSE) 

Paul Nkansah, Senior Director, Corporate Partnerships (JHTV)   

Mike Roberts, Associate Vice President, Strategy & Analysis  

Brian Smith, Chief Procurement Officer 

Mitra Taheri, Professor of Materials Science & Engineering and Director of the Materials Characterization and Processing facility (WSE)  

Cathy Wood, Vice Dean for Finance and Administration (SOM)

Timeline

The committee will begin its work in Fall 2025 with an interim report in January and a final report and recommendations due to the President and Provost by April 2026.