- ADMINISTRATIVE MODULE The Vision Research Core at the University of Michigan is directed by Bret A. Hughes, Ph.D., Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences. Dr. Hughes is an established cell physiologist whose research on ion channels in the RPE has been supported by an NEI R01 grant since 1991. He has served effectively as PI of the Vision Research Core grant since 1997 and as director of the Electronics and Computer Module or Instrument Shop Module intermittently since 1990. Dr. Hughes is intimately involved with the day-to-day direction of the Vision Research Core. He is responsible for ensuring that Vision Research Core activities are appropriate to the needs of vision researchers, and that they are run efficiently and according to appropriate priorities. He is also responsible for overseeing Module expenditures and budget, reviewing the Core's website information, organizing meetings for the dissemination of information about resources and services provided by the Modules, preparing, analyzing, and reporting the results of surveys and questionnaires, setting up quarterly meetings of the Core Executive Committee, and preparing progress reports. He is assisted by a Research Program Manager and Post-Award Administrator in the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences. Overall supervision of the Vision Research Core is under the direction of the PI and the Core Executive Committee, which meets quarterly. This committee consists of the PI as chair, the Associate Chair for Research in the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, and the five Module directors. Activities of the Modules are reviewed and issues regarding access to each facility are examined. The meetings emphasize enhancement of the overall research environment, the quality of services and resources and degree of client satisfaction, the success of the Vision Research Core in attracting new investigators and projects into vision research, and the success of collaborative efforts. The Core Executive Committee also considers how the impact of the Vision Research Core might be enhanced by changing or adding services or resources. NEI-R01 funded investigators have first priority in use of the facilities. Other researchers, especially those preparing NEI R01 proposals, those with other NEI research awards, and those collaborating with NEI-funded researchers are next in order of priority. Time permitting, the Modules can be used by other individuals involved in vision research, and through such usage, new investigators are encouraged to pursue vision- related research. Work orders for the service modules are submitted online at the Vision Research Core website, which also provides a mechanism for investigators to reserve heavily used Core instruments via calendar software. Use of other instruments is tracked by log books.
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