Core Rigor and Reproducibility (CCoRRe)
Committee on Core Rigor and Reproducibility (CCoRRe)
The mission of CCoRRe is to enable rigor, reproducibility, and transparency in scientific research that uses advanced technology and development of sustainable best practices via use of Shared Research Resources (SRR’s), also commonly referred to as Core Facilities. SRR’s support a significant portion of the work conducted at research institutions, thus playing a critical role in achieving efficient use of research funds and broadening access to advanced skills, expertise, and technologies. Since SRR’s generate the majority of research data at many institutions, their role in developing and sharing their expertise is vital to performing impactful research. CCoRRe’s efforts are focused on building educational resources, sharing critical best practice guidelines, and providing important tools to the SSR community that will foster rigorous, reproducible, and transparent biomolecular research.
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Scientific Rigor, Reproducibility, and Transparency enabled by the ABRF Research Groups
The ABRF Research Groups (RGs), represent expertise for an array of cutting-edge and established technology platforms, perform multicenter research studies to determine and communicate best practices and community-based standards. This review provides a summary of the contributions of the ABRF RGs to promote scientific rigor and reproducibility in Cores from the published literature, ABRF meetings, and ABRF RGs communications.
2021 Core Lab Reproducibility Survey
The Association of Biomolecular Resource Facilities Committee on Core Rigor and Reproducibility conducted a follow-up survey 4 years after the initial 2017 survey to determine if core facilities have seen a positive impact of new RR&T initiatives (including guidance from the National Institutes of Health, new scientific journal requirements on transparency and data provenance, and educational tools from professional organizations). The results were published were published in the ABRF Journal of Biomolecular Techniques in 2022 (Ott et al Rigor, Reproducibility, and Transparency in Shared Research Resources: Follow-Up Survey and Recommendations for Improvements. J Biomol Tech. 2022;33(3).) The respondents' opinions on the role of core facilities and level of best practices adoption remained the same. Overall, the respondents agreed that procedures should be implemented by core facilities to ensure scientific RR&T. They also indicated that there is a strong correlation between institutions that emphasize RR&T and core customers using this expertise in grant applications and publications. The survey also assessed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on core operations and RR&T. The answers to these pandemic-related questions revealed that many of the strategies aimed at increasing efficiencies are also best practices related to RR&T, including the development of standard operating procedures, supply chain management, and cross training. Given the consistent and compelling awareness of the importance of RR&T expressed by core directors in 2017 and 2021 contrasted with the lack of apparent improvements over this time period, the authors recommend an adoption of RR&T statements by all core laboratories.
Learn more about the survey results:
Read the report in the ABRF Journal of Biomolecular Techniques
View supporting information for 2021 survey
2017 Core Lab Reproducibility Survey
There is strong interest across the ABRF community in the overall conduct of rigorous and reproducible science, as demonstrated by the response to a recent survey conducted by the CCoRRe (Knudtson et al, J Biomol Tech. 2019 Sep;30(3):36-44). The survey was designed to develop understanding of how NIH initiatives on advancing scientific rigor and reproducibility influenced current services and new technology development. In addition, the survey aimed to identify challenges related to the conduct of rigorous research, and opportunities for improvements, new practices and resources that can support the best core science. 243 individuals from 21 countries responded to the survey, and 53% of them identified as members of the ABRF. The majority of the survey respondents were core facility directors or managers (69%) and work in an academic setting (72%) in the United States (79%), representing a wide range of technologies.
Learn more about the survey results:
See the article on the survey from the September 2019 issue of Instrument Business Outlook
Read the report in the ABRF Journal of Biomolecular Techniques
View the poster presented at ABRF2019 Annual Meeting in San Antonio Texas
CCoRRe Committee Membership
- Andrew Ott, Northwestern University (Co-Chair)
- Jenn Page, Salk Institute (Co-Chair)
- Patricia Basta, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
- Sridar Chittur - SUNY Albany
- Joseph Dragavon, (Executive Board Liaison) - University of Colorado, Boulder
- Christopher Gregory, University of North Carolina School of Medicine
- Kevin Knudtson, University of Iowa
- Katia Sol-Church, University of Virginia
- Caterina Strambio-De-Castillia, University of Massachusetts Medical School
- Michael Sturges, Miltenyi Biotec
- Doug Taatjes, University of Vermont
- Frances Weis-Garcia, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
- Nicole (Amanda) White, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Research Foundation