The Bioinformatics and Analytics Core is a professional service core located within the Office of Research and Economic Development. In order to continue providing services, our team like any unit within the MU system has to generate enough revenue to stay operational. To accomplish this while still offering the most flexibility to researchers we collaborate with, we do this through 3 different funding models described below.

Model 1: Fee-For-Service We offer by-project and hourly fee-for-service for all bioinformatics analysis services. Downstream analysis, custom solution development, and extraction of biological meaning from experimental results, where it is often difficult for both investigators and bioinformaticians to place a fixed time/cost on certain open-ended questions (e.g., “Which results are statistically significant?”, “What statistical tests should I be using?).

Model 2: Departmental “Retainer” Model.

• Another MU entity (department, division, or center) purchases a certain number of core hours.
• That Bioinformatics Core faculty/staff member establishes ongoing relationships with faculty in that entity, providing consulting and analytical support services as needed, up to the number of hours that the entity is funding the core.

• FTE is limited and is allocated on a first-come-first-serve basis.

Model 3: Lab Retainer Model. Our preferred way to collaborate is through securing core staff effort. This method offers the most flexibility. For example, if a project has changed and a new type or series of analyses is needed, then under the fee-for-service model that would incur a new duplicated charge. Under the lab-retainer-model the BAC staff member will have a dedicated amount of their FTE assigned to you project, so they can revisit the analyses if the agreement is in effect. As with the departmental-retainer-model, FTE is limited and is allocated on a first come, first served basis.