The Technical Services Core comprises facilities and personnel for three units: a Computing Support Facility, an Electronic Instrument Lab and a Mechanical Instrument Lab. These units will assure the efficient operation of all scientific programs and will encourage new research initiatives through assistance with design, troubleshooting, maintenance, and product procurements. The Core Director, Dr. Middlebrooks, will serve as the faculty supervisor for this Technical Services Core. He will facilitate dialog between technical services personnel and investigators to introduce innovative technical solutions into research programs. The Computing Support Facility administers the Novell network used by the laboratories and research cores, conducts regular backup of research data, sets up new computer systems, oversees software acquisition and upgrades, and troubleshoots computer software and hardware. The Computing Consultant will help faculty keep abreast of new developments and will suggest and implement novel software and network applications, including setup of multi-user databases. The Computing Support Facility will coordinate with the Electronic Instrument Lab in implementation of custom hardware/software interfaces. The Electronic and Mechanical Instrument Labs will provide innovative design, fabrication, maintenance, and calibration of custom instruments. Personnel are experienced in project development, from the back-of-theenvelope conceptual stage through to installation and calibration. The Electronic Lab has expertise in analog and digital instrument design, with extensive experience in issues that are unique to auditory research. The Mechanical Lab is accomplished in design, fabrication, maintenance, and repair of micro- through largescale instruments. Use of common instrument laboratories will enhance exchange of results among laboratories and will provide economy of scale in production of certain broadly used instruments. The current facilities have proven indispensable in optimizing electronic, mechanical, and computing applications. The use of common technical services and the input of technical-core personnel into research design and methods has in the past fostered innovative research collaborations among KHRI investigators. In the proposed grant period, those services will be extended to a broader regional user base.
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